Brown’s Ferry Rd church of Christ is a Scripturally Sound Non-Denominational church
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(Note: Last week I wrote about the church as described in the New Testament. This week, as a sequel, I am sending forth two excellent articles on “The Restoration Plea.” The first of these was written by my longtime friend, Alan E. Highers, and appeared in the bulletin of the North Jackson Church of Christ, Jackson, TN, under the date of June 12, 2018 during the long and effective ministry of David Powell with that congregation. The second article is from the pen of Allan Eldridge, longtime minister of the Regency Church of Christ [formerly Pleasant Valley] in Mobile, AL. [I do not have the date of brother Eldridge’s article]. I urge you to give a careful and thoughtful reading to these two short articles. The plea to go back and be simply the original church of which we read in the Bible, free of all denominational thinking, doctrine, and practice, has never been more needed).
The Restoration Plea
Alan Highers
David Powell recently delivered an outstanding lesson at North Jackson on “The Restoration Plea.” The Restoration Plea, quite simply, is the plea to restore the first-century New Testament church in the present age. The Restoration Plea has been summarized in the following words: “Let us speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent.” As the apostle Peter admonished: “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God” (I Peter 4:11).
The church of Christ is different. It is not a denomination. It does not wear a human name. It does not have a human founder. It does not follow a man-made creed. It has no earthly headquarters. Non-members often are curious about the church of Christ because it is completely different from any other religious body they have ever known. We endeavor to “speak” where the Bible speaks and to be “silent” where the Bible is silent.
Martin Luther made this appeal to his followers: “I pray you leave my name alone and not to call yourselves Lutherans, but Christians. Who is Luther? My doctrine is not mine. I have not been crucified for anyone. How does it then benefit me, a miserable bag of dust and ashes, to give my name to the children of Christ? Cease, my dear friends, to cling to these party names and distinctions: away with all of them; and let us call ourselves only Christians, after Him from whom our doctrine comes.”
The old pioneer preaches often pled: “Let us do Bible things in Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names.” One of their familiar mottos was this: “In matters of faith, unity. In matters of opinion, liberty. In all matters, charity.” The apostle Peter said: “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf” (I Peter 4:16).
Thoughts On Restoration
Allan Eldridge
Let me share with you what I perceive to be the core of our restoration plea.
1. A respect for biblical authority must be restored. We respect it in order to be prepared for the judgment because we will be judged by the word. See Matthew 28:18; John 12:48.
2. There must be a restoring of obedience to divine commands. See John 14:15; Hebrews 5:9.
3. The restoration movement seeks to encourage men and women to return to the New Testament way of worship. See John 4:24. Worship must be in spirit and in truth.
4. The restoration plea also includes a restoring of sound doctrine and we must be ready to contend [for] and defend sound doctrine. See 2 Timothy 1:13.
5. The restoration involves a return to biblical teaching in all areas of morality. Contrary to popular thinking, God has a standard of morality, and that standard is revealed in God’s word. See 1 Thessalonians 4:7.
6. A restoring of love and fellowship among Christians [must occur]. See John 17:21. Ephesians 4:1-6 lays out a plan for maintaining unity among God’s people.
There will be continuing work in trying to bring back the prayerful spirit of the early church, the brotherly closeness, their zeal, their joy, their generosity with others. May we all continue to strive for the restoration of New Testament Christianity.
Brethren, the words in the two above articles need to be absorbed, believed, and acted upon by every member of the body of Christ!
Most of my readers know that I love to write about the church. I know that God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit constitute the Supreme Entity, the divine Godhead, who brought all things into existence and continue to sustain all things. But the church was in the eternal purpose of God and is the fruition of His plan to save faithful and obedient mankind by Christ (Ephesians 1 – 3). [Note: Every child of God ought to thoroughly familiarize himself or herself with Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and fully digest its import and what he said about the place of the church in human redemption].
Christ purchased the church with His blood (Ephesians 2:14-18; cf. Acts 20:28) and established the church (Matthew 16:18). It is of divine (not human) origin. The church is the body of Christ of which He is the one and only head (Ephesians 1:22-23). There is but one body (Ephesians 4:4), and the Holy Spirit indwells the church (Ephesians 2:19-22). The church of God’s eternal purpose, the church as established by Christ, and the church as set forth in the New Testament is not a denomination, neither is it an amalgamation or confederation of denominations.
One reason I like to write about the church is because there is so much misunderstanding about the church, even among its members. Many Christians have not learned to think and speak as the oracles of God when it comes to the church (see I Peter 4:11). All preachers of the gospel need to do much teaching and preaching about the church, and elders need to insist that it be done. People who seemingly were faithful members of the church have left the church for a denomination and have thought nothing of it. Until we have a clear and biblical view of the church we are not going to make much of an impact on the world.
In 2008, Dr. Sam Hester, Professor of Church History at Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, TN (now retired), published a book I authored titled ESSAYS ON THE CHURCH. (To the best of my knowledge, this book is still available from Hester Publications, 165 Gibson Drive, Henderson, TN 38340, Ph: 731-989-6625). In the Preface to the book, I wrote the following:
“Over the years I have been deeply impressed with the concept of being an undenominational Christian and a member of the very church which Christ established (Matthew 16:18). I have exulted in reading of the great efforts throughout history, beginning especially in the late 1700s, to go back over the dark, dismal ages of apostasy from the true way of Christ and return to the pristine purity and stark simplicity of apostolic Christianity.
“But I have also observed that many members of the church nevertheless seem to have a denominational view of the church and speak of it in ways that indicate a sectarian view of Christianity. To some extent this is to be expected because the church of Christ exists in the midst of a highly ‘denominationalized’ world. Those who have a denominational concept of the church are not always aware that they have such a concept, and most of them are not maliciously trying to represent the church as a denomination (though within the last thirty years there has been a determined and overt effort on the part of some to portray the church as ‘a denomination among denominations’). With patient teaching, those who are sincerely seeking to be faithful to God can be led to have a clear, biblical view of the church. Such is the purpose of this little book.
“Throughout my years as a minister of the gospel I have often spoken and written about the undenominational nature of the church. I have done this because I sincerely believe that in order for the church to grow as God would have it to grow, we who are members must know who we are and what our mission is in the world. We must have a clear sense of identity.
“To give emphasis to the church is not to minimize the importance of other matters. I am thankful for a large cadre of faithful men who have studied and prepared themselves to address the plethora of challenges facing our modern world, the church, and the forces of righteousness. Included in these challenges are such matters as the brutal attacks being made on the homes of America, postmodernism, atheism, evolution, humanism, the spread of so-called world religions, challenges to the inspiration and authority of the Bible, along with the corruptions (reflected in both Catholicism and Protestantism) of simple and original New Testament Christianity, as well as a host of other matters demanding our attention. (My Preface mentioned nothing about the recent advancement of the homosexual and transgender issues and the whole Woke agenda). I sincerely applaud all of God’s faithful people everywhere who are earnestly contending for God’s truth in all of these various areas.
“I also hold a deep appreciation for those among the faithful people of God who have devoted themselves to a thorough and reverential study of His word and who are able to teach it effectively. There are many in the churches of Christ who are exceedingly able Bible scholars. Additionally, there are those who live lives of great devotion to God and who stress the vital importance of prayer, meditation, love for God, love for mankind, and service to others. All of these are matters of tremendous importance, and no Christian can neglect these disciplines in his life and be faithful to his calling.
“My interest, however, has been in a study of the church as revealed in the Bible, and in trying to help people have a clear, biblical concept of the church. I have benefited greatly from the studies and writings of others, and must especially mention the impact of such ‘giants of the faith’ as F. D. Srygley and G. C. Brewer [as well as F. B. Srygley and Cled E. Wallace] who possessed such a clear view of the church as revealed in the New Testament.
“I am pleased to send forth this little volume consisting of essays on the church, written at various times over a period of many years, with the hope and prayer that all who read it will have a clearer view of what it means to be an undenominational Christian. Since ‘repetition is the mother of learning,’ I make no apology for the fact that some ideas are repeated in various chapters of the book.”
Feel free to order one or more copies of this book from the address mentioned above. Some congregations have used it as a study guide in adult Bible classes.
Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it (Ephesians 5:25). If I am His faithful follower, I must love what He love!
My fellow gospel preacher, how long has it been since you preached on the following? My fellow Christian, how long has It been since you heard a sermon on the following?
* Cases of Conversion in the Book of Acts (At least one of them every once in a while)
* The Facts, Commands, Promises, & Warnings of the Gospel
* Faith, Repentance, Confession, Baptism
* How To Stay Saved
* Work of the Holy Spirit in Conversion
* What It Means to Preach Jesus
* What It Means to Believe in Jesus
* Sin (What it is, How we sin, What it does to us)
* The New Testament Church
* The Church (In Prophecy, Preparation, Establishment, & Identity)
* Denominationalism (Is one church as good as another, Can we worship at one church as well as another, Where did all these different churches come from, etc.)
* Is the Church of Christ Just Another Denomination?
* The Restoration Plea and its Principles
* Apostasy; The Danger of Drifting
* Acceptable Worship
* Why We Do Not Use Instrumental Music In Worship
* Why We Observe the Lord’s Supper Every Lord’s Day
* Requirements, Expedients, Aids, Additions (Do we know the difference between these and the relevancy of the differences?)
* The Work of the Church
* The Work of Elders
* The Role of Deacons
* The Role of Women in the Church
* Dangerous Philosophies (Colossians 2:8: Postmodernism, Situation Ethics, Threat of Contemporary Culture to the Faith, Etc.)
* Worldliness
* Marriage, Divorce, and Re-marriage; Same-sex marriage
* Be Thou Faithful
* Forsake Not the Assembly
* Spiritual Growth/Transformation
* Prayer
* Blessed Assurance (The Assurance of Salvation & Eternal Life)
* Christian Evidences (Existence of God, Deity of Christ, Inspiration & Authority of the Scriptures)
* Second Coming of Christ
* The Day of Judgment
* Heaven
* Hell
Preachers, if you are not addressing these subjects, may I ask “Why?” Members, if you are not hearing these subjects preached, may I ask “Why?” Are they not important? Are they not necessary? Do our young people not need to hear these Bible themes and subjects presented from the pulpit? Elders (spiritual overseers of the flock) and members, would you ask your preacher to address these matters over a period of time, recognizing that while they are by no means an exhaustive list of things that need to be preached, they nevertheless are important subjects and themes that must not be neglected when preaching the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27)?
To write or preach about hell is neither pleasant nor popular for either the writer, preacher, or audience. And though it is not popular or pleasant, it is nevertheless biblical and necessary. While we all like to hear about heaven (and we attempted to give a glimpse into heaven last week), hell is a different matter. While the Bible speaks explicitly of hell, there are still some who question its existence. With some the question seems to be, “Hell yes?” or “Hell no?”
Jesus painted a verbal picture of the final judgment of all mankind in which He separated everyone into two groups—the sheep and the goats. He placed the sheep on His right side and the goats on His left. Then He said of those on His left, “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). Elsewhere, hell is described as “the lake of fire and brimstone” whose occupants “will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
In three rapid and repetitious quotations from the prophet Isaiah, Jesus described hell as that place “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44, 46, 48). (Some moderns no doubt would have told Jesus, “We got it the first time.” But Jesus repeated the quotation three times to drive home His point, a point that needs to be driven home today to the hearts of many).
In His picture of the final judgment, Jesus stated that hell was a place of “everlasting fire prepared for the devil and His angels” (Matthew 25:41). It was never the will of God for any human being to go to hell. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God “is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9). He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (I Timothy 2:3-4).
But for those who reject God and His Son, for those who do not obey the gospel, and for those who do not live a faithful Christian life, hell will be their eternal doom. At the end of this age, Christ will come “in flaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,” and it will be a righteous thing for Him to do so (II Thessalonians 1:6-9). Those who became Christians but then departed from the Lord will suffer the same fate. “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). You can doubt it or even deny it if you choose to, but your doubt or denial will not change the fact of it!
Many years ago, I came across an article titled “Reasons Why People Will Go To Hell.” The author is unknown, but his words should be sobering to all. I have re-worded the title of the article as “Ten ‘Good’ Reasons To Go To Hell.” Here they are.
1. It requires no effort at all to get there.
2. You can associate freely with bad company there.
3. You won’t have the constant watchful eye of God over you.
4. You won’t be expected to attend Bible study or worship.
5. You won’t have to give anything of yourself to God.
6. Purity and goodness will not be expected of you.
7. No faithful Christians will be there to urge you to greater Christian service.
8. You won’t be lonely. Friends and loved ones who followed your example will be there too.
9. There will be no worry about a final judgment; it will be over. All you will have to do is to serve your sentence in eternity.
10. There will be no worry about Christ coming again. He won’t – ever!
The last book of the Old Testament lists some “blessings and traits of those who fear the Lord.” Malachi wrote,
They That Feared The Lord
Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.
BLESSING: A book of remembrance was written before God for those who feared Him containing the actions of their frequent conversations and mindfulness of things associated with God.
BLESSING: They that fear God uniquely belong to Him.
BLESSING: They that feared God are considered by Him to be His “jewels” indicating precious and highly valued in His sight. “Jewels” means “Possession, valued property, peculiar treasure, particular treasure” (Blue Letter Bible).
BLESSING: “I will spare them.” “Spare” means “to have pity on, to have compassion, to be gentle with, longsuffering” (Blue Letter Bible).
TRAITS: Speaking freely about the things of God with each other; Thinking about God; Righteous living; Serving God.
The Savior built His church to feature these traits. For example, Acts 4:32 says, “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.” The blessings of God are reserved for those who manifest the traits enumerated in this brief presentation.
June 16-19 of this year I was privileged (for the second year in a row) to be a participant in the “Revival In America” program conducted by the West Fayetteville Church of Christ in Fayetteville, TN. The elders of this great church are to be commended for their commitment to trying to bring about a spiritual revival in our country, beginning right where they are.
The program followed a Questions and Answers format. The approach was, “If you could ask God one question, what would it be?” A three man panel, plus a moderator, fielded the questions. All four of us also spoke one night each on an assigned question. Many good questions were submitted and dealt with over the four evenings. One question was, “God, what will one day in heaven be like for me as a Christian?” This week’s “Hugh’s News & Views” will consist of my response to the question, plus some additional Bible material related to the question.
I began by citing the apostle John’s statement in I John 3:2: “Beloved, now (in this life, hf) we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” Thus, we do not now know everything that we will experience in heaven. While we know some things about heaven and what it will be like to be there (based on various statements of Scripture), God has not revealed everything about heaven to us. We do know, however, that in heaven we will be like Jesus “for we shall see Him as He is.”
Before His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus said to His apostles (and by extension, to all His faithful followers), “In My Father’s house are many mansions (many dwelling places, hf); if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3). We know that heaven will be indescribably beautiful because it is being prepared by Christ Himself.
During His personal ministry, Jesus related an incident involving a certain rich man and a poor beggar by the name of Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). Each man died. Lazarus was carried by the angels to “Abraham’s bosom.” The rich man died and was “in torments in Hades.” Hades is the intermediate state of all the dead prior to the resurrection of all and the final judgment (John 5:28-29). Hades and hell are not the same. (A later “News & Views” will discuss this subject). “Abraham’s bosom” was an expression referring to a place of peace and rest. Elsewhere it is called “Paradise,” the place to which Jesus and the penitent thief went when they died (Luke 23:43). Though not heaven (the final abode of the saved), Abraham’s bosom/Paradise is a prelude to what heaven will be in even greater glory and magnificence.
In heaven we will not experience the marriage relationship. While I believe there is Bible evidence to the effect that we will know one another in heaven, we will not be married to our earthly spouse in heaven. Jesus said, “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels of God in heaven” (Matthew 22:30). Angels do not marry and the occupants of heaven will not marry. Angels are ministering spirits (Hebrews 1:14), and Jesus said that “a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have” (Luke 24:39). So, in heaven we will not have these “flesh and bones” bodies that we now inhabit but we will be given incorruptible, glorified, powerful, spiritual bodies (I Corinthians 15:42-44).
In my answer to the question in Fayetteville I permitted myself to engage in a bit of fantasy. People in Fayetteville had questions and people in heaven will probably have questions that they would like to ask God directly. How many times have we said, “I do not know the answer to that question, but when I get to heaven I am going to ask God about that”? So, in my glimpse into heaven, and using earthly imagery (bear in mind this is all fantasy and not rooted in anything stated in Scripture), I said, “We will all get up in the morning whenever we want to. We will have coffee, a good breakfast, a stroll along the golden street, perhaps pick a piece of fruit from the tree of life, have a songfest, come back for a nice lunch, everyone will take a nap, and around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, Jesus will preside over a Q & A session. The seventeen members panel to provide the answers will be the thirteen faithful apostles (don’t forget Matthias who took Judas’ place [Acts 1:15-26] and the grand old apostle Paul), along with the four writers of the New Testament who were not apostles (Mark, Luke, James, and Jude).
Some of the questions will be silly and and asked out of curiosity: Why did Noah take two termites on the ark, two mosquitoes, two snakes, two skunks? What were some of the secret things with God that He chose not to reveal to mankind? (Deuteronomy 29:29). What was the fruit that Eve actually ate of in the Garden of Eden? When was Jesus’ birthday?
Others will be of a more serious nature: Was there really just one reason for an acceptable divorce and remarriage? Jesus will field that question and say, “I made that plain in Matthew 5:31-32 and Matthew 19:1-9, as well as in other passages.” Someone will ask, “What was the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?” Mark will lean forward and say, “I answered that in Mark 3:28-30.” Some will want to know why God did not permit women to be preachers and elders in the church. Paul will speak up and say, “I explained that in I Timothy 2:11-14 and other places. What was so hard to understand about what I said by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit?” Some will want to know why Christ had to die for the sins of the world (that question was posed in Fayetteville). Why could God not find another way to save mankind? Why couldn’t God just save everybody regardless? Other questions of legitimate interest will be raised.
But, again, the idea of a Q & A session in heaven is just the figment of my imagination, but it is interesting to think about such a thing happening. Just to be able to talk with Noah, Abraham, Moses, Job, the great prophets of the Old Testament, Jesus, John the Baptist, the apostles, and all the faithful men and women of the Bible will be a source of inestimable joy!
We know that in heaven “God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain. For the former things have passed away” (the things we experienced in this life) (Revelation 21:4). From Revelation 22:1-5 we learn that in heaven there will be the tree of life, “yielding its fruit every month.” “The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him,” but the work will not be tiring or boring, but joyful and fulfilling. We will see the face of God and His name shall be on our foreheads. There will be no night there. As stated in a beautiful song, heaven is “the land of fadeless day.” And as stated in another grand old song, “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be.”
May we live in such a way as for heaven to be our eternal dwelling place! “Time” is a short, narrow ribbon of existence in the midst of a sphere that never ends. Our own lives are but a mere speck on that ribbon of time. Love God, obey the gospel, sow to the Spirit rather than to the flesh, live a faithful Christian life!
Last week we mentioned a number of things not found in the Bible (though not an exhaustive list of such). As a sequel, this week we set forth some things the Bible does plainly state. All quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible. They should be studied in their context, but succinct divine truth is found in each statement.
* “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
* “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26).
* “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’ ” (Psalm 14:1).
* “God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
* “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your eyes. Fear the Lord and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:5-7).
* “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).
* “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).
* “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12).
* “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
* “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” (Matthew 19:9).
* “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).
* “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
* “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).
* “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
* “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3).
* “And He (God, hf) put all things under His (Christ’s, hf) feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23).
* “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).
* “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).
* “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
* “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
* “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (I Timothy 6:6-7).
* “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (I Corinthians 13:13).
* “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or evil” (II Corinthians 5:10).
* “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
* “Abstain from every form of evil” (I Thessalonians 5:22).
* “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
* “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16-17).
* “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (II Timothy 4:3-4).
* “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (II John 9).
* “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (I Thessalonians 5:21, KJV & ASV).
* “These were more noble than those of Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).
* “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9).
* That the forbidden fruit that Eve ate was an apple
* A Pope
* The sinner’s prayer
* The title “Reverend” applied to any preacher
* The date of Jesus’ birth.
* The notion that there were three wise men who visited Christ soon after His birth (Note: Wise men visited, but the number is not given).
* The doctrine of salvation by faith only
* Many churches of all kinds of denominations: Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal, Baptist, Methodists, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, nor any other denomination or sect, Catholic or Protestant
* Instrumental music in the worship of the first century church
* The idea that if a person has a good heart he/she will be saved
* The notion that there are many ways to God
* The belief that one can earn his eternal salvation by good works
* The Rapture
* Various acceptable reasons for divorce and remarriage
* Baptizing babies
* Sprinkling, pouring, or christening as baptism
* The date of Christ’s second coming
* The notion that one can be spiritual without having to attend church and engage in formal or prescribed religious activities
* Purgatory
* Religious officials known as Archbishops
* Religious officials known as Cardinals
* One pastor leading a congregation
* Once saved, always saved
* Praying to or through Mary the mother of Jesus
* Women serving as ministers or elders of local churches
* The idea that one can do nothing to be saved
In Acts 17:11 it is said of the people of Berea (northern Greece): “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). The Bereans were checking up on the preaching of Paul and Silas. Does there not need to be some searching of the Scriptures today to see if what one has “always heard” or “always thought” or “always believed” or what the televangelists are saying is actually in the Bible? Truth has no fear of being investigated; in fact, it welcomes such. Only truth, not error, can make us free (John 8:32).
Occasionally we hear from those who are skeptical of any good that might possibly be accomplished through gospel meetings, mass media outreach, one-on-one Bible studies, and door knocking. Please consider “another reason why we door knock” for just a moment. We’ve heard the command of the Master and that should do it, but doubt persists. Jesus said, “All power [authority, ASV] is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-19). There is no restriction from the Lord as to the method of accomplishing the command so long as it is expedient (1 Corinthians 6:12). If that’s not sufficient motivation to do some or all these things to fulfill the mission of the church, then consider “another reason why we door knock.” Here it is:
Ezekiel 3:18-19
When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
“Souls are at stake here, and mine is one of them” so is yours. Disclosure: not everyone is geared to the challenges of door knocking, encountering many times total strangers, but everyone without exception has family, friends, and co-workers with whom they enjoy an appreciated mutual influence. The lost deserve a warning from God regarding their eternal destiny and our soul’s destiny depends on it.
In warning of “the dangers of evangelistic apathy,” the late Wendell Winkler observed, “We must fish for men or fade from men. It is evangelize or fossilize. …Many churches have grown from 500 to 100! Rationalization as to the reasons will not suffice or correct the situation. A sincere evaluation is needed, and, then, a scriptural, workable, steady course must be prescribed and relentlessly followed.” (in The Glory Of Preaching, Passing the Torch, ed. by Gary McDade, Spiritual Sword Lectureship (Memphis, TN: The Getwell Church of Christ) 2001, pp. 167-168).
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THE GOOD CONFESSION
On one occasion when Jesus and His apostles were in the region of Caesarea Philippi He asked them, “Who do men say that I am?” They gave Him some of the opinions of the day. “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus then asked, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-16). This, of course, was the truth concerning the identity of Christ.
The apostle Paul said that Christ “witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate” (I Timothy 6:13). At His trial Jesus had been asked by the Jewish Sanhedrin Council, “Are You then the Son of God?” He replied, “You rightly say that I am” (Luke 22:70). Later, Pontius Pilate asked Christ, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered and said, “It is as you say” (Luke 23:3). Thus, Jesus made the good confession of His deity before Pontius Pilate in His own defense.
When Christ sent out the twelve apostles on the limited commission, He promised, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). Let me ask: Have you confessed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Is your daily life an ongoing confession of that divine truth? Do you want Christ to confess you or deny you before His Father in heaven?
The apostle John referred to of some of the rulers (perhaps members of the Jewish Council) who believed in Christ, “but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42-43). Does this not show that believing in Christ, as necessary as it is, is not enough to save a person? One must be willing to confesshis faith in Christ! Paul commended Timothy for having made “the good confession in the sight of many witnesses” (I Timothy 6:12).
In Acts 8:26-40 we have the account of the conversion of the Ethiopian treasurer, a man who was an eunuch. Philip the evangelist (not Philip the apostle) “preached Jesus to him.” As they went along the way, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” (It is interesting that in having Christ preached to him, the treasurer learned that he needed to be baptized. Preaching Jesus involves preaching what Jesus requires of one to be saved from his/her sins, including baptism). Philip said to him, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (V. 37).
It is true that verse 37 does not appear in all manuscripts of the New Testament; however it does appear in some. In the light of the overall teaching of the New Testament, only a small portion of which we have mentioned in this article, can it be successfully argued that an oral confession of one’s faith in Christ as the Son of God before baptism is not necessary to completing God’s plan of salvation from sin? Paul wrote: “For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:10). Whether Acts 8:37 is genuine or not, the overwhelming evidence from New Testament teaching shows that people in the apostolic age confessed their faith in Christ prior to being baptized for the remission of their sins.
It is regrettable that there is a tendency with some today to minimize the need for a public confession of faith in Christ before baptism. Are they trying to show their “scholarship”? Are they trying to show how advanced in their learning they have become? Are they trying to show how much more “enlightened” they have become? Are they trying to convince others that a confession of faith in Christ before baptism is only what they like to refer to as “a Church of Christ tradition”? I think some people like to be different just to be…well different!
No one argues that the confession is a “one and done” kind of thing. No one argues that the Christian is not to daily confess Christ by his words, actions, and attitudes. No one denies that we are to confess Christ by our daily manner of our life. “Only let your conduct (manner of life) be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27a). But why dispense with a formal confession of faith in Christ before one is baptized into Christ? Is some great harm done by asking a person if he/she believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God before immersing them into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the remission of sins? And just here it needs to be noted that it is not our sins we confess but our faith in Christ. Of course, in obeying the gospel we acknowledge our sins and repent of them (Acts 2:38). But the confession we make is not of our sins, but of the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
I have never baptized a person without first asking them if they believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and I never shall! I have more than ample Bible evidence that what I do is what the Lord would have all of us do.
The apostle Peter wrote: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not desiring that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9). From this text it is obvious that God loves all mankind and desires their salvation. But it also shows that repentance of sins is a divine requirement for being saved. In this week’s essay let’s think about repentance.
The prophets in the Old Testament often proclaimed to Israel and Judah a message of repentance, reformation, and restoration to God’s order of things (Cf. Jeremiah 6:16; Ezekiel 14:6; Ezekiel 18:30; Malachi 3:7, et.al.). At the opening of the New Testament, both John the Baptist and Christ preached to the people of Israel, saying to them, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17). Theirs was a message for Israel to turn from their sins and prepare themselves for the setting up of the long promised kingdom of God, the church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 16:18-19; Colossians 1:13).
But what exactly is repentance? “Repentance” is from a Greek word that literally means “to change the mind.” Jesus spoke a parable about a father who commanded his two sons to go work in his vineyard. The first one defiantly said he would not do so, but later regretted his refusal, changed his mind (repented), and went and worked in the vineyard. The younger son said he would go and work in the vineyard but did not do so. The son who actually did his father’s will was not the one who said he would go work in the vineyard but did not do so, but the who had remorse for at first refusing to do as his father commanded, but later changed his mind (repented), and complied with his father’s will (Matthew 21:28-32).
The apostle Paul stated, “For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted, but the sorrow of the world produces death” (II Corinthians 7:10). We all need to be sorrowful for our sins, but repentance is more than mere emotional contrition. Godly sorrow for our sins produces repentance (a change of mind), leading to a change in the direction of our lives.
Twice in one brief incident, Jesus said, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5). Following His resurrection and just before His ascension back to heaven, Jesus met with His apostles for the last time and said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47). This is Luke’s account of the Great Commission and it shows when and where the execution of that commission was to commence. Ten days after Christ’s ascension, on the day of Pentecost, the apostles began to carry out that commission. To those who inquired what they should do Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
In his second recorded sermon in Jerusalem, Peter once again commanded people to “repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing can come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). (The thoughtful and careful reader will be able to see a direct parallel in the language of Acts 2:38 and Acts 3:19).
To the idolatrous people of Athens the apostle Paul said, “And these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Not only idolaters, but all other sinners need to be careful about thinking that God will overlook their ignorance; instead, they need to come to a knowledge of the truth, repent, and be baptized for the remission of their sins. This is God’s desire for all people (I Timothy 2:3-4).
There are many incentives for a person to repent. Paul wrote: “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). As previously noted, godly sorrow “produces repentance to salvation” (II Corinthians 2:10).
The Bible is clear about what follows repentance. There must be an intense desire to comply with all that the Lord has commanded. Repentance is not like cleaning out our closet, discarding those items we no longer like or want, but holding on to those we do. The true penitent does not hold on to his favorite or pet sins, but turns from them all! The person who truly repents stops lying, fornicating, getting drunk, stealing, hating, using drugs, lusting, committing adultery, using bad language, following a corrupted religion (including any corrupted form of Christianity) forsaking the assembly, being lukewarm, and everything else that is wrong and sinful.
Following repentance, the alien sinner is to be baptized for the remission of his sins and to walk in newness of life (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-6). When a Christian finds himself guilty of sin he is to “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven” (Acts 8:22). When a child of God is sincerely seeking to do God’s will, when his intent and purpose is to walk in the light, when he is willing to confess his sins and turn from them (repent), he has the blessed assurance that the blood of Christ keeps him cleansed of sin and he continues to have fellowship with God the Father, with Christ the Son, and with his brothers and sisters in the Lord (I John 1:6-10).
No wonder there is “more joy in in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance”!(Luke 15:7). No wonder God has commanded all men everywhere to repent! (Acts 17:30). No wonder that the servant of the Lord is to be gentle and patient toward all, “in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (II Timothy 2:24-26).
Have you repented? Have I? Fully? Genuinely? Have we come to our senses and escaped the snare of the devil?
We Americans use the word “love” in a wide variety of ways and sometimes quite loosely. We love hamburgers, french fries, barbecue, apple pie, banana pudding, coffee, and sweet tea (in Alabama, “sweet tea” is one word with two syllables). We love our country, the town we live in, summertime, the beach, and the mountains. Teenagers love their girlfriend or boyfriend, though there may be a different girlfriend or boyfriend they are “in love” with next month. We love to golf, hunt, fish, the Tennessee Vols, the Atlanta Braves, vacations, our dog, our truck, our husband, our wife, our children, and our grandchildren. We love the Lord, the church, the Bible, and our neighbors. Yet I hope that none of us seriously believes that “love” has the same significance and depth of meaning in all of the ways in which we conveniently use it. If a man loves his wife only in the same sense in which he loves his dog, his truck, or banana pudding, his marriage is in serious trouble!
The Greeks had several words that reflected various concepts of “love.” (The New Testament was originally written in the common Greek of the first century A.D.). Forms of three of those words are found in the New Testament, each with a different shade of meaning.
Storge (pronounced stor-gay) refers to family love, love between parents and children, brothers and sisters, etc. Phileo (fi-lay-o) refers to the love of friends, affectionate love. (Think Philadephia, “The City of Brotherly Love”). Agape(uh-gop-a) refers to selfless love, the highest form of the word. Agape is the kind of love God had for us and the kind of love that we are to have for Him, as well as for others. (A fourth word, eros, refers to romantic, sexual love, the word from which we get erotic, etc.). (Note: If I am wrong in any of the preceding, I will gladly accept correction from the Greek students among my readers).
Paul affirmed: “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (I Corinthians 13:13). We have written of faith and hope; this week we write of love, especially of agape love.
God’s love for us is well documented in scripture. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). It is this very same kind of agape love that we are to have for God. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38).
But that is not all! Jesus went on to say, “And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” (Matthew 22:39). Paul urged, “Owe no one anything but to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8). We are to love our enemies and do them good instead of evil (Matthew 5:43-48). We are to love our brothers and sisters in the Lord (John 13:34). Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for it (Ephesians 5:25). And if Christ loved the church, should we not love it? How can we love Christ and not love what He loved? We are to love the truth because a failure to do so will result in one being eternally lost (II Thessalonians 2:10). Only the truth can make us free (John 8:32). We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
But how does agape love behave? The greatest explanation of such love is found in I Corinthians 13:1-8a). As Wayne Jackson noted, “The best lexicon of agape is found in 1 Corinthians 13” (Bible Words and Theological Terms Made Easy, 114). Note the following fifteen traits of genuine love.
1. Suffers long. It is patient.
2. Kind. It is good-natured, gentle, affectionate, and tenderhearted.
3. Does not envy. It is not jealous and does not have negative feelings toward the good fortune of others.
4. Does not parade itself. It does not brag or boast of make a “show” of itself. A person of love is not a “show off.”
5. Is not puffed up. It is not arrogant or prideful. It does not have an inflated opinion of itself.
6. Does not behave rudely. It is not ill-mannered. It does not act unbecomingly. As my late wife often said, “It is not rude, crude, or lewd.”
7. Does not seek its own. It is not self-centered, concerned with its own selfish desires, but seeks the good and happiness of others.
8. Is not provoked. It does not easily take offense or become easily angered.
9. Thinks no evil. It “does not take into account a wrong suffered” (NASB). “It keeps no record of wrongs” (NIV).
10. Does not rejoice in iniquity. Unlike those who approve of the wicked deeds of others (Romans 1:32), the person of love does not find joy in wrong doing, whether in word or deed.
11. Rejoices in the truth. It is happy at the triumph of truth, loves seeing the truth of the gospel advanced, and rejoices to see people “walking in truth” (II John 4), rather than in wickedness.
12. Bears all things. It “always protects” (NIV).
13. Believes all things. This does not mean that love is gullible, but that it is slow to believe the worst. It strives to believe the best about others.
14. Hopes all things. It looks for and optimistically expects the best in people and situations.
15. Endures all things. It perseveres. It is not driven from the path of right regardless of the actions of others.
Paul concludes his divine description of love by saying, “Love never fails.” Unlike the supernatural and miraculous gifts of the apostolic age which served a special purpose, were temporary, and then passed away (verses 8-10), faith, hope, and love continue to abide, with the greatest of these being love (verse 13).
Now for a challenge. Go back and read I Corinthians 13:4-7 again, and everywhere the word “love” (or its pronoun) appears put your name there and see if it is true that (your name/Hugh Fulford) suffers long and is kind, does not envy, does not parade himself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely…and so on through all fifteen of the qualities of agape love.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (I John 4:7-8).
Hugh Fulford
HOPE
The television newscast announces that a child is missing. Crews are sent out to search for the child. As the hours, days, and weeks pass, hope begins to fade of the child being found alive.
The surgeon walks into the waiting room to face an anxious family. In somber tones he says, “I am sorry; we have done everything we know to do, but there is no hope for your loved one’s recovery. We will make her as comfortable as possible.”
How terrible it is to live without hope!
But, while hope frequently vanishes where life in this world is concerned, the Christian has a sure and perfect hope. Peter wrote: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Peter 1:3-5).
At the end of the great love chapter, the apostle Paul declared, “And now abide faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (I Corinthians 13:13). We preachers often preach on faith and love, but we may be lacking when it comes to preaching on hope. Last week I wrote about faith. Next week I plan to write about love. But this week I want to focus on hope. Hope is described as “an anchor of the soul” (Hebrews 6:18-19). And how badly we need this anchor as we navigate the winds and storms of life.
The Christian’s hope is not mere wishful thinking, such as a child might hope for a bicycle or some other gift at Christmas. “Hope” in the New Testament is from a Greek word which means “favorable and confident expectation.” It is something that is “both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19). It has to do with the future, though now unseen, life in the world to come. Paul wrote: “For we are saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, then we eagerly wait for it with perseverance (patience)” (Romans 8:24-25). In this hope we can rejoice (Romans 12:12).
Ephesians 4:4 tells that there is one hope. However, a study of the New Testament reveals that this one hope consists of various interrelated aspects.
First, hope involves the future resurrection of the dead. In defense of himself before the Jewish Sanhedrin Council in Jerusalem, Paul said, “(C)oncerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged (tried by the Council, hf)” (Acts 23:6). Elsewhere, Paul declared, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (I Corinthians 15:19). He goes on to argue the case for the resurrection of all the dead based on the reality of Christ’s resurrection. “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits (the pledge, the promise, hf) of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man (Adam, hf) came death, by Man (Christ, hf) also came the resurrection of the dead” (I Corinthians 15:20-21). Paul longed to “attain to the resurrection of the dead” (Philippians 3:11), and so should we! That is a reassuring aspect of our hope.
Resurrection from the dead leads to eternal life, and this, too, is a part of our hope. God’s people live “in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:2). On the day of judgment, God “will render to each one according to his deeds.” He will give “eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness,” God will render “indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek” (Romans 2:6-9), Everyone is going to be raised from the dead (John 5:28-29), but only the faithful child of God will be rewarded with eternal life with Him. The rest will suffer everlasting indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish. They have no hope of eternal life with God!
A third aspect of the Christian’s hope is heaven. This is where the faithful will live forever. Paul spoke of “the hope which is laid up for you in heaven” (Colossians 1:5). Our “living hope” is “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (I Peter 1:4-5). Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). Christ “has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God” (I Peter 3:22), and that is where the saved of all the ages will also be! Jesus said, “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21). “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him” (II Timothy 2:12). As we so often sing, “Heaven will surely be worth it all.”
The ultimate expression of our hope is in being like Jesus in heaven with Him. John wrote: “Beloved, now (in this life, hf) we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (I John 3:2-3). The hope of seeing Christ and being like Him serves as a spiritually purifying agent so that we may one day be with Him and like Him! Truly, “our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21).
How wonderful is the hope of the faithful Christian! The hope of the resurrection of the righteous! The hope of eternal life! The hope of heaven! The hope of being like Christ! On the other hand, how sad to think of those spoken of as “having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:11-12). Which group are you in?
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
Hugh Fulford
THE INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE
Gary McDade
The inspiration of the Bible is affirmed by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16; John 10:35; Ephesians 6:17). A question about the punctuation in the Bible draws attention to the underlying Hebrew and Greek texts upon which English translations rely. The original autographs, as they are called, are inspired of God. The transmission and translation of these texts over the centuries, while not being a product of inspiration, result in conveying the inspired Word of God in the various languages of the world. For example, Christ and the Apostles always quoted from the Septuagint, a 3rd century B.C. Greek translation of the Old Testament. In so doing they affirmed this translation to be the Word of God, as shown in Matthew 22:31-32,
But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (Emphasis added).
The original “autographs” did not contain punctuation. Some are surprised to find most of them were written without even any spaces between the words. (Writing materials were precious in antiquity). The Hebrew alphabet contains no vowels, therefore, a system of diacritical markings supplied the vowel sounds. Jesus referred to these as the “jots” and “titles” of the Law which underscored their importance (Matthew 5:18; Luke 16:17). Just as the chapter and verse divisions have emerged over the centuries so has punctuation. (Chapter divisions are usually attributed to Stephen Langton in the 12th century; verse divisions first appeared in the Geneva Bible of 1560 and were based on the work of Robert Stephanus in 1551).
As with the chapter and verse distinctions, punctuation is not a matter of inspiration. The Greek scholar, A.T. Robertson, in his monumental work of 1454 pages titled A GRAMMAR OF THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT IN THE LIGHT OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH (concerning which I own a first edition from 1934), said, “Hort [Fenton John Anthony Hort] indeed aimed at ‘the greatest simplicity compatible with clearness,’ and this obviously should be the goal in the Greek N.T. But the editor’s punctuation may be a hindrance to the student instead of a help. It is the privilege of each N. T. student to make his own punctuation” (p. 245).
FAITH
Faith is the foundation underlying our relationship with God. The Bible affirms, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is also the principle by which our relationship with God is maintained. Paul wrote, “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (II Corinthians 5:17). Indeed, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17; cf. Habakkuk 2:4; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38).
The Bible defines real faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is not a blind “leap into the dark” because genuine faith “comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17), and it is impossible for God to lie (Titus 1:1-3). To the foundation of our faith we are to add those graces that will result in an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, heaven itself (II Peter 1:5-11). But a steadfast faith in God and His word is the foundation of it all!
The careful reader of Scripture soon discovers that faith is a multi-faceted term. Sometimes it refers to believing in the sense of giving mental assent to a truth or a set of facts. Faith in this sense is never sufficient to save us. Why? Because “even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:42-43). “The demons also believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19). But neither the spineless rulers nor the demons could be saved by such faith “for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (James 2:26). “You see then that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:24).
In a more comprehensive sense, faith is used to refer to conviction inseparably connected to obedience. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16a). “He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36, ASV). (Note: One needs to read only twenty verses beyond John 3:16 to see what it means to truly believe in Christ). The Philippian jailer was told, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31). (Most denominational preachers stop with that verse and do not continue with the rest of the account). Paul and Silas then “spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.” Why did they preach to the jailer and his family? Because saving faith comes only from hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). After hearing the word of the Lord, it is said of the jailer, “And immediately he and all his family were baptized” (Acts 16:32-33). Christ is “the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9). It is amazing how a simple reading of the full Bible account of a matter corrects so many of the false notions that are in the world today! Saving faith is always a submissive, obedient faith, never just “faith only.”
Faith is also used to refer to the entire system of truth as set forth in the New Testament. “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Before his conversion, Saul of Tarsus (later the apostle Paul) persecuted the church, but after his conversion he preached “the faith which he once tried to destroy” (Galatians 1:24). “The faith” consists of the totality of doctrine and practice revealed by Christ through His apostles and prophets (Ephesians 3:1-7) In this sense, there is but “one faith” (Ephesians 4:5). How ridiculous to speak of many faiths, many ways, many avenues to God. One might as well speak of many Gods, many Lords, many Holy Spirits, many hopes, many bodies (churches), and many baptisms! Sadly, many people do speak of many faiths, many churches, and many different forms and purposes of baptism. But the Bible clearly affirms that there is only one of each of these divine entities (Ephesians 4:4-6).
Faith is further used to refer to complete trust and confidence in the Lord and His word. This is the aspect of faith that so many of God’s children are in need of today. We need the faith of Noah who “being warned of God of things not yet seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (Hebrews 11:7).
We need the faith of Abraham who “obeyed when he was called to go out into the place which he would afterward receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8), but he knew with Whom he was going! As Abraham did not stagger in unbelief concerning God’s promise to him that in his old age he would father a son (Romans 4:19-21), so we need to not waver in our faith in God and His unchanging word.
A reading of the records of Christ’s earthly life—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—will show many examples of a simple, trusting faith in Him and the blessing that such a faith can bring to one’s life. I think of the faith of a centurion who believed that Jesus could heal his servant just by speaking a word (Matthew 8:5-13).
I recall the faith of a woman who had spent all of her money on doctors and had not gotten any better but only worse (not unlike what frequently happens today) and who said, “If I may only touch the hem of His garment, I shall be made well” (Matthew 9:20-21; cf. Mark 5:25-26).
I think of the faith of a Canaanite woman who asked Jesus for His help, and when seemingly rebuffed by Him, persistently pleaded, “True, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ tables.” Of her Jesus said: “O woman, great is your faith!” (Matthew 15:21-28).
Do not many of us need to recapture that simple, trusting, childlike faith in God? Do we not need to be reminded that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28)? How deep, how wide is our faith and trust in God when it comes to the everyday affairs of our lives? Do we really give God all that much thought as we go through our daily lives?
Solomon wrote: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones” (Proverbs 3:5-8). May we learn to do just that!
May the request of the apostles become our daily prayer: “Lord, Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5).
If a person wanted to find out how one is to be saved or in a saved state, he/she could pick up their Bible and start reading or thumbing through it until they came upon a verse that tells us how to be saved. What if they first found John 3:16 and it states we should be saved by believing, which it does, and they looked no further in the Bible and didn’t bother to search further, that person could believe that is all one had to do was believe to be saved.
After all John 3:16 does state one should be saved if that one just believes. Not one other word is mentioned in that verse saying anything about being saved by “grace,” “faith,” “hope,” “confessing Christ before men,” “repentance,” “doctrine,” “obedience,” or “baptism.” John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who so ever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Ephesians 1:7 and 2:5 state that one is saved by grace. Not one other word is mentioned in that verse saying anything about being saved by “believing,” “faith,” “hope,” “confessing Christ before men,” “repentance,” “doctrine,” “obedience,” or “baptism.”
Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”
Ephesians 2:5, “Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”
Ephesians 2:8 states we are saved by grace through faith. Not one other word is mentioned in that verse saying anything about being saved by “believing,” “hope,” “confessing Christ before men,” “repentance,” “doctrine,” “obedience,” or “baptism.”
Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”
1 Peter 3:21 states that we are saved by baptism. Not one other word is mentioned in that verse saying anything about being saved by “believing,” “faith,” “hope,” “confessing Christ before men,” “repentance,” “doctrine,” or “obedience.”
1 Peter 3:21, “There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh but a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Luke 13:3 states if we don’t repent we will perish. Not one other word is mentioned in that verse saying anything about being saved by “believing,” “faith,” “hope,” “confessing Christ before men,” “repentance,” “doctrine,” “obedience,” or “baptism.”
Luke 13:3, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
Romans 8:24 states we are saved by hope. Not one other word is mentioned in that verse saying anything about being saved by “believing,” “faith,” “hope,” “confessing Christ before men,” “repentance,” “doctrine,” “obedience,” “grace,” or “baptism.”
Romans 8:24, “For we are saved by hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?”
Romans 10:9 states that we are to believe and confess Christ to be saved. Not one other word is mentioned in that verse saying anything about being saved by “grace,” “faith,” “hope,” “repentance,” “doctrine,” “obedience,” or “baptism.”
Romans 10:9, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Hebrews 5:9 states we are saved by obedience. Not one other word is mentioned in that verse saying anything about being saved by “believing,” “faith,” “hope,” “grace,” “confessing Christ before men,” “repentance,” “doctrine,” “obedience,” or “baptism.”
Hebrews 5:9, “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him.”
So what are we supposed to do to be saved then? We are to do ALL OF THESE, not just one or two but all. No one person can be saved by just one of these things mentioned here. We cannot leave one single one of these things out of our salvation. If we don’t do these things God has COMMANDED us to do, we will be lost. These are not suggestions by our Lord but COMMANDS. After doing all of God’s commands mentioned here, we are to remain faithful unto death. Revelation 2:10, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
SIGNIFICANT TEXTS CONCERNING FALSE TEACHERS
This week’s “News & Views” consists of several salient texts related to the need for being alert to the threat of false teachers, teachers who are a threat to the purity of “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3), teachers who, along with other items on their agenda, want to change the way we read the Bible, teachers who want to portray the church of our Lord as just another denomination originating with men.
The passages presented below apply to all who teach that which is “contrary to sound doctrine” (I Timothy 1:10b). They apply to all who are not content to continue “steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42), but who want to “adjust” that doctrine to be more in line with contemporary cultural standards. These texts apply to “anyone who teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome (sound, ASV) words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness” (I Timothy 6:3).
These sacred texts are aimed at those who deny the validity of the restoration plea, the plea to go back to the New Testament and to give book, chapter, and verse for all that we teach, believe, and practice in religion (I Peter 4:11a). They are directed to those who have abandoned that plea and who seek to lead others to abandon it (Acts 20:28-30; I Timothy 4:1). These verses are sent forth as a warning to all who refuse to “hold fast the pattern of sound words” (II Timothy 1:13), and who are so irreverent as to deny that there is a pattern of faith, doctrine, and practice in the New Testament, a pattern of how we are saved from sin, of how we are to worship, and of how we are to live.
Admittedly, these are not the kinds of texts some folks like to think about. My “all positive, never negative” brethren seldom if ever give attention to these inspired texts. And when some of our left-wing, progressive brethren get through “nuancing” and “explaining” them, they are made to have little bearing on our current culture or the contemporary religious scene, including things presently transpiring in the Lord’s church.
While It certainly is not my intention to be overly negative in calling attention to these passages, perhaps it would be wise for us to ponder them and to heed what they say. After all, the Holy Spirit did have a purpose in having them written and included in our New Testaments, and I have never been able to figure out how to preach “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) without giving attention to these verses and their application to our own times. Hear then these sobering words of God from the Bible itself.
Matthew 7:15– Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
Acts 20:28-31– Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.
Romans 16:17-18– Now I urge you, brethren, note (mark, KJV, ASV) those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
Ephesians 5:11– And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
Colossians 2:8– Beware lest anyone take you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
1 Timothy 1:18-20– This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
2 Timothy 2:16-18– But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and they overthrow the faith of some. (Note: Error regarding the resurrection is not the only way the faith of some can be overthrown and made shipwreck. Many such ways are on the scene in our contemporary world, hf).
Titus 1:10-14– For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision (but not limited to them, hf) who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.
1 John 4:1– Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
These are but a handful of many New Testament texts warning of corruption and apostasy in doctrine and practice. Perhaps we all would do well to remember that a time of judgment is coming when not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21).
Hugh Fulford
WHY DID CHRIST HAVE TO DIE?
Last week’s article dealt with “The Crucifixion of Christ.” We ended it with this statement: “What are we to make of this? What does it all mean? Why did the crucifixion of Christ have to occur? What explanation did the apostles and other early Christians make of it?”
This week’s “News & Views,” as promised, is a sequel to last week’s edition as we address the extremely significant question, “Why Did Christ Have To Die?” Could the all-wise and all-powerful God not find or devise another way to deal with the problem of sin?
The apostle Paul comes directly to the point of the question when he writes, “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received, and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas (Peter, hf), then by the twelve” (I Corinthians 15:1-5).
The gospel is literally “the good news”—the good news that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS! We all were sinners. “As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10, 23). But Christ was not a sinner. He “committed no sin, nor was guile found in his mouth” (I Peter 2:22). Yet, in His divine love for humanity God “made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (II Corinthians 5:21). Christ “Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes we are healed (spiritually, hf)” (I Peter 2:24). This is truly the gospel—the good news that Christ died in our place, taking our sins upon Himself, and providing a propitiation (correctly pronounced “proPISHiation) for our sins, making atonement for them with His own blood (Romans 3:24-26).
The word “sin” is from a word that means “to miss the mark,” the goal that God had for mankind from the beginning. We miss the mark by veering to one side or the other of God’s goal for us, by falling short of it, or by going beyond it. Under the Law of Moses the people of God were warned: “Therefore you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left” (Deuteronomy 5:32). That principle still prevails under the covenant of Christ. God has set before us a strait gate and a narrow way from which we are not to veer (Matthew 7:13-14). We sin when we fall short of the goal God has for us (Romans 3:23). We sin when we go beyond (progress beyond) what God has authorized and commanded (II John 9; I Corinthians 4:6). Yet, all have been guilty of these ways of sin. And we must have missed the mark pretty badly in order for it to require the death of the sinless Son of God to take away our sin and to put us right with God!
Sin is not some trivial, insignificant matter. I recently read a quotation on Facebook from a woman who said she did not believe God would send anyone to hell for “a little dot of sin.” A little “dot of sin”?! How woefully misunderstood is the concept of sin! Sin is an egregious insult to the holy God who created us and who expects better things of us. God hates sin and what it does to His creation. The sinner is under the wrath of God. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 5:6). (Yes, we need to speak often of the love and grace and mercy of God, but we must not fail to preach about His wrath). The death of Christ for sin shows the enormity of sin and of mankind’s inability to eradicate his own sins.
The death of Christ for the sins of the world was in the eternal purpose of God. Paul wrote: “(T)o the intent that now the manifold (multifaceted, hf) wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10-11). The church (the blood-washed body of redeemed people—Acts 20:28) is the divine display of what God had had in mind from before the foundation of the world (II Timothy 1:8-11; Titus 1:1-3; I Peter 1:18-21; Revelation 13:8; et al). The death of Christ and the resultant body of blood redeemed people (the church) was not a quickly thought up or a spur of the moment decision on the part of God, but was the fruition of His eternal purpose for man’s salvation.
Because of God’s eternal purpose that Christ should die for the sins of mankind, extensive preparation was made throughout the Old Testament for the coming of Christ into the world. Throughout the Old Testament the death of Christ was prefigured and depicted in the animal sacrifices that God required at that time. Yet it was “not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). A better and ultimate and complete and final sacrifice had to be made! That sacrifice was Christ Himself! (Hebrews 10:11-18).
Since the death of Christ for the sins of the world was God’s eternal purpose, it is not strange that Christ’s death was foretold by the Old Testament prophets. Isaiah wrote of Christ: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace (our peace with God through the forgiveness of our sins [Ephesians 2:14], hf) was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned (veered, missed the mark, hf), every one, to his own way; and the Lord (God) has laid on Him (Christ), the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6). (This entire chapter needs to be read and digested by all who would come to have a true appreciation of what Christ did for us when He died on the cross for our sins).
Jeremiah spoke of the new covenant that Christ would make, and affirmed that under that covenant God would be able to say, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:31-34). In instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus declared, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many (all, I Timothy 2:6, hf) for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). When Peter sought to rescue Jesus from the murderous mob in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus reminded him, “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be thus?” (Matthew 26:54). Christ hadto die to consummate God’s purpose to save mankind!
Sin drives a wedge between God and man; it separates God and man (Isaiah 59:1-2). The sinner is “alienated from the life of God” (Ephesians 4:18). (That is why he is called an alien). So, how can God and man be reconciled? Only by the death of Christ! “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:10).
God would have been completely just in condemning all mankind to hell. Instead, He “demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Indeed, Jesus Christ was “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Without His death and the shedding of His blood there would be no hope of forgiveness and no hope of eternal life with God.
To have our sins removed we must follow God’s plan of forgiveness. “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He has consecrated for us, through the curtain, that is, His flesh…let us draw near to God in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:19-22). At least twice a year through my “News & Views” I set forth God’s divine and unalterable plan of salvation by which He forgives our sins on the merits of Christ’s death and His blood which He shed for the remission of our sins.
Hugh Fulford
CHOICES, CHOICES, CHOICES
Gary McDade
Perhaps one of the best known verses in the Bible for emphasizing the importance of the choices to be made across a lifetime is Joshua 24:15. These words come after settling into the long awaited promised land and urge focusing on God’s will for His people. This right choice had the power to ensure lasting happiness and prosperity to the children of Israel. Joshua affirmed,
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Sometimes choices are between the lesser of two evils, but the choice to serve God yields innumerable advantages. The positive declaration in Psalm 84 is one example. The Psalmist wrote,
For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness (v. 10).
Any place in the house of God (which today is the church of the living God, 1 Timothy 3:15) is of far superior value than some prominent position among wicked people. And, one day in God’s presence with His people is better than a thousand spent otherwise.
The reason given in the following two verses fully substantiates the Psalmist’s claim,
For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee (vv. 11-12).
Life from a certain perspective is all about the choices made within it. Clearly, the most satisfying and fulfilling life places God and His will at the top of the list.
(Note: During recent preaching engagements throughout Middle Tennessee I have been preaching on “The Crucifixion Of Christ.” This week’s News & Views is a synopsis of the first part of that sermon).
“And when they had come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left” (Luke 23:33).
Most people—if they are remembered at all after their death—are remembered for their life. Jesus Christ is certainly remembered for His life, but it is His death that has special meaning for His followers. All four gospel writers tell of His life and of His death—a death by crucifixion on a cross.
We sometimes are guilty of sensationalizing the crucifixion, of trying to supply as many graphic details as possible, seeking to arouse as much emotional reaction as possible. Twenty years ago, Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of Christ” did this very thing. But the Bible spares us of this. Scripture reports the crucifixion in a simple, straight-forward manner, foregoing the gory details. Though they were a reality, they are not the all-important factors in Christ’s death.
In the four gospel accounts the crucifixion unfolds as follows: Jesus is led from Pilate’s judgment hall to the hill of Calvary outside the walls of Jerusalem. First bearing His own cross, Simon of Cyrene is later pressed into service to carry it to the hill of execution. A mixed entourage proceed out to Golgotha (another name for Calvary). Two thieves also are taken along to be executed. Some have speculated that they may have been members of Barrabas’ band of insurrectionists and murderers (see Luke 23:18-19).
The actual crucifixion process began around 9 a. m. with Jesus being nailed to the cross between the two thieves. Possibly to help deaden the pain, Christ is offered wine mixed with gall, but when He had tasted it He refused to drink it (Matthew 27:34). An inscription in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin was placed on the cross that in totality read: “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Someone has called this the first gospel tract. The soldiers cast lots for His garments.
Christ’s first words from the cross were: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Most people have never stopped to think about when that prayer was answered, but that’s another sermon for another time). A second word directed to His mother and the apostle John soon follows: “Woman, behold your son! Behold, your mother!”
Jesus is mocked by the crowd, with the two thieves casting the same insults at Him. One of them, however, later has a change of heart and asks mercy of Christ. “If He saved others, maybe He can save me. If He has a kingdom, perhaps there is room in it for met.” To this penitent thief Jesus said, “Today, you shall be with Me in paradise.” Sadly, many people wait until the end to “get religion” as it is popularly referred to. Tom T. Hall, the Storyteller of Country Music, told the story in song of a gifted guitar picker by the name of Clayton Delaney whom Tom T. idolized when he was a boy. But Clayton also was a drunkard. Tom T. sang, “They said he got religion at the end, and I’m glad that he did.”
At noon the second stage of the crucifixion began as darkness settled in over the land for the next three hours. A fourth word emanates from the cross… a gut-wrenching, agonizing cry, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (While I have some thoughts as to the meaning of these words, I do not profess to plumb their depths). These words are followed by “I thirst,” then, “It is finished,” and finally, “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.”
At this moment there is an earthquake. Back in the city of Jerusalem in the temple, the veil separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place is torn in two. Tombs are opened. What marvelous symbolism in these two events! Mankind can now have direct access to God in the Most Holy Place (heaven) “by a new and living way which [Christ] consecrated for us through the curtain (veil), that is, His flesh” (Hebrews 10:20). People dead in sin can now have eternal life through Christ (John 10:10; Ephesians 2:1).
A centurion standing near the cross cried out, “Truly, this was the Son of God!” The multitude is moved by these occurrences and begins to draw back and move away, beating their breasts. It is now dawning on them that they have done something terrible. The instigators of the crucifixion, hurrying to get it over with so they can, ironically, “get on with their religious duties,” request that the legs of Jesus and the thieves be broken—obviously to intensify the pain and to hasten the death. “But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs” (John 19:33). A soldier pierces the side of Christ and immediately blood and water come forth.
Finally, the body is removed from the cross and quickly yet lovingly buried by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (John 19:38-42). Guards are set at the tomb.
What are we to make of this? What does it all mean? Why did the crucifixion of Christ have to occur? What explanation did the apostles and other early Christians make of the crucifixion? Our essay next week, D.V., will be a sequel to this one as we address the highly significant question, “Why Did Christ Have To Die?”
Hugh Fulford
“HE WHO IS NOT AGAINST US IS ON OUR SIDE”
“And John answered Him, saying, ‘Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is on our side.’ ” (Mark 9:38-40).
Does the preceding text prove that all who profess to believe in Christ are to be considered faithful followers of Christ? Does it prove that those who are members of denominational churches and who may do many good things are accepted by the Lord? I see some of my brethren using this passage (and the parallel in Luke 9:49-50) to say that such is the case. (I might inject just here that it has only been within the last fifty years that brethren have tried to raise the umbrella of fellowship over all who profess to believe in Christ, regardless of their doctrine and practice. Prior to that, such would have been unheard of among those seeking a restoration of apostolic Christianity). They contend that we should not oppose denominationalism because denominational people are doing good things in the name of Christ and thus are not against Christ. As in all cases, the passage must be understood in its context and in the context of the overall teaching of the New Testament.
The person in the above text whom the apostles forbade to cast out demons in Christ’s name was rebuked “because he does not follow us” (was not in the immediate company of the twelve apostles). But there is not the slightest indication that he was not a faithful follower of Christ. John freely acknowledged that the man was casting out demons in the name (by the authority) of Christ. The fact that he was not working with the twelve does not mean that he was not among the larger number of disciples of Jesus. John later wrote that “Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (the Baptist)” (John 4:1-2). Among those many disciples would surely be those who could do what the man under question was doing in Jesus’ name, though not a part of the apostolic number.
Luke 10:1 states: “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also (besides the twelve apostles), and sent them out two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.” Under this commission these seventy were equipped to work miracles just as the twelve apostles (see Luke 10:9 and Luke 9:2). It is unreasonable to think that the twelve apostles were the only ones working for and faithfully serving Christ during His personal ministry. Thus, for the apostles to forbid someone not of their number from doing the work of the Lord was the height of arrogance on their part.
There is not a particle of evidence that the man who was casting out demons in Christ’s name was at the same time also teaching false doctrine and encouraging erroneous practices. In the absence of such, there is no parallel whatsoever between what this man was doing and what is taking place in the denominational world today. Was the man teaching and doing that which the Lord had not authorized? Does Jesus’ statement, “He who is not against us is on our side” mean that one is free today to teach, believe, and practice whatever he likes, whether or not it is in harmony with the will of God? Denominationalism is built on the doctrines and commandments of men, thereby making its adherent’s service to the Lord to be in vain (Matthew 15:8-9). But there is no evidence that the man whom the apostles wanted to forbid from serving the Lord was advocating false doctrine or false practices.
In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus declared, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Was the man who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name, but not in association with the twelve, violating this clear statement of the Lord? Jesus said, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonderful things in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (work iniquity)” (Matthew 7:22-23). Christ would be guilty of the greatest of contradictions if His statement about what the man in Mark 9:38-40 was doing was not totally different from what those mentioned in Matthew 7:22-23 had done!
Near the end of his life, and by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle John wrote, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (II John 9). Paul wrote: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). He further said, “And have no fellowship (joint participation) with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove (expose) them” (Ephesians 5:11). The passages on false religious doctrines and erroneous religious practices arising out of the traditions of men are too plain to be misunderstood by thinking people.
Denominational doctrines and practices arise out of the wisdom of men, not out of the wisdom of God. To add to, subtract from, substitute for, or modify the doctrine of Christ is to be guilty of sin. Denominationalism dishonors the prayer of Christ for the unity of all believers in Him (John 17:20-21). It defies Paul’s plea for the unity of all Christians in the Lord’s one body and his condemnation of wearing human names (I Corinthians 1:10-13; 12:13). It disregards the divine platform on which true unity may be achieved (Ephesians 4:4-6).
Unless it can be shown that the man in Mark 9:38-40 was teaching and practicing things contrary to the will of Christ, he does not fall into the same category as denominationalists who teach “as doctrines the commandments of men.” The word of God alone in its purity and simplicity has never produced a denominational church or a member of a denominational church! Jesus stated the truth in a forthright and direct manner when He said, “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Matthew 12:30).
Let us understand and teach scripture in context and in harmony with the total teaching of God’s word. To understand the truth on any Bible subject we must take all that the Bible says on that subject from Genesis to Revelation. False doctrine and false practice are never approved by the Lord or acceptable to Him!
Hugh Fulford
WE, US, AND OUR PEOPLE
God has always had His special people. While all people owe their existence to God because “He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:25), nevertheless He has always had a people for His special possession and care. Out of all the peoples on the earth at the time, only “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8), and only “a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water” (I Peter 3:20). All of the rest were destroyed by the great flood because of their wickedness.
Through Moses, God called His special people out of Egyptian bondage and constituted them into the “church/congregation in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38). Moses explained that the children of Israel were a “special treasure above all the peoples of the earth,” but that God did not choose them because they were “more in number than any other people” because, in fact, they “were the least in number.” Instead, God chose Israel because He loved them and because “He would keep the oath which He swore” to their fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) (Deut. 7:6-8). However, even with “most of [these] God was not well-pleased” because they became idolaters, were guilty of sexual immorality and other heinous sins, “and were destroyed by the destroyer” (I Corinthians 10:5-10). Size is not important to God, faithfulness is!
God’s covenant people today is the church. The church was God’s eternal purpose for mankind (Ephesians 3:8-12). The church was established by Christ, being purchased to God with His blood (Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:28). It is composed of all those who have believed in Christ and obeyed the gospel by repenting of their sins and being baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:36-38). All people who are saved from their sins are added to the church (Acts 2:47). The church is the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23), and there is but “one body” (Ephesians 4:4). Baptism is into that one body (I Corinthians 12:13). Those who have never been baptized are not a part of the church. Those who have only been sprinkled or had water poured on them have not been scripturally baptized and therefore are not in the church, they are not a part of the saved group. They are no part of the kingdom of God’s Son (Colossians 1:13). Saying the so-called “sinners prayer” does not save a person. Not every one who says to Jesus, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21). Faith alone does not save a person. “The devils also believe, and tremble” (James 1:19). Christ is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9).
The church constitutes the people of God. In reality, there are only two groups on earth today—the people of God and the people who are still under the domain of Satan. John wrote, “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the wicked one” (I John 5:19). “We” in this verse refers to the people of God. Therefore, when I speak of “we,” I am talking about the people who belong to God by virtue of their obedience to the gospel and their continued commitment to living, worshiping, and serving as He instructs (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:42). When I speak of “we,” I am not talking about a denomination or a sectarian party! There were no denominations in New Testament times and division among the people of God was severely rebuked (Romans 16:17; I Corinthians 1:10-13). There should be no denominations and sects in Christianity today, and where such exist they and their human traditions and man-made doctrines and practices should be opposed!
As with the Israelites of old who fell away from God, not all who obey the gospel remain faithful to the Lord. Some have departed from the faith (I Timothy 4:1). Some have corrupted the gospel and are guilty of heresy (Galatians 1:6-9; Galatians 5:20). The faith of some has been shipwrecked (I Timothy 1:19-20). The New Testament contains many examples of such. Again, John wrote, “They went out from us, but they were not all of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us” (I John 2:19). “Us” in this text refers to the faithful people of God. Thus, when I speak of “us,” I am referring to all of those who have “obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which [they] were delivered” (Romans 6:16-18). I refer to all who “continue grounded and steadfast in the faith”(Colossians 1:24) and who adhere to “the pattern of sound words” (II Timothy 1:13). I speak of all of those who are dedicated to being Christians only without denominational affiliation (Acts 11:26), all who are committed to speaking where the Bible speaks and being silent where the Bible is silent (I Peter 4:11). I refer to all who “earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3), all who are committed to adhering to the Scriptures without addition, subtraction, substitution, or adjustment to accommodate the culture around us (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18-19). But, again, just as people left the church (“us”) in the first century, so people leave the church (“us”) today!
The apostle Paul wrote to Titus on the island of Crete and said, “And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful” (Titus 3:14). “Our people” were all of God’s people on Crete at that time. Paul was not referring to a sectarian group; he was not speaking of one of several “Christian denominations.” And when we speak of “our people” today we should not be speaking in denominational and sectarian terms. Those who have become Christians only by obedience to the gospel constitute the people of God, and they are all “our people”! “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually” (I Corinthians 12:17). We are “members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25).
Yes, we are a separate and distinct people, but we are no more a denomination than were the people of God in the first century. Separation and distinction are a divine mark of the people of God. Separation and distinction are God’s will for His people. “Therefore come out from among them and be separate says the Lord, do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (II Corinthians 6:17-18). We have chosen the “strait (observe the spelling of that word, hf) gate” and the “narrow way,” rather than the “wide gate” and the “broad way” (Matthew 7:13-14).
Hugh Fulford
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
RE: God Still Speaks
Dear Editor,
Thank you for giving space in The Dade County Sentinel for those who believe the Bible is the unique way “God still speaks” to everyone today. The apostle Paul commended the church at Thessalonica for their reception of the apostles’ teaching as the Word of God when he wrote, “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). In His powerful providence God has made His Word, the Bible, available to all men everywhere “without respect of persons” (Acts 10:34-35; Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; James 2:1; and 1 Peter 1:17) “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5).
God has always spoken to man, but He speaks to us today through His Son, Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:1-2 informs us, “God, who at sundry times [various times, NKJV] and in divers manners [various ways, NKJV] spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds.” Christians are to “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him” (Colossians 3:16-17).
One reason why we urge this is because the Word of God is and will be the standard at the judgment bar of Christ. He said, “He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My Words, hath One that judgeth him: the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48; see also: Revelation 20:12). Those who have become accustomed to adding to and taking away from God’s Word really ought to give thought to the closing warning in the Bible as penned by the inspired apostle John, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).
Prayerfully,
Gary McDade,
Speaker on The Everlasting Gospel
KWN7TV & K-WIN 106.1 FM, et al.
Preacher for the Brown’s Ferry Road Church of Christ
159 Brown’s Ferry Road, Chattanooga, TN 37419
(423) 800-2858
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BIBLICAL BACKGROUND TO THE MID-EAST CRISIS
(Note: From time to time, I use articles by others who write biblically and perceptively regarding various topics. This week I share an article written by my good friend Bill Boyd, preacher and also one of the elders of the Rockliff Church of Christ in Morrison, TN. The article titled “Blood in the Land of Promise” was published in the December 2023 issue of “Seek The Old Paths.” The article is a bit longer than most “News & Views,” but I did not think it best to divide it into two installments. Increase your spiritual appetite and read an article that will be informative and helpful in understanding the biblical background to what is transpiring in the Middle East today. It can be read in ten minutes).
The end may be near, but the current conflict in the Gaza strip is not a sign of the second coming of Christ. Hebrews 11:9 tells us that Abraham sojourned in“the land of promise.” We read that promise in Genesis 15:18:“In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.” The text continues to identify ten nations of people who were then occupying this land:“The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites” (Gen.15:19-21). (At this point in my father’s teaching, he would sometimes humorously add“and the termites and the stick-tights.” Silly as that may sound, it usually generated a chuckle, and he would gain the attention of any children that were present. There are reasons he has been an effective teacher.)
This “land of promise” stretched far beyond the hills between Dan and Beersheba. I recently viewed a map delineating this land. It included parts of modern Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Turkey. Some identify“the river of Egypt” with the Nile, but it is more likely a wadi between Israel and Egypt that sometimes flows north from the Sinai Peninsula to the sea.“The great river” is identified in the text as the Euphrates River. The land divided among the tribes in the book of Joshua does not allot this greater land area to specific tribes. For this reason, some have thought this promise to Abram has not yet been kept. Some go so far as to say that conflicts arising over these lands will be signs that the end is near.
Genesis 15:18-21 (above) tells us that the land was promised. In addition consider the following:“Unto thy seed will I give this land” (Gen. 12:7); “I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession” (Gen. 17:8);“Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever… Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee” (Gen. 13:14-17); “I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession” (Gen. 18:17).
Notice how God promised to give the land to Abraham’s seed“for ever” and as an“everlasting possession.” When we read such language, we may tend to think in terms of eternity, but His was not a promise for eternity. There is coming a day in which“the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). In eternity, these lands will no longer exist. Neither does the English word,“forever,” always mean“eternal” either. We may look at the expanse of the Great American Prairie and say that it goes on“forever,” but we know it is bound by mountains, seas, and woodlands. We say“forever” because it extends beyond the horizon and the end is not in view.“For ever and ever” means beyond the horizon and then some, but the mountains are still out there. That is what these Hebrew words mean. A servant was to serve his master forever (Exodus 21:6), but not into eternity. The old Sabbath was to be kept forever (Exodus 31:16), but that law is no longer binding today. The Aaronic priesthood was forever (Exodus 40:15), but it ended. God was to dwell in Solomon’s temple forever (1 Kings 18:13), but that temple has long been gone. Jonah was in the belly of the fish forever (Jonah 2:6); I suppose three days and three nights would have been long enough for any of us. The Hebrew words translated“for ever” and “everlasting” are relative terms that should be understood in context. They refer to the full time under consideration.
God gave these promised lands to descendants of Abraham and Israel, but in order to possess it they had to receive it and retain it. This they failed to do. We read in the book of Judges, “The children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites” (Judges 1:21); “Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean” (Judges 1:27); “Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites” (Judges 1:29); “Neither did Zebulon drive out the inhabitants of Kitron” (Judges 1:28); “Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho” (Judges 1:31); “Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh” (Judges 1:33). The angel of the LORD chastised the people for their failures. He came from Gilgal to Bobhim and said, “I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you” (Judges 2:1-3).
God kept his promise; it was the people who failed. Joshua tells us, “the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers… There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass” (Joshua 21:43-45). Again, we read, “ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof” (Joshua 23:14).
Not only were they given the land, but David “recovered” it. “David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates” (2 Samuel 8:3). If they never had it, David could not have “recovered” it. Solomon reigned over it. “He had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him” (1 Kings 4:24). Nehemiah affirmed it. “Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous” (Nehemiah 9:7-8).
Stephen believed it. “The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran (Haran, hf), And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee… he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him… But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt… Our fathers that came after brought in with Joshua into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers” (Acts 7:1-2, 5, 17, 45).
God gave Israel the land of promise. They were slow to receive it, but for a time they had it all. Their ability to retain it was conditional. Moses said, “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God” (Deut. 28:1-2). Twice Moses said, “if.” In this context, “if” means “conditional.” Rebellion and disobedience would have consequences. “Because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God, it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other” (Deut. 28:62-64).
Israel did not obey God. The nations around them harassed them and occupied their inheritance. The Assyrians removed the inhabitants of the ten northern tribes and so scattered them among the nations that they lost their identity. The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and carried the inhabitants away. The Persians allowed the Jews to return, but the Persian kings retained control of the land until Alexander the Great wrested it from them. After the death of Alexander, the Grecian rulers of Egypt and the Grecian rulers of Syria fought back and forth over control of the area. During a time of weakness, the Maccabees arose from among the Jews to exert their independence. The heirs of the Maccabees fought among themselves and asked Pompey to settle their disputes. Pompey did so by exerting his own rule over the land. The Romans allowed the Idumean family of Herod to reign in Judea, but in time, replaced them with their own appointed governors. When the Jews rebelled, the Roman armies again destroyed Jerusalem. The control of the land went from Rome to Byzantium, to the Arabs, to the Crusaders, to the Muslims, to the Albanians, to the Russians, to the Germans, to the British. The inhabitants came to be called Palestinians.
In the aftermath of World War II Jewish refugees from Europe came to this land, and with the backing of the United Nations they established the modern state of Israel in 1948. Immediately, conflict between the Palestinians and the Jews erupted, and their conflict continues to this day. Some see these conflicts as fulfillments of Bible prophecy, but the promises made to Abraham and his seed have long since been fulfilled and forfeited. Their “for ever” is over.
The news from Gaza is disturbing, the brutality is sickening, the reactions are frightening, the political ramifications are ominous, and religious sensationalists are again poised to prey on the ill-informed. The end may be near, but the current conflict in the Gaza strip is not a sign of the second coming of Christ. “Of that day and hour knoweth no man… Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come… be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh… Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing… The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of” (Matt. 24:36,42, 44, 46, 50).
We do not know what will happen from now until the Lord returns, and even if we did know, such knowledge would serve no spiritual purpose. We already know how to respond to God, come what may. It is always “patient continuance in well doing” (Rom. 2:7), for it is written, “the just shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3: 11; Heb. 10:38).
Hugh Fulford
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SHOULD UNBAPTIZED CHILDREN LEAD IN THE WORSHIP?
Gary McDade
The question to be answered is “What is acceptable to God in Worship?” Taking a child into the pulpit during worship is a novelty–meaning “new, original, unusual.” Point 1: The logical obligation to prove an innovation in the worship of God rests on the one who introduces the practice. It is not our logical obligation to prove a negative, that being, you should not let the babies appear to lead in the worship of God. The one who takes the under age child into the pulpit in worship is obligated to show us book, chapter, and verse for the practice. The fact that a little child is still in his innocence proves only that the child is innocent; it does not prove the child may lead–or appear to lead–in the worship of God.
Incidentally, if his innocence is what makes the practice allowable, then why are the little girls denied? (This cannot be a quibble–“a slight objection about a trivial matter”–because no biblical proof of the practice which involves little boys has ever been offered. You cannot quibble about an argument that has never been made).
We are to “teach the things which become [befit, ASV, correspond to] sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). “Sound doctrine,” according to the Greek dictionary is “of Christians whose opinions are free from any mixture of error.” “Sound doctrine” always has the clear ring of truth–unquestionable.
Point 2: The Bible teaches Christians–described as “lively stones, a spiritual house, an holy priesthood”–are the ones authorized to offer up “spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” The book, chapter, and verse on that is 1 Peter 2:5, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
The view of those we love in the Lord’s church is “we don’t see any harm in doing this.” And, “we don’t mean anything disrespectful to God in doing this.” However, the same attempt to justify a worship practice is made by those who use instrumental music in the worship of God. “We do not see any harm in using the instrument to accompany the singing in worship,” and “we don’t mean anything disrespectful to God by the practice.” And, we are going to do it because you cannot show us a verse that says, “Thou shalt not use an instrument of music in the worship of God.”
The faithful Christian will uniformly believe and practice 1 Peter 4:11, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to Whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
The miraculous gifts bestowed by the laying on of the apostles’ hands (Acts 8:17; 2 Timothy 1:6), were observable in the exercise or use of them. Paul’s first visit to Ephesus began with his inquiry, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” (Acts 19:2). He is asking them whether or not they had received any of the miraculous gifts the Holy Spirit gave at that stage of development of the inspired cannon of Scripture when inspiration dwelt first in men, i.e., the apostles, and later in the product of their inspiration, i.e., the completed Word of God (1 Corinthians 13:10; James 1:25). They had not (Acts 19:2b-7).
A list of the gifts under consideration appear in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10: “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.” Therefore, the miraculous gifts were nine in number. Paul gave a thorough explanation of the origin, purpose, and use of these gifts in the remainder of the chapter. They were given collectively to strengthen and unify the body of Christ, the church of Christ.
The reply of the twelve men Paul met at Ephesus to his question, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” was, “We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost,” and let Paul know not only had they not received miraculous spiritual gifts but also they had not been Scripturally or properly baptized. If they had been, they would have been baptized “into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18-20) and, therefore, would have known about the Holy Spirit.
Upon their learning what being “baptized in the name of the Lord” meant, they were re-baptized because their first experience was out of harmony with, not according to, the gospel plan of salvation, and it did not count, it was meaningless. So much can be learned today about those with whom we study by inquiring about their baptism. A time saving and meaningful question always to ask is “unto what then were ye baptized?”
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“STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED”
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15, KJV).
The preceding verse as cited from the King James Version of the Bible has been what I sometimes refer to as an “anchor text” among those committed to the restoration principle and the restoration plea. It was a passage that I memorized early in my life as a Christian and one that I often quoted in my early preaching efforts (and still quote). It is a tremendous passage, but it needs some unpacking and some understanding as to what the apostle Paul is actually saying.
The passage, while applicable to all Christians, was originally addressed to Timothy, a young preacher whom Paul regarded as his son in the faith (I Timothy 1:2). Paul had taken Timothy “under his wings” and nurtured, tutored, and mentored him in the gospel (see Acts 16:1-3). When Paul urged Timothy to “study to show yourself approved to God,” he was not speaking so much of the study of scripture or sacred writings (academic study), as he was urging Timothy to give serious reflection, thought, and attention to showing himself a man that was approved by God. Paul wanted Timothy to “study on” (think about) the kind of life he was to live, showing himself to be a diligent worker for the Lord, one who would never be ashamed of his own conduct or of the work he was doing. Included in this was the responsibility Timothy had to correctly handle and properly dispense the word of God to his hearers.
Other versions of the Scriptures will show the true significance of what Paul had in mind for Timothy (and, by extension, for all Christians of all time). The New King James Version says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God.” The American Standard Version says, “Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God.” The New American Standard Version says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed.” The New International Version says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
What a great description of a faithful preacher! Every man today who preaches the gospel needs to take to heart Paul’s exhortation to Timothy! And, as we shall later see, so does every elder, deacon, Bible class teacher, Bible professor in colleges operated by the Lord’s people, and individual Christian! Look at some other key passages in I and II Timothy and see how they reinforce Paul’s command In II Timothy 2:15.
“These things I write to you, hoping to come to you shortly, but if I am delayed, that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (I Timothy 3:15).
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (I Timothy 4:12).
“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (I Timothy 4:16).
“But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (I Timothy 6:11).
“Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (II Timothy 1:13).
“But you continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them” (II Timothy 3:14).
“Preach the word! Be ready in season, out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching” (II Timothy 4:2).
“But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (II Timothy 4:5).
Yes, Paul wanted Timothy to study (i.e., give diligent, careful thought and attention) to make himself approved to the Lord! Much as the conscientious farmer, lawyer, doctor, businessman, teacher are always “studying” their ways, their techniques, and trying to become better in their chosen field, so the preacher of the gospel will “study” (give diligent attention and thoughtful reflection) to how he can be approved of God, both in his life and in his doctrine. And, of course, it goes without saying that in so doing, the approved preacher will spend much times in the reading and study of God’s word, for without such he cannot know God’s will, either for himself or for his hearers.
But, II Timothy 2:15 is not limited to preachers. Elders, deacons, Bible school teachers, Bible professors, and all Christians (young and old) need to constantly be studying, thinking, and giving attention as how they can be approved to God. The challenge for every child of God is that they “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of [their] mind, that [they] may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
When a Christian arises in the morning and begins his or her day, he/she needs to thoughtfully and reflectively ask himself/herself, “How am I going to go about my life today so that I will be a workman that will be approved to God, one that will not be ashamed of the way I conduct myself as a member of the household of God?”
Find time, make time every day for reflective thought as to how you can “let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27). Give studied attention each day to your relationship with the Lord. “Study to show yourself approved to God”!
As a column or support provides a base upon which a building might rest, the church of Christ provides a base, a column or support, upon which the truth rests. The Bible affirms, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar {column] and ground [support] of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
Jesus Christ, “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), gave the definition of “the truth” in John 17:17: “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth.” The reason even religious people have been saying for decades now, “The church doesn’t matter” and if it does to some, then which one to “join” is purely a matter of personal choice is because the truth does not matter to them.
Jesus Christ taught in the parable of the seed and the sower (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23; Mark 4:2-8, 14-20; Luke 8:5-8, 11-15) that the seed is the Word of God. It only germinates as purposed in an “honest and good heart.”
The church of Christ supports the truth, the Word of God in its teaching and preaching—both publicly and privately, both in general via mass media and in person—in its regular assemblies to study the Bible and in the worship of God as the Bible is preached from the pulpit. Everywhere the teaching from the Bible must be sound—that means having a distinct and unmistakable or clear ring of truth (Titus 2:1).
In this present world where “truth has fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter” (Isaiah 59:14), the church of Christ will be standing for the truth. And, only in this way may the homes within every community, the communities within every state, and the states within the nation have a moral basis ensuring their peaceful existence. There are still millions of people in America who want to live a “quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:2), each one who does has no other recourse, no other way to actually have that than to elevate in his and her thinking and daily life a knowledgeable and sincere appreciation for the church of Christ. The statement by inspiration given in Ephesians 3:21 requires the belief and respect from “an honest and good heart” it and the nation truly deserves, “Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
Simply and directly stated, my world view (the way I see our world and its inhabitants) is shaped by the Bible. I sincerely and devoutly believe that the Bible is the very word of Almighty God Himself. As such, I believe it is authoritative in all areas of life, enduring, unchanging, eternally relevant (never becomes out of date), not subject to addition, subtraction, amendment, accommodation, or adjustment to culture and the ever changing views of an ever changing world.
A number of statements in Psalms 119 form the basis of how I view the word of God and therefore of how I view the world of mankind. I call attention to several verses from this marvelous Psalm (indicated in parenthesis following the quotation) and say unabashedly that I believe every one of these statements. They, along with numerous other Bible passages, are the lens through which I view the world and by which I endeavor to live my life. Read the following verses reflectively. Think seriously about what they say. Let their truth soak into your mind and heart.
“You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently” (4).
“Your word I have hidden (laid up) in my heart that I might not sin against You” (11).
“Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law” (18).
“You rebuke the proud—the cursed, who stray from Your commandments” (21).
“Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness” (36).
“Indignation has taken hold of me because of the wicked who forsake Your law” (53).
“You are my portion, O Lord; I have said that I would keep Your words. I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful to me according to Your word. I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies” (57-59).
“Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe Your commandments” (66).
“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (89).
“I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life” (93).
“Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (97).
“How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way” (103-104).
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (105).
“You reject those who stray from Your statutes, for their deceit is falsehood” (118).
“Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way” (128).
“The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple (the uninstructed/the uninformed)” (130).
“Rivers of water run down from my eyes, because men do not keep Your law” (136).
“Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it” (140).
“I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word. My eyes are awake though the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word” (148).
“Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek Your statutes” (155).
“I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, because they do not keep Your word” (158).
“The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of your righteous judgments endures forever” (160).
“Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble” (165).
“My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness” (172).
“I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight” (174).
The New Testament writers corroborate what the Psalmist penned in the passages above. The apostle Paul declared: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God…Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:18, 25). He affirmed: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Peter wrote that God’s “divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).
These and many other passages of sacred scripture are (and have been for many years) the basis on which I view our world and have endeavored to live my life. The Bible shapes my view of how the universe and earth came into existence, how it is sustained and continues, and how it will ultimately end. The Scriptures form my concept of how I should live, my ethics, my morals, my values, my religious views and convictions, my political views, my view of family life, how I do business, and how I treat my fellow man. They shape my view of marriage and family life, how I receive God’s grace and salvation from sin, why and how I worship the way I do, and the way I view life after death. I have sought to make the Bible the polar star for my life and my view of the world in all aspects.
Because the Bible shapes my world view, I see all accountable people on earth as being in just one of two states: either in the kingdom of God or in the kingdom of Satan, either in God’s church or still bound by the standards of the world (1 John 5:19). The Scriptures determine my view of what one must do to be saved from sin and adopted in the spiritual family of God, the church of the Lord, the kingdom of God’s dear Son. The Bible sets forth just two roads to travel and only two destinies to reach at the end of life’s journey (Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 25:46). This is an integral and significant aspect of my world view.
Is my world view simple? Yes! Is it right? I have not the slightest doubt about it whatsoever! I invite you to investigate it for yourself and to adopt it as your world view. If you will live in harmony with it, you will never regret it.
Hugh Fulford
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“TRUTH IS FALLEN IN THE STREET”
Gary McDade
The nature of mankind and the collective governments that both represent and regulate mankind virtually remain unchanged over the vast centuries of human existence. A case in point is 8th century B.C. and the nation of Israel of whom the prophet Isaiah wrote, “For our transgressions are multiplied before Thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no judgment” (Isaiah 59:12-15, emphasis added).
The Bible and history shows the nation of Israel fell to the Assyrians in 721 B.C. And, following in their steps was the nation Judah. Jeremiah pled in earnest for them to “execute judgment” and “seek the truth” and upon their compliance, God would pardon the nation (Jeremiah 5:1). God tried unsuccessfully to correct the nation. Jeremiah told them, “O Lord, are not Thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God” (vv. 3-4). The “people loved to have it so” (v. 31). Judah fell to the Babylonians in 606 B.C.
Eighty-four years into the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah, about 1012 B.C., 480 years after the children of Israel came out of Egypt, wise King Solomon publicly asked God to forgive His people when they would so sin in the future and would sincerely repent (1 Kings 6:1). His prayer was the solution for a nation that had turned judgment backward and abandoned truth. Solomon prayed, “If they sin against Thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and Thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto Thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; And so return unto Thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto Thee toward their land, which Thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for Thy name: Then hear Thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven Thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, And forgive Thy people that have sinned against Thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against Thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them” (1 Kings 8:46-50).
Genesis 1 is the awesome account of almighty God creating the world and everything in it in six days. It ends by saying, “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31). The next chapter begins by saying, “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done” (Genesis 2:1-2).
Do the math! How long did God use to create all things? In Exodus 20:11, Moses re-affirmed: “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day.” I believe Moses! By divine inspiration he wrote what he wrote. His account is reliable. Jesus believed Moses. In answering the Pharisees’ question about marriage, divorce, and remarriage, Christ quoted Genesis 1:27 concerning the creation of man and woman on the sixth day. He answered the Sadducees question about the resurrection by quoting “the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage” (Mark 12:26). If Christ trusted Moses, so can we! “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4). And He did it all in six days! Do the math! It is not complicated.
From the summit of Mount Sinai, God through Moses delivered ten basic commandments to the Israelites. Read Exodus 19:1 – 20:17 and do the math. Those ten commandments became the heart of the old covenant (set forth in the thirty-nine documents that constitute the Old Testament portion of the Bible). God gave many other commandments to Israel, but what is known formally as the Ten Commandments stood at the heart of the others. All of these ten commandments except one have been incorporated into the new covenant (see Romans 13:8-10; et al). Under the gospel of Christ, the new and last covenant of God with mankind, we do not observe the Sabbath (Saturday, the seventh day of the week) as did the Jews under the Old Testament. Christians gather on the first day of the week (elsewhere referred to as the Lord’s Day) to worship the Lord. (Acts 20:7; see Revelation 1:10). Our Lord arose from the dead on the first day of the week, and it is fitting that as His disciples we gather on that day every week to observe the Lord’s Supper and to engage in other authorized acts of worship. The Sabbath day is not observed by faithful, knowledgeable Christians (Colossians 3:16-17). Do the math!
A bold and courageous man by the name of Joshua succeeded Moses as Israel’s leader. Joshua led Israel into the land of Canaan. In taking the city of Jericho the men of war were commanded to march around the city one time each day for six days (Joshua 6). On the seventh day they were to march around the city seven times. Each day they were to be led by seven priests, each with a trumpet of a ram’s horn. On the seventh day, at the end of the seventh circuit around the city, the priests were to blow on the trumpets of rams’ horns and the wall of Jericho would collapse, giving the Israelites access to the city. Joshua and Israel carried out these orders precisely as the Lord had prescribed. Read Joshua 6 and do the math! All of this happened because Israel had the faith to believe the word of God and to do what He said (see Hebrews 11:30).
A mighty military leader of Syria, a Gentile, was plagued with leprosy. His name was Naaman. A servant girl told his wife that a prophet in Israel could heal him. Naaman went to Israel and consulted with Elisha, the prophet of God. Elisha told Naaman to go and dip seven times in the Jordan River and he would be cleansed of his leprosy. Naaman had his doubts about the whole thing and almost decided to forego what to him was a ridiculous procedure. But he was persuaded by his servants to do what the prophet of God told him to do, and he went down to the Jordan and dipped. Not after one dip, not after two, not after three, but after dipping seven times “his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” Read this thrilling story of faith and obedience in II Kings 5 and do the math! Jesus Himself referred to this event (Luke 4:27). Jesus believed the Old Testament accounts! When we do what Jesus says to do to be saved we will be saved, but not before (see Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38).
The wise man Solomon wrote: “These six things the Lord hates. Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood (abortionists take note!), a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:17-19). Do the math! Are we guilty of any of these things?
In John 17:20-21 our Savior prayed that all of His followers might be one, not divided into many groups and different kinds of religious bodies. Do the math! It is very simple.
By divine inspiration the apostle Paul wrote: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6). How many Gods? Just one. How many Lords? Just one. How many Spirits? Just one. How many hopes? Just one.
But now, how many bodies (which is the church, per Ephesians 1:22-23)? “O, there are many groups of believers, many churches, and God approves of them all!” Does He?
How many faiths? “O, there are many faiths, and God approves of them all! What faith are you?” Really?
How many baptisms? “O, there are many baptisms (sprinkling, pouring, drawing a cross on a baby’s forehead with a wet finger [I saw a Methodist preacher do it!, hf], immersion, etc.)” People uninformed in the Scriptures contend for Holy Spirit baptism today as well as baptism in water. But when Paul wrote Ephesians in about 62 A.D. there was just one baptism, water baptism for the remission of sins (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:26-39; Acts 22:16; I Peter 3:20-21). Some claim to have been baptized in fire. If they understood the significance of this “baptism” they would want no part of it. How were you baptized? Why were you baptized? Did you believe it was necessary to your salvation from sin and becoming a child of God? Do you know the answer to these important questions about the one baptism?
Read Ephesians 4:4-6 again and do the math! Along with doing the math how about doing some serious thinking! Remember, the soul you save may be your own!
Hugh Fulford
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LEARNING TO THINK, SPEAK, AND WRITE BIBLICALLY AND UNDENOMINATIONALLY
Pursuant to my “Hugh’s News & Views” of December 5, 2023 titled “Slouching Toward Denominationalism,” and in fulfillment of a promise I made in that article to have a follow-up article, I send forth this week’s extremely important essay titled as above. And, as in the earlier article, I kindly and respectfully issue a “heads up” to the Christian Chronicle, its editor, president and CEO, staff of writers, and Board of Advisors. At the end of this week’s “News & Views” is also a note to my beloved alma mater, Freed-Hardeman University. Be assured that while this essay is direct, it is in no way meant to be harsh or unkind. In whatever way my thinking about the matter addressed is flawed or unscriptural, you will be my friend by calling it to my attention. My desire is to be instructive and to encourage exactly what the title of this week’s essay indicates.
It would be hard to overemphasize the importance of this essay. If we are going to be the true and faithful New Testament people of God, and if we are going to ever be successful in calling people back to the apostolic way, we must (even though living in a denominational world), learn to think, speak, and write biblically and therefore undenominationally! We must learn to “speak as the oracles of God” (I Peter 4:11), not the corrupted “language of Ashdod,” a speech heavily influenced by the people around us (Nehemiah 13:23-24). We must “hold fast the pattern of sound words” (II Timothy 1:13), and not use a pattern of speech that has been influenced by denominational thinking and that portrays the blood-bought church of our Lord as just another denomination in a world of denominations. In emulation of Paul and Barnabas, we must learn to so speak that many will be led to embrace original, apostolic Christianity (Acts 14:1).
Denominational Christianity is not acceptable Christianity. Christ prayed for the unity of all who would believe in Him (John 17:20-21). Paul severely rebuked the church at Corinth for its divisions and the wearing of men’s names (I Corinthians 1:10-13). By divine inspiration, he put heresies, divisions, and false doctrines in the same category with adultery, fornication, murder, drunkenness, and the like (Galatians 5:19-21). Most people have never stopped to consider the preceding passages and what they are saying to the people of God, but we must begin paying attention to them! Paul gave a divine plan by which all believers can be one in Christ (Ephesians 6:1-6). In order to have true unity we must build on that platform, not on human wisdom, compromise, or by imbibing so-called unity “cordials.”
The church of Christ, the church that He established (Matthew 16:18), the church He purchased with His blood (Acts 20:28), the church of which He is the only head (Colossians 1:18), the church of which He is the savior (Ephesians 5:23) is not a denomination! Those who think, speak, and write of it in denominational terms (whether because of a lack of understanding, thoughtlessness, or in maliciousness) stand in need of instruction and correction.
God’s New Testament people do not have an exclusive, patented name. Most often in the aggregate they are referred to simply as the church. Yes, they are Christ’s church (Matthew 16:18) and individual congregations are called churches of Christ (Romans 16:16). They are the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23), the church of God (I Corinthians 1:2), and local churches are biblically designated as churches of God (II Thessalonians 1:4). The church is the kingdom of God, the kingdom of Christ, and the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:18-19). When one is saved from sin by obedience to the gospel he is added to the church (Acts 2:47), which is the same thing as being translated “into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13). The church is the house, household, or family of God (I Timothy 3:15) and the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-32; Revelation 21:9).
But none of these divine descriptors of the church was ever intended to be an exclusive, patented name for the people of God. To take any one of these designations and turn it into into an exclusive “name” is to do an injustice to the other designations and eventually becomes seen as THE name of the church. To speak of “Church of Christ” doctrine, preachers, elders, colleges, periodicals, congregations, gatherings, etc. portrays the church as a denomination. Would we speak of “Church of God” or “Body of Christ” or “Kingdom of Heaven” or “Family of God” doctrine, preachers, elders, colleges, periodicals, congregations, gatherings, etc.? Why not? How are we going to effectively advocate undenominational Christianity if we think, speak, and write of the church in such a way as to leave the impression that it is a denomination?
With careful thought and a biblical understanding of the non-sectarian nature of the church, we can speak of the doctrine of Christ, Bible teaching, gospel preachers, ministers of the word of God, elders of the church, Christian colleges (colleges committed to Christian doctrine and principles, schools committed to uphold the plea to return to the New Testament and to be governed by its authority in all things), gospel publications (publications that teach the pure gospel of Christ), and simple churches of Christ or churches of God. To speak of a “Church of Christ congregation” is the same as saying a “Church of Christ church.” Such is the height of redundancy and reflects a decidedly denominational view of the church. The Bible nowhere refers to “congregations of the church.” It speaks simply of churches of Christ and churches of God. That is sufficient. Each congregation/local church is an autonomous entity. If we will begin thinking, speaking, and writing in this way, perhaps some doors of opportunity will be opened for us to set forth the simplicity of the undenominational way of Christ, the New Testament way!
Luke wrote an account of the life of Christ to a man by the name of Theophilus (Luke 1:1-3). He then wrote a follow-up account of the beginning and growth of the apostolic church to the same man (Acts 1:1). All that Theophilus knew about Christ and the church was contained in those two documents. If we would take off our denominational glasses when looking at Christ and the church and put on our Theophilus glasses, how would we view, think, speak, and write of the church?
People today leave the church for various denominations because they have never been taught the difference between the church and a denomination. They view the church of Christ as “just another denomination,” and feel no remorse over leaving it for (what to them is) “another denomination,” one more in keeping with their “new” views, more in keeping with their personal tastes and preferences where doctrine, practice, and worship are concerned, to be in the same church as their spouse, etc.. Former preachers of the gospel, elders in the church, Bible professors, and members of the church in general have been known to leave the body of Christ and join a denomination. I marvel! I weep!
We must return to a strong, doctrinally oriented pulpit and strong, doctrinally oriented Bible classes. Our young people are dying spiritually because of a lack of such in many places! We must preach and teach about the church: its establishment, its identity, its distinctiveness, its undenominational nature. We must stress true doctrine and the need for scriptural worship. We must stop thinking, speaking, and writing of the church in such a way as to portray it as a denomination. We must hold to God’s standards rather than to the standards of the world, including the denominational world.
I plead with my brethren at the Christian Chronicle and throughout the world to “consider your ways” (Haggai 1:7), and to give up your denominational thinking, speaking, and writing about the church (however unintentional it may be). Become a force for the advancement of a clear and unambiguous plea for undenominational Christianity—the only Christianity that is pleasing to our Heavenly Father!
(Added note: I was quite disappointed to see a recent release from Freed-Hardeman University, my beloved alma mater, announcing the awarding of partial scholarships to the children of “Church of Christ pulpit ministers and youth ministers.” I would not accuse the person(s) who wrote or edited that release of maliciously or intentionally wanting to portray the church as a denomination. But such terminology does not set forth a biblical and undenominational view of the church. I hope my alma mater will not succumb to the “drift” away from apostolic Christianity that has become characteristic of many other schools. The person(s) who wrote and/or edited this release needs instruction in how to think and write biblically and undenominationally. I hope someone at Freed-Hardeman will provide that teaching and guidance).
Hugh Fulford
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FROM BETHEL TO MAHANAIM TO PENIEL
Gary McDade
These three places in the beginning of the Bible were of great significance in the life of the patriarch Jacob. In obedience to his father and mother, Jacob traveled to Padanaram (Pa’-dan-a’-ram) to seek a wife. When he arrived at Luz he used stones for his pillows and dreamed of a ladder reaching to heaven with the angels of God ascending and descending on the ladder. The Lord stood above it and said unto him, “I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father; and the God of Isaac” (Genesis 28:13). He promised Jacob the land through which he was traveling and to make his descendants as many as the dust of the earth. The promise made to him that all families of the earth would be blessed through him linked him with Abraham and the coming Messiah (v. 14). God also made a promise to him that would be reassuring when he later met up with his brother Esau whom he greatly feared because he had supplanted him from his inheritance. The Lord said to him, “And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” (v. 15). Jacob renamed that place Bethel meaning “the house of God.”
After twenty years in his uncle’s house, Jacob made his way back to Canaan. Jacob was “greatly afraid and distressed” in anticipation of retribution from Esau who was coming out to meet him with 400 men (Genesis 32:6-7). The location of this meeting is the second place in the title called Mahanaim which means “two camps” because Jacob strategically divided his family and herds into two camps as he approached Esau. “The angels of God met him,” and Jacob said, “This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim” (Genesis 32:1). Jacob would be mindful of his first encounter with the host of God twenty years earlier at Bethel and the promise God made him to be with him and keep him at that time.
The third place is Peniel where Jacob wrestled with “a man,” clearly an angel, “until the breaking of the day.” Jacob would not let him loose until he blessed him. And the angel changed his name from Jacob, meaning supplanter, to Israel, meaning a prince of God (vv. 24-29). Jacob named the place Peniel because he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (v. 30). Clyde Woods observed, “Out of this struggle emerged a spiritually greater and more mature patriarch, and one can only conclude that this result represents the accomplishment of the divine purpose in the incident. Thus, the event was designed as the climactic point in Jacob’s spiritual education (Living Way Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. 1, Genesis-Exodus, (1972), p. 86).
“A NEW KING WHO KNEW NOTJOSEPH”
The last fourteen chapters of Genesis tell the fascinating story of Joseph, son of Jacob, grandson of Isaac, and great-grandson of Abraham, the ancestral heads (fathers) of the Hebrew/Israelite/Jewish people. Joseph’s story is one that wonderfully illustrates the amazing providence of God.
Sold into Egyptian slavery by his ten older brothers while he was still in his teens (Genesis 37:2), Joseph, under the watchful eye and care of God, rose to a high position of authority, second only to Pharaoh himself (Genesis 41:39-45). In fulfillment of a series of dreams by Pharaoh and correctly interpreted by Joseph, a great famine struck all of that part of the world, including the land of Canaan where Joseph’s aged father, Jacob, and all his brothers and their families resided.
Following some intriguing visits by his brothers to Egypt in search of food, Joseph revealed himself to them, and, in time, his entire family, including Jacob (whose name had been changed to Israel) was relocated to Egypt. By Pharaoh’s approval and with his blessings, they were given the land of Goshen in which to live and carry on their occupation of breeding and raising livestock (Genesis 46:1-47:6).
In time, the original group of Jacob’s descendants who moved to Egypt, including Joseph himself, all died. Over the ensuing years, “the children of Israel (Jacob) were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them” (Exodus 1:7). Eventually, “there arose a new king over Egypt who did not know Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). This simply means that the new king did not know the history of the circumstances that had brought the Israelites into the land of Egypt to begin with. Because of the enormity of their numbers, this new king saw the descendants of Jacob as a threat and put them in servitude (Exodus 1:9-14).
What a sad turn of events! What a tragedy to not know the history of how and why the Israelites were in Egypt! Stephen, in the New Testament, in rehearsing the history of Israel, referred to this tragic fact of history (cf. Acts 7:17-18). Evidently, he thought his hearers needed to be reminded of this important truth.
The story of how Joseph and his father’s family came to be in Egypt and how in later years “there arose a new king who knew not Joseph” has within it a powerful and needed lesson for God’s people today. Just as “there arose a new king over Egypt who did not know Joseph,” we have among us today those who do not know the history of the New Testament church and its uniqueness or the fundamentals of apostolic New Testament Christianity. They have no real understanding of the plea (and the principles behind the plea) to go back to the New Testament and just be the pre-denominational and undenominational church we read of there—a church without human creeds and names, man-made doctrines and practices, sectarian thinking and terminology, and culture-driven “adjustments” and accommodations.
Sadly, we have had a generation of preachers, elders, deacons, Bible class teachers, Christian school presidents, faculty members, administrators, editors of papers, and writers of whom a number show little if any understanding of the distinctiveness of the church. As the motley crowd said to Peter, “[Their] speech betrays [them]” (Matthew 26:73). They speak “the language of Ashdod” (Nehemiah 13:23-24). (If you are not familiar with this text and its principle you need to familiarize yourself with it).
Today we have those in the pulpit, in elderships, in the Bible classrooms, and in important educational and journalistic roles who seem to have little if any understanding of when the church of the Lord was established, how it can be identified in the midst of a pluralistic religious world, how it is to be organized according to the Scriptures, how it is to worship, what its work is to be, or how it is to finance the work the Lord gave the church to do.
Increasingly, we have members (including preachers, elders, Christian university professors,) who leave the church and join a denomination and think nothing of it! They think they can go to the Baptists, the Episcopalians, the Presbyterians, the Disciples, the Catholics, or some Community Church, et. al. and still be faithful Christians. In their view of the matter they simply “switched denominations”! They had no understanding of the uniqueness and distinctiveness of the church of Christ and its undenominational nature.
The “new kings” in the church (the untaught generations) do not understand why we do not use instrumental music in worship, and why we do not have women elders and preachers.
They do not understand why we observe the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day or why we are not governed by the Old Testament but by the New Testament, the last will and testament of Christ, thus superseding all previous wills and covenants.
The progressives among us do not like not being able to appeal to the Old Testament to support their desire to have instrumental music in the worship of the New Testament people of God. To them, worship under the New should be no different from worship under the Old! They eschew the pattern authority of the New Testament.
Some of the “new kings” even question the necessity of baptism for the remission of sins. Some are advancing the notion of “open membership” (“If you believe in Christ in any sense, you are welcome to be a member, whether you have been immersed or not or for what reason you may have been immersed”).
For many, Sunday is just another day of the week. People casually forsake the assembly of the saints in order to pursue their own selfish pleasures.
Increasingly, homosexuality is being defended and the ancient sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is being “re-studied” and “re-defined.”
It is not unusual to hear a person in the pew speak of the preacher as “The Pastor” or to wonder why we do not call preachers “Reverend.”
Many of our young people have no grasp of simple, New Testament, undenominational Christianity. There has been a sad lack of basic, fundamental Bible teaching, and some elders have made it clear that they do not want that kind of teaching in either the classrooms or from the pulpit.
A number of years ago, an elder went through all the tract racks in a large church that increasingly was becoming more progressive and removed all printed materials that dealt with basic and distinctive Bible teaching. He did not think the tracts represented the kind of reading that would give either the members or visitors the kind of image they ought to have of the church!
And now for several decades we have been reaping the results of this “new approach”! Once again the words of Hosea have relevance: “They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7). Ignorance of the fundamentals of the faith has paved the way for the departure of our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren from “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
Yes, sadly, in far too many places today there have arisen “new kings” in places of leadership and influence in the church – people who “do not know Joseph” – people who do not know the New Testament principles on which the church of our Lord was founded and to which it owes its continued faithfulness and effectiveness. Presidents and Boards of Trustees have forgotten (or abandoned) the principles on which the Christian schools and colleges were founded and who the educational institutions were originally set up to serve. With them the two big issues today is the recruitment of students and the raising of money. Fidelity to the Lord and His word show up somewhere lower on the list of priorities.
New kings! New emphases! New directions!
Hugh Fulford
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GOD GAVE US HIS WORD TO PROVE US
Gary McDade
The Bible is the most amazing book in the world. It alone claims, and sustains the claim, uniquely to be from God. It contains all of God’s revealed Will for all of mankind and for all time. There exists today no source for divine guidance beside or in addition to the Bible. How crucial, how vital to the eternal destiny of a child is the reading and teaching of the Word of God in the home. It is very probable that more children are being taught to speak a foreign language in the home than are being taught the Bible. A text at the beginning of the Bible urges its place in the home. Moses wrote,
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9.
Moses touched on God giving His Word to prove His people. Again, he wrote,
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. Deuteronomy 8:2, emphasis added. (Cf. also 8:16).
After reading one more passage on this subject meditate on whether or not you are passing God’s test. Deuteronomy 13:3-4, “Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him.”
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“RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTETH A NATION: BUT SIN IS A REPROACH TO ANY PEOPLE”
Gary McDade
Remember Kim Davis, Rowan County Kentucky Court Clerk, who was jailed briefly in 2015 for refusing to issue marriage licenses for same sex marriages? Judge David L. Bunning, Federal U. S. District Court Judge, ruled January 2, 2024, that she must pay $260,104 in fees and costs and $100,000 in damages to the homosexuals that sued her. Associated Press said, “Davis was released only after her staff issued the licenses on her behalf but removed her name from the form. Kentucky’s state legislature later enacted a law removing the names of all county clerks from state marriage licenses.”
Many Bible readers will begin reading the Bible through starting with the first of the New Year and will read Genesis 18-19 where the hot displeasure of God is evoked by homosexuals. The practice itself is prohibited in the Law of Moses in Leviticus 18:22 and in the New Testament of Christ in Romans 1:24-32. And, the last book of the Bible condemns such whoremongers to eternal hell fire (Revelation 21:8). American society may be ignorant of or indifferent to Bible teaching on the subject of homosexuality and may even ridicule and castigate those who love God and His Word, but the Word of God still and forever affirms that “righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).
What we are seeing is the United States of America officially punishing its citizens for honoring God and His Word. Kim Davis can appeal the decision if she financially is able, otherwise it is very likely that “individuals who are unable to pay court-imposed assessments often face dramatic penalties that can lead to escalating and inescapable cycles of debt, extended periods of probation and parole, drivers’ license suspension, and repeated, unnecessary incarceration.”
Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City State since 2013, recently blessed same sex marriages in the Catholic Church. He is leading 1,200,000,000 people—including 71,000,000 in the USA–into a disgusting and damnable lifestyle long covered up by the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. Righteousness is not easily achieved and most nations are destroyed for its absence. The hard truth of Psalm 9:17 is knocking at the door of the Unites States of America, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” “Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this? A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and My people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (Jeremiah 5:29-31).
”BLESSED IS HE THAT READETH”
Gary McDade
In the last book of the Bible there is a stated blessing for reading it. An abbreviation of the passage is “blessed is he that readeth” (Revelation 1:3). While this truth applies specifically to the book of Revelation, wisdom shows it to be true throughout the Bible. For example, the king was to read it every day.
And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel (Deuteronomy 17:18-20).
The preceding verses are a catalogue of the sins of Israel which may have been avoided were the king to have read and applied the law of God in his life.
The Bible is designed to promote and assure an understanding of God’s will for people everywhere today. The apostle Paul affirmed, “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)” (Ephesians 3:2-4, emphasis added). As then, so today, the magnificent blessings the Bible contains are reserved only for those who read it.
The Bible will keep you from sin;
Sin will keep you from the Bible.
You can stay out of hell,
But you can’t get out of hell.
“HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE”
Gary McDade
Mark from Jacksonville, Florida wants information on the verse about Jesus leading the captivity captive. He said, “I certainly would enjoy hearing from you, and I appreciate your time.” His is a good question, and I thought everyone might also enjoy hearing discussion on the subject of “He led captivity captive.” We thank Mark for the request.
The New Testament passage to which we are referring is Ephesians 4:8, “Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” The apostle Paul is here quoting from Psalm 68. The first verse of this Psalm of David says, “Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered: let them also that hate Him flee before Him.” An understanding of the meaning of “He led captivity captive” begins right here with the concept of the great God standing victoriously above His enemies driving them out and away from Him. The wicked perish at the presence of God and the righteous are glad. The righteous rejoice and sing worthy praises to God. A recital of blessings and power which flows from God benefiting the people and destroying His enemies leads down to verses 18 and 19, “Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” Psalm 68 appears in Book 2 of the 5 books within the Psalms and communicates the idea of “Wondering Worship” (Psalms 42-72).
In Ephesians, the “one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” has bestowed upon all the faithful “grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ” (4:6-7). The reference to His ascension up on high has the reader looking to the throne of God where Christ sits exalted as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Acts 2:32-36; Revelation 11:15). His victory over sin by His sacrificial death on the cross has brought salvation to the world. Thereby, “He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”
The “gifts” is a reference to miraculous spiritual gifts imparted by the laying on of the apostles hands (Acts 8:18) and placed under their direct supervision by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10). These gifts were vital to the evangelization of the world and edification of the church prior to the time the completed New Testament was available. The all-encompassing “gift” is salvation from sin in Jesus Christ. Paul put it plainly, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:16-18). Christ has led those under captivity to sin into captivity to Him.
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“HE THAT OBEYETH NOT THE SON SHALL NOT SEE LIFE”
Gary McDade
Perhaps no verse in the Bible is better known and greater appreciated than the beautiful John 3:16:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
However, like so much of Bible teaching, the context in which it is set so often receives not the respect it demands. Before the third chapter of John closed, Jesus said,
He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Since so many want to be saved without going to worship, becoming a member of the church, fully obeying the gospel including being baptized into Christ for the remission of their sins, giving weekly of their means into the church treasury, and a full array of expressions of faith taught in the Bible, John 3:16 is accepted and John 3:36 is repudiated.
Will those in the denominations continue to practice and support personally and financially religious systems that—and there is no nice way to say this—defy the Lord Jesus Christ on the subject of obedience? He has said, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).
7 times during His personal ministry Jesus asked this question. In each instance He is showing the value of reading the Bible to promote a vital understanding of God’s will. Let’s quickly review each of these occurrences with the awareness of how important to our hope of eternal life believing that which is written is to us. The apostle John affirmed, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name” (John 20:31).
Matthew 12:3
“But He said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him?” (See: 1 Samuel 21:1-6).
Matthew 12:5
“Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?” (For example: Leviticus 24:5-9 and Numbers 28:9-10).
Matthew 19:4
“And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female?”(See: Genesis 1:27).
Matthew 22:31
“But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying…?” (See: Exodus 3:6).
Mark 12:10
“And have ye not read this Scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner?” (See: Psalm 118:22).
Mark 12:26
“And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?” (See: Exodus 3:6).
Luke 6:3
“And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him?” (See: 1 Samuel 21:1-6).
Although many centuries have intervened and people everywhere have become adept at rationalizing into oblivion what Jesus said, reading the Bible remains the surest way to cut through it all and “have life through His name” (John 20:31).
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“THEY FOUND FAULT”
Gary McDade
Very much like people of our time, the Pharisees and “all the Jews” found fault with Jesus Christ and His disciples because they did not conform to their long-standing traditions and practices. With them their criticism was not religiously washing hands, cups, pots, brass vessels, tables, “and many other such like things” (Mark 7:1-23). With us it is not recognizing the creeds and theologies that have emerged especially over the last few hundred years and reverencing their creativity in taking liberties with the Bible.
The faithful have always respected the Bible. Consider the Thessalonian brethren, “As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His kingdom and glory. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:11-13).
Jesus told the hand-washing Pharisees that Isaiah prophesied of them and their hypocrisy. He quoted from Isaiah 29:13 and told them they honored God with their lips but their heart was far from Him. The trends of Isaiah’s time impacted the whole nation, prompting Isaiah to observe of them, “Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, They are gone away backward” (Isaiah 1:4). The Jewish nation of Jesus’ day, like wayward Israel of old, were hypocrites prompting the stern rebuke from the gentle Savior, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9).
Today people taunt members of the churches of Christ because we don’t use instrumental music in worship, embrace every misguided charlatan in the country, accept women preachers, make them feel good about their bogus religious inventions, “and many other such like things ye do.” Stand firm Christians, and “let not then your good be evil spoken of” (Romans 14:16). Whereas they are like “children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” may we continue “speaking the truth in love,” and “may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:14-15).
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SOBERING THOUGHTS
I love this time of the year! Autumn! The “Fall” of the year! (Why do we speak of “the ‘Fall’ of the year” and “the ‘Spring’ of the year,” but never “the ‘Winter’ of the year” or “the ‘Summer’ of the year”? The latter two do not even have the same rhythm or “flow” as the other two, do they?).
The time from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day is what I call “the mellow time of the year”—a time for reflection on the goodness of God and His many blessings, on the meaning and purpose of life, on the reality of the swiftness of life and the fact that for many of us more of earthly life is behind us than is before us, on the sobering realization that we are reaching the November and December days of our earthly sojourn.
This is the season of the year in which all of us—young and old—ought to engage in some honest soul-searching and self-examination about our priorities in life. Paul exhorted, “Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves.” (II Corinthians 13:5). How long has it been since you did that?
This is the season of the year in which we need to reflect on some sobering thoughts. Here are a few to which we ought to give attention.
1. There is a God. Something is (the universe), therefore something always was, because from nothing comes nothing. If nothing is what always existed, then nothing got busy and created something! But what rational person can believe that? Further, what had always existed was either mind or matter. There are no other possibilities. If it was matter that had always existed then in time matter either created or evolved into mind (intelligence). Who can believe that?
The reality is that a Supreme Being of intelligence is what/Who has always existed, and “In the beginning God (the Supreme being of intelligence) created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalms 19:1). “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4). Only a fool can deny the existence of God (Psalm 14:1). The atheist needs to use the mind God gave him and overcome his foolish rejection of God!
2. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Christ existed with God from all eternity as the pre-enfleshed Word. In time, He “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 14:1-3, 14). He was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-35). By this means “God sent forth His Son, born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). Jesus allowed Himself to be acknowledged as God’s Son (Matthew 3:17; Matthew 16:16; Matthew 17:5), something a good and honest man would never do if it were not true!
3. The Bible is the Word of God. “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (I Thessalonians 2:13). “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual (I Corinthians 2:13). Indeed, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (II Timothy 3:16-17).
4. Life on this earth is short. “Man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue” (Job 14:1-2). “For what is your life? It is even a vapor (like the morning mist, hf) that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). How sad it will be to come to the end of this short life and realize we spent it in the pursuit of the wrong thing! Think!
5. There is going to be a day of judgment. God “has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all, in that He has raised Him from the dead (Christ, the one who shall judge the world)” (Acts 17:31). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in his body, according to what he has done, whether it is good or bad” (II Corinthians 5:10). You will not escape this day of final judgment!
6. Not everyone is going to be saved. “Enter in at the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in through it” (Matthew 7:13). “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
7. We will be saved or lost according to our response to Christ and the gospel. Christ will come again “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (II Thessalonians 1:8). Christ is the “author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9). Family religious connections, having a good heart, being a good person, being guided by your conscience will be of no value if you do not obey the gospel and live a faithful Christ-like life (II Peter 1:5-11; Revelation 2:10).
8. We will not be given a second chance. “In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie” (Ecclesiastes 11:3), and in whatever state we die—either in Christ or out of Christ (there are no other possibilities)—there we shall lie and in that state we shall be raised and judged. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord…” (Revelation 14:13). But woe to those who die outside of Christ! “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” where “they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:15, 10).
Sobering thoughts? Absolutely! More than sobering! And now is the time to think about them, not tomorrow, not next year, but now! Now is the time to make the changes and corrections we need to make!
Hugh Fulford
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HOW GOD SAVES US
As I enter the sunset years of my life as a preacher, I have become more conscious of the need for emphasizing the great fundamental themes of Bible doctrine. Included in this is setting forth the biblical answer to the most important question in the world, “What must I do to be saved?” More and more, I am preaching on this subject. Why? Because those who have not been saved need to know the Lord’s answer to this question. Those who think they are saved but are not need to know the Bible answer to this question. Young people who are reaching the age of accountability need to know what God Himself says they must do to be saved. Those who are saved need to be reassured of their salvation and motivated to tell their family and friends what one must do to be saved. Besides, if a gospel preacher cannot preach on “What must I do to be saved?,” pray tell me what can he preach on?!
The rich young ruler asked Jesus, “Good teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17). Jesus did not say, “Nothing… because very soon now it will all be done for you!” The people on Pentecost asked that question (Acts 2:37). Peter did not say, “Nothing… it’s already been done for you!” Saul of Tarsus (who became the apostle Paul) asked the question (Acts 9:6). The Lord did not say to him, “Do not worry, Saul… everything has already been done for you.” Rather, Jesus told him to go into the city of Damascus, “and you will be told what you must do” (emphasis mine). We need to follow the story of Paul’s conversion and see what he had to do to be saved. We need to know that the word “must” is still in the Bible and that there is a divine plan from God that all who would be saved must follow! The Philippian jailer asked this question (Acts 16:30). Paul and Silas did not say, “Nothing, good friend… it’s already been done for you.” He and his family were told what to do, and they became obedient to the word of God “the same hour of the night” (Acts 16:31-34). Complying with the answer to this all-important question was not something to be delayed! It was a matter of urgency!
In addition to preaching on this question, I try at least twice a year to address it in my “Hugh’s News & Views.” Several of my readers are not New Testament Christians. They have never done what the Bible teaches one must do to be saved. Some of them have been deceived by false teachers and false doctrine and think they are saved, but according to Bible teaching they are not saved. Like the apostle Paul, I want to be “innocent of the blood of all men” (Acts 20:26). I want to do all that I can to help people understand what they must do to be saved and motivate them to do it! How, then, does God save a person?
God saves a person by His grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith…” – God’s unmerited favor toward all mankind and one’s trusting, obedient faith! (Ephesians 2:8).
God’s saves us by His mercy. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…” (Titus 3:5). (This is not the totality of the verse or context [all of which needs to be read and digested], but it succinctly states the biblical truth we are setting forth here).
We are saved by God’s love. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins” (I John 4:10).
God saves a person by the gospel. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ [the good news of His death, burial, and resurrection for our sins—I Corinthians 15:1-4], for it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16).
We are saved by the word of God. “…receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).
God saves those who believe. Jesus said, “For if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). “He who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16b).
God saves a person by repentance. “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). God commands “all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
We are saved by confessing faith in Christ. “For with the heart one believes to righteous, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:10).
God saves us by baptism. “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us…” (I Peter 3:21, KJV).
God saves us by our obedience. Christ “became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9).
God saves us by our faithfulness. “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). “He who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22).
If you want to be saved according to God’s way of salvation (and there really is no other way), which one of the above matters will you ignore and omit? Why not out of a heart of love and appreciation for God and His love for you simply do what God says, in the way He says, for the reason He says? Eternity in hell is a long time to think about what you should have done in this life!
Hugh Fulford
November 14, 2023
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“THE LAST DAYS”
Gary McDade
Those who imply they know more than the Son of God believe they can predict when the second coming of Christ will be. They look to “wars and rumors of war”—a phrase applied only to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 (Matthew 24:6; Mark 13:7, Luke 21:9) in the Bible. Men like David Jeremiah affirm the United States has “a biblical mandate to stand with Israel” (Christianity Report.com 10/11/2023) because Israel remains “God’s chosen people.” Certainly, the United States or any other democratic country may stand with whichever allies they choose politically, but none are under any sort of “biblical mandate” to do so. They erroneously claim the land of Israel is the Promised Land and forever belongs to Israel. John Hagee is dusting off his lessons on the king of the north and the kings of the east from his longtime wresting of the Scripture in Daniel and Revelation 16:12. Lately, they are saying all the signs are pointing to the war in Israel proving we are in the last days, WWIII is about to happen, and the world will very soon come to an end.
Jesus said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Israel lost both their national status as “God’s chosen people” and heirs of the Promised Land when they committed themselves to the worship of idols in violation of commandments 1 and 2 (Exodus 20:1-6). Joshua made plain they would forfeit forever the land when they did so (Joshua 23:14-16). Their favored nation status was irretrievably forfeited when they crucified their Messiah (Matthew 21:28-44).
Most religious people today never examine how the phrase “the last days” is used in the Bible. If they did, they would not be so easily convinced by the doomsdayers and prognosticators so prevalent now. Briefly put, “the last days” refers not to the few days immediately preceding the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. “The last days” references the entirety of the Christian age which began with the establishment of the church of Christ in A.D. 33 and will continue to the second coming of Christ. That is the way it was referred to by Isaiah (2:2), Micah (4:1), Peter (Acts 2:17), Paul (2 Timothy 3:1), and James (5:13). The apostle Peter cleared up any potential for confusion about “the last days” when he wrote 2 Peter 3:3-8, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” The world has been in “the last days” since the first century.
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REBELLION AT THE TOP
Gary McDade
“Speak to us O Lord, speak to us in words we can hear and understand, for the cacophony of chaos has overwhelmed our ability to receive your guidance and discern a direction.” This is the opening of the prayer led October 18, 2023, before the United States House of Representatives by the first female Chaplain appointed by that body back in December 31, 2020.
Margaret G. Kibben, Presbyterian Minister and retired Rear Admiral, was also the first woman to be appointed Chief of Chaplains for the USN and the USMC. During her time with the Marines her job was doctrine writer for the Religious Ministry of Marine Corp Combat Development at Quantico, VA.
The 433 members of the United States House of Representatives is the most powerful legislative body on earth. Chaplain Kibben just voiced a desire before all of them for God to speak audibly due to the inability of Holy Scripture to eviscerate the “cacophony of chaos” present in our society that “has overwhelmed our ability to receive your guidance and discern a direction.” If God is the author of the Bible and it is incomprehensible to provide divine guidance, then the question is: on what basis would Chaplain Kibben believe God’s spoken words to be any more understandable than His written words?
Something can happen when the Word of God is rejected on the woman’s place in God’s scheme. As a reminder, the Bible is clear in 1 Timothy 2:8 when it says, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” The context of this passage beyond doubt is prayer. Three verses later the Bible adds, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” No woman stands before a mixed audience of men and women to lead in prayer without violating this divine directive.
This is what happens when God’s Word is rejected: people want something else from Him. To do so puts them in the place of God. The Bible was written so everyone can understand it (Ephesians 3:4). Isaiah by inspiration of God observed long, long ago, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). America is walking in darkness because God’s Word is not being respected. There is “rebellion at the top.” The church of Christ is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Its divine mission is to preach and teach God’s truth—His written Word—that all may be saved (John 8:31-32).
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ISRAEL AT WAR, AGAIN
Gary McDade
Since Israel declared its independence as a nation in 1948 sixteen wars have been fought to retain its status as a nation. They are: The War of Independence (1947-49), Sinai War (1956), Six-Day War (1967), War of Attrition (1967-1970), Yom Kippur War (1973), Operation Litani (1978), First Lebanon War (1982-1985), Security Zone Campaign (1985-2000), First Intifada (1987-1993), Second Intifada (2000-2005), Second Lebanon War (2006), Operation Cast Lead (2008-2009), Operation Pillar of Defense (2012), Operation Protective Edge (2014), 2021 Israel-Palestine Crisis (2021), and Israel-Hamas War (2023). The last 8 of these wars (Lebanon was an interlude) have been with Hamas.
Charlatan opportunists from very near the beginning of Israel’s independence have written millions of books capitalizing on Israel’s misery and duping gullible people into believing they have special insights into Israel’s future. Virtually all of them are premillennialists. Well-known names are John F. Walvoord, Hal Lindsay, Tim LaHaye, John Hagee, and David Jeremiah.
The Bible proves all these men to be charlatans. (1) Israel lost its favored nation status when she crucified Christ (Matthew 21:28-46). (2) Jesus knew He would be rejected by the Jews (Isaiah 53:1-12). (3) Jesus kingdom, the church, was never intended to be a physical, material kingdom but a spiritual one (John 18:36). (4) Jesus’ kingdom is His church (Matthew 16:18-19; Colossians 1:13; Hebrews 12:28; Revelation 1:9). (5) The church was planned by God from eternity past (Ephesians 3:10-11). (6)The church of Christ today is the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). (7) Today Christians—not Jews by physical descent—are referred to as Jews by an inspired apostle (Romans 2:28-29). (8) All Israel will be saved by the same means as all gentiles will be saved and that is by the new covenant which contains the gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 11:1-36, esp. vv. 27-28; Hebrews 8:6-13; Romans 1:16; 6:1-18). (9) No signs forecast the second coming of Christ (Matthew 16:27; 24:36-44; John 5:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2 Peter 3:10-12; Revelation 1:7).
The real problem Israel confronts today is the same problem Israel confronted in the first century. Paul wrote, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:1-3).
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APPROVING THINGS THAT ARE EXCELLENT
Gary McDade
Mediocrity has no place among God’s people. True, it is the guiding principle of some and is popular and contagious, but it is the antithesis of Christianity. Christianity is a challenging religion. Consider a passage from which the title comes:
And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11).
Key words of emphasis are “abound,” “approve,” “being sincere and without offence,” and “being filled.” “Approving things that are excellent” means evaluating a number of good things and selecting to adhere to or advance those from among them that are excellent. Brother J. W. Shepherd said of this verse, “If we distinguish between the things that differ, it is for the sake of approving what is excellent. In this process we are not merely to distinguish the good from the bad, but the best among the good. This is a true description of Christian wisdom, love growing continually richer in knowledge and spiritual discernment” (A Commentary on the New Testament Epistles by David Lipscomb, Gospel Advocate Company, 1939, p. 160).
The Lord designed the church of Christ to aid the Christian in this challenging requirement. Look at the structure of the church from the beginning in Ephesians 4:11-12, “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Apostles and prophets are the inspired offices in the church; their work closed with the completion of the New Testament. Today, Christians must benefit from the work of the evangelists, pastors or elders—who guide the flock and watch for their souls—and teachers.
Every Christian needs help in “approving things that are excellent,” and the church is essential in providing that specialized help, guidance, and encouragement. “The perfecting of the saints,” “the work of the ministry,” and “the edifying of the body of Christ” simply cannot be done without Christians being active, loyal, and dedicated members of the local congregation of God’s people. Christianity is not a spectator sport or phenomenon where the members sit back and watch. It demands full participation and unswerving commitment to Christ.
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FLEE FORNICATION (I CORINTHIANS 6:18)
(Note: The following article is from the pen of my good and longtime friend, Alan Highers. It appeared as a post on his Facebook page on August 2, 2023. I am using it this week as my “Hugh’s News & Views” because it fits in so well with what we will be emphasizing throughout the month of October concerning marriage, divorce, and remarriage, and matters related to that subject. Please read and reflect thoughtfully on what Alan has said. His article follows).
When two people not married to each other live together and are sexually active, it is called “shacking up” in the modern vernacular. In the Bible it is called “fornication.” The word for fornication in the original Greek is porneia from which the English word “pornography” is derived. In the scriptures it refers to “illicit sexual intercourse.”
Fornication is a sin (Galatians 5:19). The apostle Paul says “they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21). There is no such thing as “moderate fornication” or “acceptable fornication.” Fornication is always wrong. It was a sin when Jesus taught about it; it is a sin today (Matthew 15:19). Those who engage in fornication with a boyfriend or girlfriend should hope they do not die in that condition. After death there is the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). On the great day of judgment men and women will have to give account for the things done in the body (2 Corinthians 5:10; Ecclesiastes 12:14).
Sexual desire is not sinful, but the only acceptable sexual union is within the bonds of marriage. Paul wrote, “To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband” (1 Corinthians 7:2). There was a time not many years ago when all of society frowned on sex outside of marriage, but today people engage in what is called “casual sex.” All casual sex is fornication. The Bible clearly states that fornicators shall not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
The most common form of fornication is pre-marital sex (sexual relations while dating or before marriage). The scriptures warn, “Flee fornication” (1 Corinthians 6:18). In other words, run away from it (not toward it), avoid it at all costs. Sexual sin leads to feelings of shame, embarrassment, and guilt. Statistics indicate that those who engage in pre-marital sex are more likely to incur problems even if they do eventually marry.
God’s plan is best: refrain from sexual activity before or without marriage, come together in a Christian home for companionship, love, honor, and intimacy. Establish a permanent family relationship for a lifetime. “Marriage is honorable in all” (Hebrews 13:4).
Hugh Fulford
October 3, 2023
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WORLDLINESS IN THE CHURCH
Michael Stock
I never thought much about Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?“ until I did a deeper study in the book, His Cross and Christian Ministry.” In it Carson writes about “the person who is a Christian and who is assured of heaven but who is living a life indistinguishable from the world.” While I do not agree with all the statements Carson makes, this one really stuck out in my mind. I never really thought about someone being able to be a Christian and worldly and still having salvation. I understand well the transition from worldly to being a Christian, and I know it’s not an instant process, but this is not what Paul is talking about. He is talking about people who make no effort to grow and people who are followers of people instead of Christ. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:1 “that they are infants in Christ.” The idea he uses for infants is not a positive term such as innocence but instead the view of those who, by choice, remain naive. They show no desire to grow; in that aspect, they have little to no value to Christ or His church.
I believe this problem has only escalated since Paul’s time.
Being in the mission field has made me more aware of this problem because there are not many congregations of the Lord’s church around. I have witnessed many people being led astray by false teachers, and people follow them blindly down the road of destruction. Even in America, when I return to visit congregations, I have seen many congregations that choose not to have elders but instead depend on one person to lead them. In most of those situations, the members usually only desire to listen but rarely want to study or learn for themselves. Worse than this, I have seen far too many congregations of the Lord’s church over the years who have been led astray by elders who are either not qualified or refuse to take a stand against false teachings.
Somewhere over the years, and I don’t know if we can pinpoint an exact time, but “churches” have become more about making people feel good, drawing bigger crowds, and not wanting to offend anyone. Somewhere along the way, we have taken our eyes off the cross and the Messiah and put our salvation in the hands of ordinary men. We have forgotten Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 3:11: Jesus is the foundation we build upon. No other foundation can withstand the judgment of God. 1 Corinthians 3:16–17, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”
Another point Paul makes in 1 Corinthians is that, as Christians and especially ministers of Christ, we have an accountability to God to study and know His Word. Paul does an excellent job reminding us that the work we do matters. It does not matter about self-gratification, but it matters if our work will stand the test of time. If we only care about self-gratification or self-recognition, our work will quickly fade away. This can be related to my earlier observation of elders who do not take a stand to protect the flocks and the integrity of the Lord’s church. As servants of Christ, we must stand firm in the gospel of Christ. Our first obligation is always to honor Christ. Paul instructs the Corinth church to take action against false apostles, but sadly, too many congregations of the Lord’s church have fallen away for this very reason. When we plant new churches, this is one of the first lessons we must teach. When we train leaders for the future, we must instill in them the idea that someday, at some time, they will have to take a stand for the truth. Unfortunately, that is a reality for all who choose to be Christians. Titus 2 is one of my favorite chapters because we are reminded that our Great God and Savior will return for His faithful followers no matter how bad things seem. I believe verse 15 is one of the most powerful lessons for Christians; Paul reminds us that we still have an obligation, “Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.” Christ has not yet returned, the work is not yet done, and we must continue laboring diligently for the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 4:1–6, the leaders never took a stand against false teachings, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Paul also reminds us of our limits. Under the new covenant, we have gained much freedom from the Old Testament laws, but we must not forget that we are still bound to Christ’s law. Paul warns everyone to understand the limits. Too many people take liberties under the idea of honoring Christ; that is just downright sinful. A few examples that come to mind are women’s roles in the church, the qualification of elders, how we worship, or even when we worship. Who’s our brother in Christ? These are all things we must study within God’s Word, and if we choose not to examine them or ignore them, we will understand the message of Matthew 7:21-23 too late. The world would have looked at those people in Matthew 7 and praised them for how righteous and godly they are, but Christ says, “I never knew you.” Paul said in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” I believe this is the same idea he is telling the Corinth church. The world must change for Christ. It is not our obligation to try and change Christ for the world.
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THE RELIGION OF ISLAM WAS CONCEIVED
BY MUHAMMAD IN THE 7TH CENTURY A.D
Gary McDade
The religion of Islam began with Muhammad in A.D. 622 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Muhammad reverse engineered his religion from the 7th Century A.D. back to Ishmael who was born in 1889 B.C. and died in 1752 B.C. Muhammad came along about the time in history when the Roman Catholic Church began its rise to political and religious power.
Muhammad had at his disposal the entire Old Testament and New Testament. He is the one who chose to create a religion supported by the prophecies of Abraham’s son Ishmael. Moses wrote what was said to Ishmael’s mother Hagar, the Egyptian, “And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction” (Genesis 16:10-11). Muhammad laid claim to this promise when he founded the religion of Islam.
And, it is here that the story of the religion of Islam begins in Genesis 16. The next verse in Genesis 16 prophetically describes what Ishmael’s descendants would be like for all time. Bear in mind Muhammad in the 7th century A.D. laid claim to this promise as well what was just stated in verses 10-11. Genesis 16:12 says, “And he [Ishmael] will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.”
Guy N. Woods commented on Genesis 16:10-12 this way, “Such is the divine description and disposition of Ishmael and his posterity, a disposition of character and conduct that continues to be characteristic of this people to this day” (Biblical Backgrounds of the Troubled Middle East, Gospel Advocate Co., 1991, p. 19).
A conscious choice was made by Muhammad to design a religion the chief traits of which would be “wild men” with their hand against every man and every man’s hand against them. Brother Woods observed, “Millions of Mohammedans live in our land, there are more Mohammedan mosques (places of Moslim worship) on American soil than there are churches of Christ in all the Arab world. It is indeed a sobering thought that they are converting us at an infinitely faster rate than we are them!
McGARVEY’S SERMON ON BAPTISM
One of the presentations I was invited to make—and was privileged to make—at this year’s edition of Polishing the Pulpit was J. W. McGarvey’s sermon on “Baptism.” This sermon was preached by the great preacher and scholar on the evening of July 2, 1893 at the Broadway Church of Christ in Louisville, Kentucky. Following a very brief sketch of McGarvey’s life and a bit of background to the sermon and its circumstances, I proceeded to let brother McGarvey preach his sermon in his own words, with only a few words of my own to connect his thoughts.
Early in the sermon, brother McGarvey explained his approach to the subject of baptism. He related the following incident: “I once heard (a good many years ago), a man of very plain common sense, with no scholarship, not even an accurate English education, make this remark: ‘If my mind were unsettled in regard to baptism, I would take this course:–I would take my own New Testament, and, beginning in the first chapter of Matthew, I would read it all the way through watching for that word “baptism”; and everywhere I found it, I would examine carefully the passage in which I found it, and learn all I could about it; and when I got through I would put all of this together, and I would make up my mind on the whole subject of baptism that way. Then I would feel sure that it was God teaching me, and that he would approve my decision.’ ” Brother McGarvey continued: “The remark struck me with great force, and I have from that day to this been of the opinion that it is the best way by which any man can proceed to settle this much controverted question. It does not involve a single word in any language but out own. It does not involve arguments and disputations on the subject from other men. It involves nothing but listening to the utterances of God’s word as you have it in your own vernacular, forming your own conclusions, and then taking up your line of action. Now if that is not safe, I don’t know what is.”
Brother McGarvey then said to his hearers: “When I tell you that I propose to lead you through that kind of examination of the subject tonight, don’t think I am going to keep you here till midnight. To save us the time that would otherwise be involved, I have already gone through my little Testament, and turned down leaves and marked with a pencil the passages, so we will not have to hunt for them very much.” He urged his audience to “come with your mind like a sheet of blank paper, ready for God to write on it whatever you find in His holy word.” He said: “When we come to it [the word “baptism”] while reading we will not go to the dictionary, Greek or English, but will pause upon it and see if the Book itself explains it to us.”
Beginning in the Gospel of Matthew and proceeding through Mark, Luke, and John, he noted the verses in which baptism was mentioned. He went through the Book of Acts and continued on into the epistles. He let each passage speak for itself about the subject. It was a beautiful and fascinating investigation of what the New Testament says about baptism.
In his summary, brother McGarvey pointed out the following truths that had been learned from letting the word of God speak for itself: “We learn then that baptism is an act in which a man is buried in water and raised again in imitation of the burial and resurrection of Christ. It is done by the command of the Lord Jesus Christ himself; the blessing which follows the act is the remission of sins; the act brings us into Christ, into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; and it is followed by the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Then in a moving and touching tone the great preacher noted: “If this is all true my friend, it is a most solemn, interesting, and precious ordinance. We cannot overestimate the value of it. We cannot consent to speak of it as a mere external act. It is the most solemn and significant ordinance ever appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ, not excepting that in which we partake of the broken body and shed blood. Let my tongue be palsied, and my hand and arm drop from my shoulder blade, before I dare to speak lightly of it.”
I was glad to have a large and attentive audience to hear my presentation of brother McGarvey’s great sermon. In the audience were a number of gospel preachers. Bill Watkins (who has preached for the Crieve Hall church in Nashville for many years) came to me before my presentation and said that several years ago he had been studying with a woman who needed to obey the gospel but did not believe she had to be baptized in order to be saved from her sins. Bill said he studied with her for many weeks and she still was not convinced. One day, out of the blue, she called him and said she wanted to come to the building and be baptized. She came and Bill baptized her. He said he asked her what persuaded her to be baptized. She told him that she had been doing some research on the internet and came across McGarvey’s sermon on baptism, read it, and immediately understood what she must do to be right with God! Over one hundred years after his death, McGarvey’s sermon on baptism was/is still reaching people!
Another preacher—Edward Anderson who has preached for the Lord’s church in Carthage, Tennessee for forty-seven years—met me in the hallway on the way to the auditorium where I would be presenting McGarvey’s sermon. Edward said he wanted to hear it because on the second Sunday after the close of Polishing the Pulpit he was going to preach on baptism. Specifically, Edward said he was going to preach on “Get In The Water And Stay Out Of The Fire!,” keying in on the national news story about two women on the Island of Maui who saved themselves from the devastating fire that struck the island by getting into a swimming pool. What a great illustration! What a great sermon I know Edward preached! What a great truth brother McGarvey preached! What a great truth all faithful preachers from the days of Christ and the apostles until now have proclaimed!
“And He (Christ) said to them (the apostles), Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).
“And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
Hugh Fulford
September 19, 2023
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A Window To The Heart
Matthew 12:34
Gary McDade
A window to the heart, according to Jesus, is the mouth. Christ had the ability miraculously to know what was in man (John 2:25). Without miraculous powers to discern hidden perspectives, the tangible, objective presentation of the contents of a person’s heart is communicated in his and her words. Under the heading, “A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit” the New Testament affirms “a window to the heart” is the mouth. Hear what Jesus said in this connection,
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For
out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned (Matthew 12:33-37).
If the saying, “Clothes make the man”—going as far back as Homer in The Odyssey—has any merit, then undoubtedly the words the man uses define him. Three observations from the text cry out for emphasis. One, good or evil come from the heart. Two, an accounting will be made in the day of judgment by God for not only the usual words used by a person but even for the “idle words” (from the Greek word avrgo,j useless, barren words uttered in leisure). And, three, eternal justification or everlasting condemnation are awarded the speaker based upon whether his words were good or evil.
When the people in our lives, family, friends, and all others, look into our hearts through the window of our words do they see good or evil? The divine charge is, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how to answer every man” (Colossians 4:6).
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“Keep Thy Heart”
Proverbs 4:23
Gary McDade
The reason for the study is because left alone or left untended the human heart leads one astray from the approval of heaven. Jeremiah, the prophet, wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:9-10). The trend in his time which was not unlike today was, “Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart” (Jeremiah 18:11-12).
Did they regret their thoughts and actions when the Babylonian army subjugated the whole land, destroyed the temple of God, and carried them away to Babylon?
The book of Proverbs is wisdom literature. Every fool has the right to reject its teachings. However, wisdom shouts,
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
The word “keep” here from the Hebrew nasar is a verb meaning “to guard, watch, watch over, keep, to preserve, guard from dangers, guard with fidelity, to be kept close, blockaded,” and as a participle means “watchman.” Do so—not with some effort but—“with all diligence.” Why make the effort? “For out of it are the issues of life.” The Hebrew word translated into English “issues” is the feminine noun tosa’ot and is found in English in only 2 places in the Old Testament. Here and in Psalm 68:20, “He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.” Issues of life, and issues of death. These “issues” involve everything from the time life is granted until the time life ends in death.
How circumspect every person should be then to train his and her heart to embrace the sentiment and determination affirmed by King David when he wrote, “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11).
“Give Me Understanding”
PSALM 119:33-40
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Gary McDade
The fifth section of the twenty-two sections in the 119th Psalm contains insight into the will of God integral to becoming a Christian and living the Christian life today. The New Testament enjoins, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). Please, read carefully and introspectively this brief section of the longest chapter in the Bible.
Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.
Give me understanding, and I shall keep Thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken Thou me in Thy way.
Stablish Thy word unto Thy servant, who is devoted to Thy fear.
Turn away my reproach which I fear: for Thy judgments are good.
Behold, I have longed after Thy precepts: quicken me in Thy righteousness.
The widely-known Hebrew scholar Franz Delitzsch wrote of the 119th Psalm, “In our German version it has the appropriate inscription, ‘The Christian’s golden A B C of the praise, love, power, and use of the word of God;’ for here we have set forth in inexhaustible fullness what the word of God is to a man, and how a man is to behave himself in relation to it” (Keil & Deltizsch, vol. 5, pp. 735-736). And, “A twenty-two-fold string of aphorisms [figure of speech meaning, a concise, terse, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle] by one who is persecuted for the sake of his faith” (ibid., p. 727). Understanding comes by studying this Psalm.
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IT’S ALL ABOUT THE HEART
Gary McDade
The book of wisdom teaches, “Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). In an overarching sense the meaning of life and the hope of eternal life emerge from within the human heart. The antediluvian world was destroyed because every though of man’s heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). Bear in mind this condition existed even though God’s pronouncement following the creation of His world was, “God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:10, 12, 14, 18, 21, 25). God created a good place for man. Yet, even after the flood God observed, “The imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21). Thus, the underscoring of the essential need for each person to “keep thy heart….”
For anyone ever to be saved today he and she must have “an honest and good heart” (Luke 8:15). From the parable of the sower Jesus taught the seed is the Word of God, and for it to accomplish the purpose for which God sent it (Isaiah 55:8-11), the heart into which it is planted must have the qualities or characteristics of both honesty and goodness. Perhaps that is why in our world of billions of souls only a few million are Christians. The disciples once asked Jesus, “Lord, are there few that be saved?” (Luke 13:23). This question was raised after they had been sent out on the limited commission (Luke 10:1ff.). Beyond doubt they had observed for themselves they were living in what Jesus Himself described as a “faithless and perverse generation” (Luke 9:41). Christ’s answer to the are-there-few-that-be-saved question shows Him bringing the answer about the strait gate, the shut door, the weeping and gnashing of teeth, and the thrusting out (Luke 13:24-28).
The Bible always is its own best interpreter. A definitive look into what is meant by “an honest and good heart” may be examined within the book of Psalms. In reading the following text you might think of it as a personal examination of your heart:
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24.
Only a person with “an honest and good heart” is serious about communicating such an open and personal investigation of his and her inmost thoughts, words, and actions by Him who knows everything about him and her and possesses the will to stand corrected in the presence of God Almighty. Only by having “an honest and good heart” may anyone be led by God “in the way everlasting.”
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NAMES OF GOD’S PEOPLE
It has been said that a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet (to paraphrase Shakespeare), but I doubt if many people really believe that. Willard Willis, a preacher in my youth whom I greatly admired and who had a strong influence on my becoming a preacher, used to point out that people often claim that when it comes to one’s religious affiliation “there is nothing in a name.”
However, brother Willis would then go on and point out that he had never heard of any parents naming their son Tiglathpilezer or their daughter Jezebel, both Bible names. So, even in human families names are important. The church is the family of God and what these people are called is important.
Salvation is found only in the name of Christ (Acts 4:12). James said that the enemies of God’s people “blaspheme that noble name by which you are called” (James 2:7, NKJV).
The people of God in the aggregate are designated in various ways in the New Testament. They are the house, household, or family of God (I Timothy 3:15; Galatians 6:10). The true people of God are all who through faith in Christ and obedience to the gospel have been born again into the spiritual family of God (I Peter 1:22-24; cf. John 3:3-5). God only has one family and all of His spiritual children are in it!
God’s people constitute the kingdom of God, the kingdom of Christ, and the kingdom of heaven (Mark 9:1; Colossians 1:13; Matthew 16:18-19). Christ is the King and every soul redeemed from sin is a citizen of this kingdom and is to be a loyal subject. It is the indestructible kingdom of divine prophecy (Daniel 2:44) and that kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28-29).
The people of God are designated as the church of God, not in the sense of a denomination (Church of God or Assembly of God), but in the sense that it was planned by God from all eternity (Ephesians 3:10-11). Paul wrote two letters to “the church of God which is at Corinth” (I Corinthians 1:2; II Corinthians 1:1) and I would bet (figure of speech) that both letters got delivered to the right people!
God’s people in various localities are designated as churches of Christ (Romans 16:16). Christ established the church (Matthew 16:18), purchased it with His blood (Acts 20:28), is the foundation of the church (I Corinthians 3:11), is the head of the church (Ephesians 1:22-23), and is the Savior of the church (Ephesians 5:23). It is His church and it is scriptural and right to refer to it as “the church of Christ.” But “church/es of Christ” is never used denominationally in the New Testament, and should not be so used today (e.g., Church of Christ people, Church of Christ congregations, Church of Christ gatherings, Church of Christ schools, Church of Christ preachers, etc.)!
The people of God are identified as the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18). “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually” (I Corinthians 12:27). Christ only has one body (Ephesians 4:4). The notion of many different approved religious bodies was unknown in New Testament times.
The people of God are designated as the “church of the firstborn who are registered/enrolled in heaven” (Hebrews 12:23). “Firstborn” in this verse is not a reference to Christ (as some have mistakenly thought), but is a plural noun followed by a plural verb (who are registered in heaven). God’s people are the church of firstborn ones who have their names written in heaven in the Lamb’s Book of Life (see Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 20:15; Revelation 21:27).
Most often, God’s aggregate people are referred to simply as the church (Acts 2:47 [KJV]; Acts 5:11; Acts 8:3; Ephesians 1:22-23; et al). In New Testament times there was but one church (Ephesians 4:4; Colossians 1:18) All who had been saved from their sins were members of it (Acts 2:47). None of the denominations that men have established existed in New Testament times, so we find none of those sectarian names on the pages of the New Testament. Let us learn today to be content to be just the church, nothing more, less, or else!
Likewise, there are a number of divine designations given to God’s people as individuals. They are called children of God (Galatians 3:26). This is appropriate because the church is the family of God and every member of that family is God’s child. God has no children outside His family, the church!
As individuals, God’s people are called saints (Romans 1:7; I Corinthians 1:2). They are saints, not because they are perfectly sinless or because they have been canonized as such, but because when they became children of God they were sanctified or set apart to be “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people” (I Peter 2:9).
On the individual level, God’s people are designated as disciples (Acts 6:1; Acts 9:1; Acts 20:7). A disciple is a learner, and, by extension, a follower. All members of the early church were disciples of Christ (not in the denominational sense of Disciples of Christ), but in the sense that they were people who had learned of Christ, obeyed His gospel, and were continuing to learn and grow as His followers (Matthew 11:28-30; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:42; II Peter 3:18).
Individually, God’s people are referred to as brethren (Acts 15:36; Colossians 1:2; I Timothy 4:6). Again, the church is God’s family and all the members are brothers and sisters to one another. Christ is not ashamed to call them “brethren” (Hebrews 2:11).
As individuals, God’s people are likewise called Christians (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; I Peter 4:16). This name is derived from the name of Christ Himself and honors Him. It indicates one who is a follower of Christ and is seeking to imitate Him (I Peter 2:21; cf. Luke 6:46).
While the above is not an exhaustive list of names for the people of God (either in the aggregate or individually), it is significant that none of the multiplicity of denominational names and designations that people wear today are found in the Scriptures. We are to “speak as the oracles of God” (I Peter 4:11) and “hold fast the pattern of sound words” (II Timothy 1:13). We should be what people were in New Testament times—nothing more, less, or else—and we should be called only what they were called in New Testament times!
Hugh Fulford
August 15, 2023
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THE CHURCH: A COLLECTION OF WRITINGS, THOUGHTS, AND OBSERVATIONS
(Part 2)
(Note: The following is an insightful and revealing excerpt from an article by Greg Tidwell, editor of the Gospel Advocate [currently in suspension], via Bill Boyd of Morrison, TN).
“In our day, the church of Christ finds itself under attack by a secular mindset of untruth and irrationality. Sadly, even many members of the Lord’s church have abandoned belief in the fixed and unchangeable truth of God’s Word.
“Seduced by an ungodly culture, many schools and congregations have exchanged the truth of Scripture for the lies of the world – lies often masqueraded as sensitivity or sophistication. As the world grows increasingly hostile to the truths of the Christian faith, many preachers and academics have gone over to the other side.
“Even among a number of congregations considered ‘conservative,’ the lack of biblical preaching is telling. Doctrine is considered outdated by some and argumentative by others. The pattern of faith outlined in the Bible is disregarded and, far too often, treated as an embarrassment by trendsetters. Biblical preaching – once a distinctive among churches of Christ – has been supplanted in many congregations by entertaining messages providing a therapeutic massage of self-delusion.
“As editor of the Gospel Advocate, David Lipscomb opposed the trendsetters of his generation. Following the Civil War, Progressives brought a variety of changes into the work and worship of the church. Lipscomb saw these changes as symptoms of a serious problem. The Progressives had lost faith in Scripture and, therefore, were breaking faith with God.
“A denial of the inspiration and authority of Scripture opened the door to using instrumental music as worship, to permitting women to preach, and to joining in fellowship with denominations. What happened in the 1800s is happening among many churches of Christ today. This change is a disaster because once you change your view of Scripture, you change the nature of Christian faith.
“David Lipscomb’s diagnosis concerning doctrinal looseness was on target. The plague of disbelief is both terminal and extremely contagious.
“What has been taught in colleges has entered congregations. The Progressive agenda denies the truthfulness of Scripture, the authority of Scripture, and the importance of the Bible for the church. This denial is a symptom of a spiritual disease, a loss of the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Denying Scripture is denying Christ”
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Of certain false teachers of the first century, Paul said, “I wish those who trouble you were also cut off!” (Galatians 5:12). Paul was discussing the Judaizers who were insisting on Gentile Christians being circumcised. He uses graphic language to state his attitude toward them… that they should be “circumcised” from the body of Christ! Was Paul being mean in using this kind of strong language? His attitude is my attitude toward those who are bent on turning the church of my Lord into just another denomination of human origin. Am I being mean in emulating Paul?
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“I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve” (2 Corinthians 11:12-15, NIV). (Note: While not a fan of the NIV, this expresses precisely my feelings toward the liberals/progressives/ leftists among us who are bent on setting forth the church as a denomination and bringing into it a host of denominational doctrines and practices. Like the old apostle, I am committed to doing what I can to “cut the ground from under” them!) Again, I ask, was Paul being mean-spirited in writing as he did? Am I being mean in following his example?
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From my good friend Bill Boyd who preaches for the Rockliff Church of Christ in Warren County, TN comes this insightful little piece echoing the same sentiments as above: “Paul wrote of those who would ‘depart from the faith’ (1 Timothy 4:5). Some of those who would depart would ‘creep into houses and lead captive silly women’ (2 Timothy 3:6), and some would ‘subvert whole houses’ (Titus 1:11). The saints commonly gathered in houses; I have thought that Paul may have been referring to houses in that context. It would be better for them to have remained with the faith than to depart, but if they are going to depart, let them depart. It would be better if they departed on their own instead of creeping into houses to lead captive silly women. It would be better for them to depart with a few silly women than to hang around and subvert a whole house or two. A little leaven can leaven a whole lump, morally and doctrinally. If they do not depart because they are set on subversion, we should ask them to leave (1 John 2:19).” Thanks, Bill. Well said. I agree. You are not being mean in expressing this as you have.
Hugh Fulford
August 8, 2023
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THE CHURCH: A COLLECTION OF WRITINGS, THOUGHTS, AND OBSERVATIONS
(Part 1)
“For what are we here convened? To worship God, to commemorate the Lord’s death and rising again, and to grow in grace, in favor with God and men, by growing in Christian knowledge and in the practice of the Christian duties—to follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord—to bear with one another’s weaknesses, and to maintain unity of spirit in the bonds of peace….
“We shall begin with the Acts of the Apostles, and as they intimate the apostolic doctrine and practice we shall follow these. In Jerusalem the church began. To Jerusalem we must then look for a fair beginning. Whatever we have got in our faith and practice which they had not, we shall return to the rightful owners. What they had and we have not, we shall append to our inventory of Christian duties and Christian excellencies. Meanwhile, we shall assist each other in getting rid of our prejudices and errors as soon as we can, and ‘whereunto we have already attained, we shall walk by the same rule and mind the same thing ;’ and if we live in peace, the God of love and peace shall be with us: for he has promised it….” (Alexander Campbell, in a sermon titled “Humble Beginnings,” preached in June of 1811 under an oak tree near Bethany, VA [now West VA] when he was still only 22 years old, as reported by him in the Millennial Harbinger, January 1842, Volume VI, Number 1).
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The apostle Peter urged Christians to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts and to be ready always to give an answer to every one who asks us for a reason of the hope that is in us, and to do so with meekness and fear (respect) (1 Peter 3:15). I can give a host of biblical reasons for being a member of the one spiritual body (church) of Christ of which we can all read in our New Testaments and of which I am indeed a member. But no one can give a scriptural reason for being a member of the Catholic church or any of the multiplicity of protestant denominations and sects that dot the religious landscape today for none of them existed in New Testament times!
Tell me, what is your reason for being a member of the church of which you are a member? Is it your family history/heritage/tradition? Is it the feeling of excitement you get from attending? The aesthetics of its worship? Its music and drama? Its teachings, doctrines, and practices (can you support them from the Scriptures)? You like its open, progressive, broadminded views regarding sexual orientation, marriage, the role of women, etc.? You like the preacher? It is conveniently located to where you live? Can you give me a BIBLICAL reason for being what you are religiously! Can you? (Posted to my FB page on 1/12/23).
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When I heard, believed, and obeyed the gospel, the Lord saved me from my sins and added me to His church (Acts 2:47; Matthew 16:18). I did what the people did in the Book of Acts to be saved from sin and I became what they became—a Christian only (Acts 11:26; I Peter 4:16), a member of the one body (church) of Christ only (Ephesians 4:4; Ephesians 1:22-23), an adherent of the one faith only (Ephesians 4:5; Jude 3). If I am now a member of a denomination, tell me what I did to become a member of it and when I did it. Did I do something else or something other or something more to join a denomination than what I did to become just a Christian, a member of the one body of Christ, His church? If I did, I did not “go to do it” and I do not know when I did it! And if you will tell me what denomination I have joined, I will get out of it immediately to be just a member of the one body (church) of my Lord! (Posted to my FB page on 1/12/23).
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“What we need in the church today are some men to write after the character of the writings of men such as F. B. Srygley, F. W. Smith, E. A. Elam, M. C. Kurfees, and H. Leo Boles. These men wrote on the church, its nature, its mission and its organization, truths which must be stressed again today or the church is headed for another apostasy. These men did not write about the “congregations of the church of Christ”…. They did write about “the church,” or “churches of Christ,” or the “worship,” and “preachers of the gospel.” Neither did they write about what the “church of Christ teaches” about this or that or the other; but rather they wrote [about] what the “New Testament teaches,” or what “the scriptures say,” or what “Christ authorizes.” It is not what the “church teaches,” but what does the New Testament teach, and does the church of which I am a member follow the teaching of Christ, the New Testament” (Luther Roberts, 1954, via Morris Bowers’ email of 11/20/22).
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The above thoughts are deserving of serious consideration by all who are concerned about the purity and truthfulness of their religious beliefs and practices.
Hugh Fulford
August 1, 2023
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“THOU SHALT WORSHIP THE LORD THY GOD”
Gary McDadeOccasionally we encounter a person who demands a “thou shalt” or a “thou shalt not” from the Bible or they are antipathetic toward hearing about something they should do or not do that is in the Bible. God is demanding worship from His creation—and always has—and the statement of Jesus in this connection from Matthew 4:10 puts it in a way with which even the most resistant to Bible teaching cannot argue. Worship is something “thou shalt” do.
The late brother James Watkins once told of a lady who said to him the Bible does not say we are to worship on Sunday night, to which brother Watkins replied, “The Bible does not say we are to worship on Sunday morning either!” A person who believes he or she must be forced to bow in worship to God is a person who has missed the meaning and essence of what it is to worship God.
It is a matter of attitude or disposition toward God whether or not people worship Him. Long, long ago Micah addressed this very point when by inspiration of God he wrote,
What Does the Lord Require?
Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:6-8).
Those who have a problem with what Jesus said in Matthew 4:10 have a problem with their love and adoration of God Himself. A sufficient test to see is from Psalm 122:1 which states, “I was glad when they said, Let us go into the house of the Lord.” The person constantly searching, grappling for the minimum requirements for worship to keep him out of hell simply is not there yet in regard to love and adoration of the Almighty
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THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH
The church of which we read In the Bible is the manifestation of the multi-faceted wisdom of God, and came into existence “according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10-11). Far from being non-essential and unimportant to the salvation of mankind, the church was purchased with the very blood of Christ Himself (Acts 20:28), and is therefore composed of every blood-washed, redeemed soul on earth (Ephesians 5:25-27). The church that Christ purchased is not a denomination of human origin that people may join based on their own choice (or the choice of their ancestors), but is the spiritual body of Christ to which He adds all who are saved from their sins by obedience to the gospel (Acts 2:36-47).
Though God had a “called out assembly” in the Old Testament (those called out of Egyptian bondage by Moses and the blood of mere animals) and which Stephen referred to as the “church” or “congregation” in the wilderness (Acts 7:38), this “church” was not the church of God’s eternal purpose. Christ Himself established His church (Matthew 16:18). Thus, the church of God’s eternal purpose did not exist in Old Testament times, but came into existence at some point following the birth of Christ.
When, exactly, did the church begin? We need to know the answer to this question as a matter of Bible truth, as a historical fact, in order to see the church as it was originally, and as a mark of its identity today. Any church established after the church Christ established is too late to be His church! When and where the church of God’s eternal purpose began is a matter of great spiritual significance!
Since God’s plan to save man by Christ and in the church was His purpose from before the foundation of the world (Titus 1:2; II Timothy 1:8-10; et al), it is not surprising that both Christ and the church are the subjects of numerous Old Testament prophecies. Under various metaphors and figures of speech the church of the New Testament was predicted by the Old Testament prophets.
Isaiah spoke of the establishment of the Lord’s house in the last days in the city of Jerusalem and into which all nations would flow (Isaiah 2:2-3). Daniel prophesied of a kingdom that the God of heaven would set up in the days of the Roman emperors, a kingdom that would never be destroyed (Daniel 2:44). (Note: Daniel predicted that four successive empires would rise—the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the Greek, and the Roman. Study Daniel 2 and see Daniel’s explanation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to see that God’s kingdom would be set up in the days of the Roman Empire).
In fulfillment of these prophecies, Jesus was born, carried out His ministry, and was crucified in the days of the Roman emperors (Luke 2:1ff; Luke 3:1). His forerunner (John the Baptist) proclaimed that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2), and Christ preached the same message (Matthew 4:17) – not then present, but “at hand” (near to being set up). On the confession that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God, Christ promised to build His church, and said that He would give to Peter and the other apostles the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:18-19; cf. John 20:23). “The keys of the kingdom” referred to the divine conditions as set forth by the inspired apostles upon which people could be delivered “from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of the Son of His (God’s) love” (Colossians 1:13), or, which is the same thing, the terms upon which people could be saved from their sins and added to the church (Acts 2:37-47; cf. Colossians 1:18).
In an illuminating statement concerning the time of the church’s beginning, Jesus said that some then living during His ministry would “not taste death till they see the kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1). Just before His ascension back to heaven, Jesus promised the apostles that the power would come when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit fell on the apostles on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:1-4. Now think! The kingdom (church) was to come with power (Mark 9:1). The power was to come when the Holy Spirit came (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit came on the Pentecost of Acts 2. It was on that day that the apostles preached the death, burial, resurrection, and coronation of Christ and announced the terms (used the keys) by which people could be saved and inducted into the kingdom of God or added to the church (see again Acts 2:37-47).
In another enlightening pre-ascension statement, Jesus said that it had been necessary for Him to suffer (die) and rise from the dead the third day and that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Thus, the apostles were instructed to “tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:46-49).
The events of the Pentecost of Acts 2 meet all the statements of prophecy found in the Old Testament concerning the beginning of God’s house, the church (see I Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 3:5-6; I Peter 2:4-5), the setting up of God’s eternal spiritual kingdom that would never be destroyed (see Daniel 2:44; Colossians 1:13; John 18:36). All the conditions cited by the prophets and Christ for the church’s beginning merged together beautifully on the Pentecost of Acts 2. It was in “the last days” (God’s last dispensation of His dealings with mankind) (Isaiah 2:2; Joel 2:28; Acts 2:16ff; Hebrews 1:1-2). It was in the city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:3; Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8, 12-14). It was when the apostles received the Holy Spirit and the accompanying power with which the kingdom/church came (Mark 9:1; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4). It was in the days of the Roman Emperors (Daniel 2:44; Luke 2:1ff; Luke 3:1ff). (Note: Augustus reigned 31 B.C.– A.D. 14; Tiberius reigned A.D. 14–A.D. 37). On the Pentecost of Acts 2 the Lord’s spiritual house, the church, was established and all nations began to “flow to it” (Isaiah 2:3; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16). The apostle Peter later looked back to the events of Pentecost and called it “the beginning” (Acts 11:15).
On that memorable day of Pentecost “repentance and remission of sins” began to be “preached in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:37-38). The “word of the Lord” began to go forth “from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3). People were saved from their sins by the blood of Christ by being baptized into His death where His blood was shed (Romans 6:3-4; cf. John 19:33-34). They were “baptized into one body,” the church (I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23). They were “delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of the Son of His (God’s) love” (Colossians 1:13). They were sanctified (set apart) and cleansed “with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26). They became “the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28), the very church that God had planned “according to the eternal purposed which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10-11)!
Every member of the church needs to know these truths concerning the church and when it began. If you do not know them, then study this article and familiarize yourself with the scriptures cited until you know them and can lead others in a study of these divine truths. No one who has been a member of the church for any length of time has any excuse for not knowing these Bible truths about the church. And fellow preachers, how about preaching a sermon on the establishment of the church! Many members of your congregation, including most of your young people, have never heard the matter presented from the pulpit. It may take more than a fourteen or fifteen minute “homily” to set forth these truths, but whatever time it takes will be time well spent!
Hugh Fulford
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THE CHURCH IN CRISIS MODE
Victor Eskew
Many churches are seeing attendance numbers shrink year by year. The churches are “growing older,” meaning that the elderly make up the population of the church. The younger generation is no longer helping to fill the pews. Very few churches are growing, that is, adding to their number by means of genuine conversions. Those that appear to be growing are only swelling, that is, adding members who have left other churches. Churches are not vibrant and thriving. They appear to be going through the motions as they do the bare minimum.
Many members are complacent or spiritually depressed. Leaders do not exhibit the qualities of urgency and eagerness which it comes to “getting the work done.”
What’s the cure? This the question that has plagued the minds of many. Leaders read books. They go to workshops. They try to find new programs. They seek to mimic the efforts of man-made religions.
A Bible solution would be for every member of the church to commit to seeking and saving the lost. This was the mission of our precious Savior (Luke 19:10). This means we must “get out of ourselves” and go out and find others. We must talk to others. We must study with others. We must debate with others. We must answer the questions others have. We must defend our faith. We must come to a better understanding of the Scriptures. We must be maligned. We must be persecuted.
If every member of the church converted two or three people a year, we would have an entirely different problem on our hands. We would be concerned about our growth instead of our decline.
I know this sounds way to simple. Too, it is not what people want to hear. It is certainly not what Christians want to do.
They want the simple.
They want their needs met.
They want a program that appears to “work miracles.”
Dear friends, there is no magical program. There is a field out there. There is seed that needs to be sown. Then, there is a harvest that needs to be reaped. It is a matter of working, laboring, and toiling in the vineyard. We must trust in the promises of God. If we will sow, God has promised that we will reap.
“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6). “But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).
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“CHARGE SOME THAT THEY TEACH NO OTHER DOCTRINE”
Gary McDade
The instructions Paul gave to Timothy include the exclusivity of doctrine. The practice of excluding or not admitting other things to be taught is the point of Paul’s charge to Timothy here. In His matchless wisdom God has already given “all things that pertain to life and godliness” in His holy Word, the Bible (2 Peter 1:3). A concise defense of the all-sufficiency of the Bible appears in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
If this divine instruction was heeded, there would never have been any substitution of so-called clinical baptism or death bed sprinkling in the place of baptism, immersion, ever suggested or practiced. People in the 21st century would not have the opportunity to point back to this practice that emerged in the early centuries after the establishment of the church of Christ and urge its practice today because of its ancient appearance.
If this divine instruction was heeded, there never would have been a so-called Nicene Creed (Council of Nicaea, A. D. 325) which focused on a few points of doctrine and subjugated other essential points of doctrine to a non-essential status such as is done on many websites operated by churches of Christ today under the heading of “What We Believe.” The world would never have known The Catechism or the array of manuals, disciplines, and confessions of faith that stand as barriers to the prayer of Christ for unity among all believers by means of His Word, not man’s (John 17:20-23).
If this divine instruction was heeded, there never would have been the use of a mechanical instrument of music in the worship of Christians. Ample guidance and instruction had already been provided concerning the music of the church in the New Testament. (Cf. Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26; Acts 16:25; Romans 15:9; 1 Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 2:12; Hebrews 13:15; and James 5:13).
Even more sobering is the truth on this point as succinctly stated by the Savior when He said, “Every plant, which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up” (Matthew 15:13).
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SOME SERIOUS QUESTIONS
1. Do you really believe in God? (Hebrews 11:6).
2 Do you believe God has communicated with mankind? (Hebrews 1:1-2).
3. Do you believe the Bible is God’s divine communication to mankind and is unchangeable? (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
4. Do you believe the Bible can be understood? (John 8:32; Ephesians 5:17).
5. Do you believe God sent Christ into the world to save mankind from sin? (John 3:16; Galatians 4:4-5).
6. Do you believe that we should speak as the word of God speaks and not add to it, subtract from it, substitute our own ideas for what it says, or modify it to accommodate to the culture around us? (1 Peter 4:11; 1 Corinthians 4:6; Revelation 22:18-19).
7. Do you believe that Jesus is the example that we should follow in all things? (1 Peter 2:21).
8. Do you believe that we must obey Christ in order to be saved? (Matthew 7:21; Hebrews 5:8-9).
9. Do you believe that Christ established His church and that He Himself adds all the saved to it? (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:47).
10. Do you believe that Christ is the only way to God, salvation from sin, and everlasting life in heaven? (John 14:6; Acts 4:11-12).
11. Do you believe that regular and faithful worship is required of a child of God? (John 4:24; Acts 20:7; Hebrews 10:25).
12. Do you believe that one must live a life of soberness, righteousness, and godliness in order to be saved eternally? (Titus 2:11-14).
13. Do you believe that Christ will come again to judge the world in righteousness? (Hebrews 9:27; Acts 17:30-31).
14. Do you believe that heaven is real and everlasting? (John 14:1-3; 1 Peter 1:3-5).
15. Do you believe that hell is real and everlasting? (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:10, 15).
“Examine yourselves…
Hugh Fulford
July 4, 2023
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THE WAY OF SALVATION
Gary McDade
Our Lord brought salvation to the world (John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Luke 19:10) and spoke of it as the way. Today “the way of salvation” is found by using the Word of God as a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). In sharp contrast to the popular beliefs of people today who may be heard to say, “Christianity is a relationship NOT a religion” and “you want Jesus to be your personal Savior” and He becomes “your personal savior by accepting Him into your heart” and “salvation is a feeling and NOT a fact,” “the way of salvation” has indelible marks or traits by which it may be found, appreciated, and those who walk it ultimately may be rewarded with eternal life. Let’s note a few of them.
An Unmistakable Way
The Messianic prophet foretold of this way, “And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein” (Isaiah 35:8).
A Unique Way
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). The apostles of Christ affirmed, “This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Psalm 118:22; Acts 4:11-12).
A Narrow Way
Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
A Dangerous Way And An Identifiable Way
The inspired historian recorded the setting, “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1-2). Paul reflected, “And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished” (Acts 22:4-5).
A Controversial Way
Again Luke, the inspired historian, informs, “But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus” (Acts 17:5-7). And, once more, “And the same time there arose no small stir about that way” (Acts 19:23).
A Way Of Worship
The apostle to the Gentiles insisted, “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets” (Acts 24:14).
In Conclusion
Friend, are you reading your Bible daily (Acts 17:11), and is it lighting “the way of salvation” for you? (Acts 16:17).
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“THINK ON THESE THINGS”
Gary McDade
Since Christians are in a spiritual battle with the devil for control of their thoughts, the good things Christians are to think about are their weapons with which they wage war with the devil (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Christians hereby are “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” Attributes of Christian character emerge from a few lists of them on the pages of the New Testament. Perhaps it will be helpful to see these and to review them from time to time.
The Beatitudes
“And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him: And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:1-16).
The Fruit of the Spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:22-26).
“Think on These Things”
“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:4-8).
The New Man
“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Colossians 3:1-17).
The Exhortation
“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14-24).
The Christian Graces
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-11).
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IF THEY DON’T KNOW, THEY WON’T GO
Gary McDade
The study of eternal life in the New Testament shows by definition that a knowledge of God and Christ are essential. The closest passage to a definition of eternal life is John 17:3.
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
The word “might” in the sentence admits of the possibility of knowing God and Christ on the positive side, but it also admits of the possibility of not knowing God or Christ. The sad reality is that most of the billions of people in the world today will never even have a chance to know God and Christ. The best efforts of churches of Christ to reach the world with the gospel really are meager—tremendous effort is being set forth by some within the church, yet by comparison the challenge of reaching 8,000,000,000 people is insurmountable. Jesus prepared His disciples for that in Matthew 7:12-14, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
The golden rule passage, Matthew 7:12, purposely was given in the preceding quotation to preface the shock of the many being lost eternally. A Christian has as part of his and her DNA you might say looking out for the spiritual need of others, among many other kindnesses. We want to be saved from eternal hell ourselves, therefore, we want to extend the possibility of salvation to others—if we are a normal, spiritually healthy Christian. Whatever else is thought about life eternal this one truth stands out incontrovertibly certain, “If they don’t know—how to get to heaven—they won’t go.”
No less than 16 times in the 26 verses of John 17 Jesus points to the words, the truth, the knowledge, the declaration He made—the New Testament of Jesus Christ—as that which must be known for a person to have eternal life. If our husband don’t know, he won’t go; if our wife don’t know, she won’t go; if our children don’t know, they won’t go; if our family don’t know, they won’t go; if our dearest friend don’t know, they won’t go; if our neighbor don’t know, they won’t go; if the world don’t know, they won’t go. That’s the reason why Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). We don’t have to go far. Let’s start at home!
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GOD’S WONDERFUL WAY OF SALVATION
From time to time, at least twice a year, I try to present to my readers God’s wonderful way of salvation as set forth in the New Testament. Since it has been several months since I have done this, I thought now would be a good time to do so. Nothing in this will be new to most of my readers, but I hope that they may use it as an evangelistic tool and forward this edition of “Hugh’s News & Views” to friends, neighbors, and family members who are not New Testament Christians.
Think of the joy that would come if just one soul learned the truth, obeyed it, and was saved! We must all be faithful in sharing the gospel and its saving truth with as many as possible.
A number of my readers have never obeyed the gospel and are therefore in a lost state (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10). I have a deep and sincere love for them and their souls and a compelling desire to share God’s wonderful way of salvation with them. I want all of them to hear and understand the pure gospel of Christ, as opposed to a perverted gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). I want all of them to know God’s simple plan of salvation as opposed to corruptions of that plan by the doctrines, commandments, and traditions of men (Matthew 15:8-9; 2 Timothy 4:3-5). The so-called “Sinner’s Prayer” is a travesty of what God’s word teaches about salvation.
I urge all to read all the passages cited in this essay. In this way you will be hearing what God says about this all-important matter.
Salvation begins with the recognition that one is a sinner, and therefore lost and in need of salvation (Romans 3:23; Titus 3:3). God, in His matchless grace, gave His only begotten Son as the atonement for our sins (John 3:16; Titus 3:4-7; Ephesians 2:8-9). Christ Himself is the way of salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:11-12)! Jesus died, was buried, and was raised from the dead that we might be saved.
This is the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-5). And it is this gospel that is God’s power to save those who will believe and obey it (Romans 1:16-17; Romans 6:16-18). Now follow these Bible steps.
HEAR THE GOSPEL. Christ commissioned the teaching and preaching of the gospel to every creature in all nations until the end of time (Mark 16:15-16; Matthew 28:18-20). Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). No one can be saved without hearing the gospel. Do not wait for some so-called direct, miraculous action of the Holy Spirit in your heart. The Bible teaches no such notion!
BELIEVE THE GOSPEL. The gospel is God’s power to save those who will believe it (Romans 1:16). Without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who comes to God must believe that He is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Christ declared, “For if you do not believe that I am He (the Messiah, the Savior of the world, hf) you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).
REPENT OF ALL SIN. God commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). To repent means to change one’s mind, leading to a change of actions and a change of spiritual direction in one’s life. If one is in Nashville, TN and wants to go to Knoxville but finds himself on I-40 West headed toward Memphis, he must turn around and head in the opposite direction. Spiritually, one must do this with reference to the direction of his/her life. That is repentance.
CONFESS FAITH IN CHRIST. One must acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Matthew 10:32-33; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 8:37 [KJV]).
BE BAPTIZED FOR THE REMISSION OF SIN. Christ made baptism a condition of salvation from sin. He said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16a). In the New Testament sinners were told, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin” (Acts 2:38). Baptism is an immersion in water (Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12).
Those who have only been sprinkled or had water poured on them (either as infants, children, or adults) have not been scripturally baptized. Those submitting to human substitutes for God’s divine ordinance and those being immersed to “unite with the church” but not in order to receive the remission of their sins (or some biblically synonymous reason) need to make their calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10-11).
LIVE A FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN LIFE. Add to your life the Christian graces (2 Peter 1:5-9). Avoid the works of the flesh and manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26). Always abound in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58). Be faithful even to the point of death (Revelation 2:10).
These are the divine actions that every accountable being must take in order to be saved from sin, enter into a right relationship with God, be added to the one church (body) of Christ, and maintain a right relationship with Him. Christ is the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). I want all to understand and obey God’s wonderful way of salvation. There is no other way but His way, and only the Bible way is His way. Any other way will be found woefully lacking (see Matthew 7:21-23). Remember: “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man given in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
Hugh Fulford
March 21, 2023
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PRAYER
(Note: For sometime, I have intended to write on the subject of “Prayer”—not so much concerning the conditions of acceptable prayer or for whom and what we should pray, etc., but to encourage all of us to a more effective prayer life. Admittedly, this week’s essay is much more personal than most. Please do not take anything I say in the wrong way. I have nothing of which to boast when it comes to prayer. And I am well aware of what Christ said about praying to be seen of men and the need to pray in secret. I am not writing to call attention to myself, but to encourage all of us to a richer, fuller prayer life. I hope that what I say will contribute to that goal).
Prayer is humanity’s avenue of approach to God, our means of access to Him, communion with Him, conversation with Him. Most earnest, thoughtful people at some time in their lives, either literally or figuratively, are driven to their knees in prayer to their concept of God or some Higher Power. Prayer is a special privilege of Christians. Christ became the mediator between God and man and “gave Himself a ransom for all” (I Timothy 2:5-6), making possible our reconciliation to God (Romans 5:10; Ephesians 2:14-16), and opening the path to fellowship with God (Ephesians 2:19-22). We come to God through Christ, and Christ alone (John 14:6). Prayer is directed to God in the name of Christ (John 14:13-14) because He “ever lives to make intercession for us” (Hebrews 7:25) and He is our constant Advocate before God’s throne of grace (I John 2:1).
Prayer is hard work! It requires time, effort, and self-discipline. Routine, ritualistic prayers such as those prayed at mealtime, while good, will never result in a truly spiritual-minded and spiritually mature child of God. We must discipline ourselves to spend extended time with God in private, personal prayer. Christ is our example in this. Though the divine Son of God, He nevertheless realized the importance of communing with His Father in prayer. “And when He had sent the disciples away, He went up on a mountain by Himself to pray. And when evening had come, He was alone there” (Matthew 14:23). “And in the morning, having arisen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed into a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mark 1:35). “And it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). If Christ needed such time in prayer with God, do we not need it?
I am no paragon of prayer (or of any other virtue or practice), but prayer is an important and essential part of my daily life. I typically get up early in the morning. I have a cup of coffee, eat a light breakfast snack, and before I turn on the TV or open my I-phone or I-Pad, I spend time with God in prayer. I thank Him for the rest of the past night and for another day of life on His earth. I pray for my children, grandchildren, and other family members, loved ones, and friends, naming each one of them. I thank God for sparing my life to the age of 85, for being patient and longsuffering with me, giving me time and opportunity to repent of the sins of my youth, not willing that I should perish, and to come to a deeper level of spiritual maturity. Whatever your sins may be (and we all sin), name them and confess them (lust, covetousness, greed, pride, egotism, arrogance, haughtiness, self-centeredness, materialism, a salty tongue, a desire for recognition), and ask for God’s help and strength not to continue in them.
In my daily early morning prayer I thank God for His grace and mercy, His power and greatness, His love and kindness, His care and guidance. I thank Him for His cleansing by the blood of Christ (I John 1:6-10). I ask Him for strength and wisdom (wisdom from above as opposed to earthly wisdom, James 3:13-18) to walk with Him “this day” in faith, hope, and love, to manifest the various aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, naming each of them, pausing on each one and reflecting on how much I need that particular trait in my life (Galatians 5:22-23). I ask for help to demonstrate the graces enumerated by Peter, again naming each of them and how I want to show each one of them in my life (II Peter 1:5-7). I ask God for help to be kind, humble, gentle, gracious, thoughtful, wise, discerning, non-judgmental, not self-righteous, yet firm and strong in the faith. I ask for help and strength to be free of fear, worry, and anxiety over the aggravations, irritations, and “bumps” that come with everyday life, to be free of pessimism and negativism, and instead to be joyful, cheerful, optimistic, and positive. Praying for these things on a daily basis has made a difference in my life, and it will make a difference in your life. But you must have the discipline to do it—to start doing it (if you have not) and to stick with it (once you begin or if you have stopped)! The path of mental and spiritual laziness and the neglect of prayer will not take you to where you want to ultimately be! “Pray without ceasing,” i.e., do not leave prayer behind, do not leave it out of your life (I Thessalonians 5:17).
Long before the death of my wife, she and I developed an ever evolving list of people and entities (Christian schools, congregations) for whom we prayed on a regular basis. Since her death I have continued this practice. The list is divided into two sections: 1) Family and Friends; 2) Older Preachers and their Wives who are struggling with health issues, emotional issues, financial issues, etc. (I have now expanded this part of the list to include younger preachers and their families who are struggling with these matters). Each list has now become so long (Family and Friends, approaching 200; Preachers and Wives, over 100) that I use one night each week to pray for one segment and another night to pray for the other segment. I call every person and entity by name. I ask God to bless them physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. (Don’t ask me to explain the finer differences between some of these; I am simply trying to cover all the bases of their needs, because I know they are struggling in many areas of life). In my praying I am in no hurry. I count it a privilege to pray for others, but I also pray for myself that God will bless me physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.
As I said in my opening note, please do not take any of what I have said in the wrong way. I am not a perfect example in anything that God desires of me and would have me to be. I am still “a work in progress,” and will be until the day I die. I simply call attention to a practice that over a period of years I have developed and tried to persist in. I would encourage all Christians to develop an effective prayer life. Read the Scriptures to learn about prayer and about how to pray. Pray the Scriptures (e.g., the fruit of the Spirit, the Christian graces, so many of the Psalms, so many of the Proverbs, etc.)! Find a quiet place and begin the wonderful habit of daily communion with God. It will wind up being the best part of your day!
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving (don’t overlook the “thanksgiving” part, hf), let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6).
“Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (I Peter. 5:6-7).
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
“Lord, teach us to pray” – not only how to pray, but to actuallypray! (Luke 11: 1).
Hugh Fulford March 14, 2023
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Only Ones Going To Heaven???
“Members of the Church of Christ think they’re
the only ones going to Heaven” by Keith Camp
Several years ago, during a Bible study I was conducting on how a person is saved, a denominational preacher blurted out: “You and your little group believe you’re the only ones going to Heaven, don’t you?! You think that everybody who doesn’t believe and practice your convictions is going to Hell. Well, let me tell you, the Bible doesn’t teach that! And I’ll never be a part of such a narrow circle”.
Here is how I responded to him:
First, I drew on a chalk board a large circle to represent the 5.5 billion people on the earth at that time. I then wrote on the board and quoted Hebrews 11:6 and asked the preacher was it his conviction that people MUST believe in God in order to go to Heaven. He said, “Yes”.
I then turned to the circle I had drawn and as I shaded in about 45% of it I explained that with all the atheists, agnostics, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. in the world today, the preacher had just condemned some 2 billion plus people to Hell.
I then wrote on the board and quoted John 14:6 (see also John. 8:24; Acts 4:12). I then asked the denominational preacher was it his belief that a person MUST believe that Jesus was man’s only Savior in order to be received by the Father in Heaven. He replied, “absolutely”.
Turning again to the circle on the board, I colored another 20 percent and said that he had just condemned one billion Muslims and millions of Jews to Hell.
I then wrote on the board and quoted John 1:1, 14 and asked the denominational preacher if he believed a person MUST believe that Jesus was deity in order to go to Heaven. He confidently affirmed that he did.
I then colored in another 3 percent of the circle and explained that the preacher had just condemned all the Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons to Hell.
I then asked the denominational preacher to look at the circle on the chalk board, noting particularly the shaded area, which represented over 60 percent of the world’s population – some 3 billion plus people – he said was going to Hell. I asked him, “Are these 3 billion plus people going to Hell because, to quote you, “they don’t believe and practice your convictions?”The denominational preacher said, “Okay. You’ve made your point. You don’t have to say anymore.” I replied, “Yes, there is more to say.
I want to see how narrow your circle is and where, if at all, you draw the line.”I then wrote on the board and quoted Matthew 23:9 (see also Eph. 5:23). I then asked the denominational preacher did he believe it was sinful to call a man “Holy Father” and recognize him as the “Head” of the church? He said, “Yes”.
Turning again to the circle on the board,, and prepared to shade in another 15 percent, I then asked the denominational preacher: Then, is it your conviction that the Catholic church, with her 900 million plus members, are going to Hell? Silence…He refused to answer that question.
Let me stop here and ask you, the reader, this question: Is it Biblical – even logical – to believe and teach that people who disregard who Jesus is, are lost, but people who disregard what Jesus said are saved? The Lord’s answer to that question is “No” (see Luke 6:46; Matthew 7:21-23).
Well, finally since the Bible study was about how a person is saved, I turned again to the chalk board to write the Bible passage 1 Peter 3:21 (see also Mark 16: 15-16; Acts 22:16). As I was quoting that passage, the denominational preacher interrupted and said, “I don’t believe that!”I stopped and said, “That, my friend, is the fundamental difference between you and me.” Then pointing to the Bible passages that I had written all around the circle on the board, I said, “I believe and teach ALL that is said by and about the Lord and His will….But you, like others in denominationalism, don’t.” I shaded in another 15 percent of the circle.
The denominational preacher left the Bible study angry, muttering, and complaining that I was “divisive”.” I wish now that I had thought to ask him if he thought Jesus, the apostles and the Christians in the Bible believed that their “little group were the only ones going to Heaven.”
Do you suppose they thought “that everybody who didn’t believe and practice their convictions” were going to Hell? The following Bible passages tell me they did: John 8:24; Romans 10:1-4; Galatians 1:6-9; Acts 17:23-31. Is that circle too narrow for you?
Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in Heaven” (Matthew 7:21). That’s a little group to be sure, but it is the only group going to Heaven (cf., Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 13:23-24).
Is your faith and practice the will of the Father? Are you sure? “And the Bereans were more noble….searching the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11)
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WHAT IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST?
Gary McDade
Have you ever seen what happens when you “google” the church of Christ? The top search says:
What denomination is Churches of Christ?
They identify themselves as being nondenominational. The Churches of Christ arose to prominence in the United States from the Restoration Movement of 19th-century evangelism by groups who declared independence from denominations and traditional creeds. [Bolded emphasis in the original, gm].
If this is what our community knows about the churches of Christ, then we can work with that. The late William Woodson taught a senior level course at Freed-Hardeman when he was chairman of the Bible department on the restoration movement. (I was privileged to be a student in that class). He made a fine point in this connection. He said we should not capitalize the “r” and the “m” in restoration movement because it was not like the centuries earlier Reformation Movement which set out to reform the Roman Catholic Church. The restoration movement was an independent realization in a variety of geographical locations and by a large number of people throughout Europe and here in America that a return to the Bible as the sole rule of faith and practice in matters religious was the original intent and function of the New Testament itself. Therefore, the New Testament makes no allowances for a movement separate from the New Testament as would be formalized by referring to the restoration movement as the “Restoration Movement.” Woodson urged this is a distinction that makes a difference. For example, those connected with the restoration movement went to great lengths to avoid the mistakes of others such as Martin Luther who pled with his followers not to call themselves Lutherans, which plea was wasted on them.
Therefore, by consulting the Bible the inquisitive student finds the word “church” and “churches” appear in total 112 times. Each of these times the Greek word translated “church” means “those called out of the world,” and it is translated “assembly” 5 times, 2 of which refer to the church. Observe, the church is the church even when not assembled together (Acts 14:27)—the church assembles to worship God (Hebrews 10:23-26). So, the church of Christ is a dominant New Testament theme simply by virtue of the many references to it.
Further study shows the church of the New Testament was built by Christ (Matthew 16:18-19; Ephesians 2:20), purchased by Christ (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25), headed exclusively by Christ (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18), subject to Christ (Ephesians 5:24; 1 Peter 3:22), saved through Christ (Acts 2:38, 41, 47; Romans 6:23), and accountable to Christ (Colossians 2:19; 1 Peter 4:17). The church of Christ is the means by which God is glorified throughout all ages (Ephesians 3:21).
And, perhaps most important in connection with the title question, the church of Christ is one body not many (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 10:17; 12:12-14, 18-20, 25; Ephesians 2:16; 4:4; Colossians 3:15). The church of Christ cannot be divided into 2, 20, 200, or 2,000 different groups and retain the favor of God (Matthew 12:25; John 17:20-23; 1 Corinthians 1:10), that is, all such division of the body of Christ or church of Christ is sinful. N.B. Hardeman once said, “I would as soon be the man who thrust the spear into the crucified body of Christ, as the man today who has injected into His spiritual body, the church, that which has divided it asunder.”
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“WHY DO YE THESE THINGS?”
Gary McDade
The apostles preached the gospel and pled with their hearers to obey it. Today, we follow their example preaching the gospel and pleading with hearers to obey it. Identifying with the work of these special representatives of Christ provides motivation for the church today to follow them as they followed Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).
On the first missionary journey of the apostle Paul, he and Barnabas met with grave difficulty in preaching the gospel in Asia Minor at a place called Iconium. The details are given in Acts 14:1-4, but Luke summarizes the danger into which they fell in the words, “And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them, They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about: And there they preached the gospel” (vv. 5-6).
Their method—preaching the gospel—did not change even though their lives were placed in danger because of it. When they healed the man cripple from his birth who never had walked, the Lycaonians wanted to praise them and sacrifice to them as they had to the pagan gods of the Greeks, but Paul and Barnabas reacted aggressively. “They rent their clothes, and ran in among the people crying out” (v. 14).
Paul and Barnabas earnestly pled with their audience, as sometimes today we must plead with those with whom we study the Bible, “And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things?” (v. 15). They reasoned that they themselves had to restrain from succumbing to the temptations of the world around them in order to obey the gospel. They turned from the “vanities” or empty beliefs and practices so prevalent in the world to the “living God.” And, by describing the benevolence of God “scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them” (vv. 15-18). Yet, while their persuasion was sufficient to restrain the people from sacrificing to them, it did not keep them from being negatively influenced by the viscous Jews to stone the apostle Paul, whom they drug out of the city, “supposing he had been dead” (v. 19.
While terminating their mission and returning to their current home base of Antioch in Syria might reasonably have been the appropriate action to take under these circumstances, this is not the route taken by Paul and Barnabas. They gave abandoning their mission to preach the gospel never a second thought. The inspired historian tells us, “Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed” (Acts 14:20-23).
In order for us today to advance the cause of Christ, with discernment sometimes we should find ourselves asking those we encounter who are absorbed in the immorality of the world and the rebellion against the Word of God by the religious world the same question Paul and Barnabas asked the Lycaonians, “Sirs, why do ye these things?”
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HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THIS?
An impactful statement was made in the past that once heard is hard to un-hear and that with good effect. It has been said, “When a Christian does not attend a service of the church he/she is casting a vote to close the doors of the church building.” Arenas and entire stadiums are filled to capacity today with sports enthusiasts and music lovers, yet when the suggestion is made to fill the church building with worshipers of God it makes folks squeamish and skeptical. Appealing to the fleshly, carnal mind with enticing activities catches on like fire in a powder keg; spiritual needs of people are addressed from the spiritual realm the open door to which is the Bible, therefore, few find the attraction. Jesus Christ said, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works” (Matthew 16:26-27).
WAKEUP CALL
The World Video Bible School Newsletter stated that of the world’s 8,000,000,000 souls 190,000 die every day placing them outside the reach of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. 7,700,000,000 of the world’s population live outside the Unites States. The Unites States has more money than 99% of those countries, yet multiplied millions of people in the United States have never heard the gospel preached one time.
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“THE GOOD GROUND”
Gary McDade
The church of Christ is as unique as its founder and builder, Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20; Hebrews 12:2). His mission into the world was to “seek and to save the lost” (Matthew 18:11; Luke 19:10). The mission of the church is identical with His mission (Matthew 28:18-20). The mission is called “evangelism” because “evangelism” means to spread or broadcast the good news of the gospel that a Savior has come and made provisions for the salvation of all lost souls for all time. The means of salvation or the seed of the kingdom is the Word of God (Luke 8:11). All the hearts of all the people for all time across the centuries and down to today are classified into only four groups by the Lord Himself in Luke 8. Everyone is represented in His list. Jesus said, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God. [1] Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. [2] They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. [3] And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. [4] But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:11-15).
Attention is invited to “the good ground.” The character and content of their hearts is “honest and good.” Both qualities must be present for the receptive person to “hear the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” Beyond doubt the rarity of the hearts of men described by “the good ground” accounts for the low numbers of converts to Christianity today. The receptive heart must be both “honest and good” for the seed, the Word of God, to germinate, take root, and grow in influence and benefit to the recepient.
A Word Study of Kalo,j
In the KJV the word “honest” translates the Greek work kalo,j. Beginning Greek students looking to rapidly build vocabularly recognition contrast the word kalo.j meaning “good” with kako.j meaning “bad or evil.” See both words so translated in Hebrews 5:14. The first word appears in the Greek New Testament 95 times, the second 46. Kalo.j is translated “honest” 5 times in the KJV in Luke 8:15; Romans 12:17; 2 Corinthians 8:21; 13:7; and 1 Peter 2:12. In an effort to understand more deeply what an “honest” heart is 7 Greek dictionaries or lexicons will be presented. Perhaps the one most familiar to everyone is Joseph Henry Thayer where at page 322 he defined kalo.j as “good, excellent in its nature and characteristics, and therefore well-adapted to its work.” G. Abbott-Smith has “in reference to use, of that which is well-adapted to it’s ends, good, excellent” reflecting the scholarship of Thayer (p. 228). Wilbur Gingrich has “good, useful, free from defects, fine” (p. 106). The colaborative work of William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich translating from German the adaptation of Walter Bauer’s lexicon has “in a noble and good heart” for Luke 8:15 as also appears in the NKJV (p. 401). In the unabridged work of Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott “honest” is “in a moral sense, beautiful, noble, honorable” (p. 870).
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Restoration Preaching
James W. Boyd
The church faces, with increasingly heavy efforts, the tide of liberalism and permissiveness, the desire to turn the church into a denomination like others; compromise of the basic and fundamental truths in order to “go along to get along.”
The church began on the first Pentecost after the ascension of Christ (Acts 2). It was prophesied there would be a falling away (1 Tim. 4:1-3). History reveals that such actually occurred. The church became so changed that it was unrecognizable by New Testament standards. There were changes in government, doctrine, worship, terms of entrance, nearly all of the identifying characteristics of the church. It evolved eventually to the time of the first pope (606 A.D.), and the period of Romanist domination of the Western world.
During what Rome calls the “Golden Age of the Church,” the period when the papacy had such power, dissent toward Rome would arise from time to time, but would be persecuted out of existence. In the late 1400s and early 1500s, came what is called the “Reformation Movement.” It was led by such men as John Wycliffe, Tyndall, Luther, Knox, Calvin, and others. They were not the first to attempt to break the Roman yoke, but they were more successful because there was also economic, political, and military rebellions against Rome operating at this time in history.
The attempts of the Reformation Movement only splintered people religiously. There was not a return to the Biblical concept and pattern of the church. What was produced is what we now identify as “Protestantism” —all the multitudes of denominations. Instead of an allegiance to the pope, people began following other men and human doctrines.
EARLY EFFORTS TO RESTORE
In the later 1700s and early 1800s, there were serious efforts made, not to start something new or reform what existed, but to restore the church as revealed in the New Testament. Men named Stone, Campbell, Smith, Scott, and scores of others were leading figures in this effort. They chose to “speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent.” This is a reasonable paraphrase of the apostolic admonition to “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11).
The result was that the Gospel preached by the apostles was heard again. The seed of the kingdom was sown. It produced the only thing the Gospel will produce, namely, Christians who make up the church of which Christ is founder, Savior, and head. These efforts prospered, but not without many hardships and problems. Problems may well have been expected since this concept of returning to the Bible as a standard ran against the creeds that otherwise dominated religion.
Even within the movement to restore the church, there came problems. Division took a deadly toll with the introduction of human innovations for which there is no divine authority, such as the missionary society, the use or mechanical instruments of music in worship, and other imitations of denominationalism. The work has been hindered, but not stifled.
In our time, the church still faces, with increasingly heavy efforts, the tide of liberalism and permissiveness, the desire to turn the church into a denomination like others; compromise of the basic and fundamental truths in order to “go along to get along.” As with Israel, the desire to be like the nations around us has caused many who once were stedfast in the faith to turn and digress into liberalistic apostasy.
ATTITUDE TOWARD THE PAST
We wish to concern ourselves with the attitude we should have toward the past, the early restorers, their work, and their message. Today, according to the loving liberals, they are called old-fashioned, out-of-date, old fogy, irrelevant. Those who still respect them are “knuckleheads.” It is said these ancient men of the past restored form and doctrine (which is even now being denied in many quarters, claiming the New Testament is not even our pattern), and we must restore the proper spirit. One seldom witnesses such judgmental snobbery! Those who talk in such fashion are often heard to mouth “love, love, love.” If ever there existed an element of people who seemingly know little to nothing about genuine love and what to love, and who practice love less than anybody, it is that element of people who talk it incessantly and viciously attack anybody who does not adopt their liberalism. To them, love is but an emotion, a sentiment, that will permit and tolerate everybody to “do their own thing,” God’s will notwithstanding.
These rank liberals have been bitter in their attitude of the great students of the Bible who led the early efforts of restoration. They hold anybody in contempt who does respect them. They clamor for a new message for our new age. To restore the faith of the first century is to them an absurdity. The faith God revealed must be updated, we are told, and revised, and reinterpreted to fit our times, according to these wiser-than-God “scholars.”
We often hear them call for a “restudy” of positions taken by the early restorers. This is always a timely call lest we become followers of men rather than God. A restudy of the Scriptures is obviously overdue among them, however. Truth has nothing to fear in investigation. The problem created by those who say we must restudy is that they change for change’s sake. If we do not change our views from the views of those who came before us, we must necessarily be in error. But the thinking person will know that if they believed truth and we believe truth we will believe alike. If the early restorers were right in some matter and we are right in the same matter, there will be no difference. The idea that there must be a difference or we have not sincerely restudied is ridiculous and intellectually absurd on its very perverted face.
BENEFITS OF STUDY
There are benefits involved in restudying everything. Every generation must be taught everything. We must make the faith our own rather than simply have a borrowed faith from others. But does this demand that there be variance between our convictions and those of the past? Certainly not, if we both follow the Scriptures!
By restudying, we see the timelessness of their message and the Scriptural basis of their plea. We can learn from their learning without making them our authority. Contrary to the “wise men” of academic training from the theological schools, they were truly scholarly, although few, if any, now in the “Christian schools” really consider those righteous men of the past to have been “scholars.” Only these “wise men of today” are to be considered “scholars,” even if they do not believe a thing the Bible teaches.
From the study of their work we can detect trends, drifts, as well as the honorable goals they had in mind. We can partake and learn from their courage, integrity (an ingredient too often lacking in the liberal mind), their spirit of dedication and sacrifice. We see how they met the attacks of those who opposed Biblical preaching. We see how they encountered the denominational world. Instead if ridiculing their spirit, if more today had the same spirit the church would be far stronger and better informed doctrinally and more consistent in practice. With the spirit many have today who seek to uproot and change just to have something new, nobody would have been able to bring the church and the truth of the Gospel to their generation. The pygmies are barking at the giants.
There is always a danger of letting men of the past become the authority. There are some who have evidently done this. When trying to prove some point, they cite some man rather than Scripture. But never have I heard a faithful brother use these men other than to cite their view with respect to their learning, never as the final word or authority. Faithful brethren do not do that. Christ is the authority (Matt. 28:18-20). We have preached that consistently. There is nothing that faithful brethren believe or do simply because some giant of the past contended for it. We recognize the necessity of divine authority for all that is said and done. We would that all who profess to be restorers would ever have this same attitude toward authority.
SOME DENOUNCE THE PAST
While liberals denounce the restorers of yesteryear, others who have appreciation for their work of the past are misusing them to further their own ends. The goal of some of their “restudiers” is to find endorsement from the past for some new innovation they wish to foist upon the church today. They wish to secure the dignity and stature of respectable men to their digression and apostasy. It is a strange approach to Scripture that says we must find and do something new and different, or we have not really studied. We must be aware of the mania that possesses some for change, regardless of which way and toward what. Some cull words and works of restorers dealing with other issues in an effort to make it appear they would have “gone along” with the new wave of digression they persistently propagate. This is basically dishonest, but this is no problem to a liberal, and is about what you can expect from people who have denied the New Testament is a pattern and are determined to “do their own thing.” They lie when they claim they stand where restorers stood. They abuse and misuse what those men of the past said and did.
Finding it impossible to crush the influence of sound doctrine and sound thinking of the past, some seek to make the restorers their partners in their unauthorized ways. I predict that in coming years one will hear more and more appeals being made to adopt some new twist on the grounds that some prominent men of the past so thought. I would only respond, “So what!” What if somebody did think some faulty way? Probably their words are being misrepresented anyway. But even then, that would not prove anything except this is what somebody thought. Scripture is still the basis for the standard and this is that for which they contended as well. Is it not strange that once having denounced the early restorers as lacking scholarship and lacking the “broad view” that some wish to cite the same men they denounce to further their own inventions of heresy?
SINISTER EFFORTS ARE AFLOAT
The positions taken by early restorers are being misused to try to make it appear they held unbiblical views regarding inspiration, the acts of worship, the oneness of the church, the plan of salvation, the purpose of baptism, the work of the church, etc. They have forsaken the need for Biblical authority and follow the majority thought —what some “modern scholar” has decreed, some unity push contends. (These present-day unity efforts are not efforts to produce unity. Unity is founded on acceptance of truth. These efforts are for the purpose of creating fellowship in spite of division). Some already have the church involved in secular education, recreation, entertainment, sports, becoming not much more than another religious clan with social aims and community acceptance. They seek salvation from depression, boredom, secular ignorance, physical disease, material poverty, rather than salvation from sin that Christ brought (1 Tim. 3:15; John 17:17; Rom. 1:16; James 1:21).
In Jesus’ day there were those who attempted to equate human opinions and tradition on a par with “thus saith the Lord” (Matt. 15:1-3, 9). There be those today who attempt similar things by equating whatever view some restorer had with divine authority. Restoration preaching is not the proclamation of human opinions or what somebody thinks, whether current or in the past. It is the proclamation of the Gospel as revealed in Scripture. New Testament preaching produced the church. Our preaching is restoration preaching in that it is to put back in its original order the church that New Testament preaching produced. We might, for classification sake, say New Testament preaching was originating preaching and our preaching is restorative preaching, but it is the same message. Only the difference in time allows for the difference in classification.
TO WHAT DO WE APPEAL?
In the early days of what is called the Restoration Movement, there was no appeal to what men thought, what men wanted to do, nor what pleased men. Their thought in searching the Word of God was to learn what God had to say. Can we be honest and do less? Any preacher today who does not make his appeal to the Word of God has no business in the pulpit. But does this mean there will be absolutely and necessarily a dramatic difference between what those of the past preached and what we preach? As the early restorers preached the apostolic Gospel, and we preach the apostolic Gospel, we will be preaching the same as did the apostles. This is what we are supposed to do.
We respect the early restorers and are leery and weary of those who search their works hoping to find support for their digressive innovations and hobbies. We respect the noble men of the past, but never cite them as authority. Nor shall we flippantly cast aside their learning in favor of the foolish, liberal, trite, shallow, inconsistent emptiness being heard among those who are more clergymen than preachers, more school puppets than true teachers of truth.
Restoration preaching is book, chapter, verse, “thus saith the Lord,” divine authority undergirding it all, the “old paths” plotted by the ancient landmarks of inspired truth. Let us beware of the sly, subtle, charismatic servants of the devil who would abandon Scripture, misuse the restorers, and lead the church further into apostasy.
2720 S Chancery St.
McMinnville, TN 37110
A Burning Fire, Vol. XII, No.4
Article in Seek The Old Paths S.T.O.P.
BAPTISM IN THE PLAN OF SALVATION
Gary McDade
Why do preachers from the church of Christ teach so much about baptism? Baptism stands between the sinner and salvation (John 3:5). In baptism the old man of sin is crucified with Christ and the obedient believer is “raised to walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4). At baptism the believer is added to the church of Christ, the body of the saved ones (Acts 2:38, 41, 47). Is the simple truth that Jesus Christ commanded and commissioned His proclaimers to go, teach, baptize, and teach enough to validate those efforts?
Why do preachers from the denominational world reject and ridicule baptism for the remission of sins? Baptism for the remission of sins is not supported by their creeds (Matthew 15:9). Baptism is misapplied within their creeds to serve their designs and not Christ’s (2 Peter 3:15). As servants of the devil, they like to stay dry (Matthew 12:43-45). It is the simple truth their preachers are leading multitudes to do evil and the people “love to have it so” (Exodus 23:2; Jeremiah 5:31).
Belief And Baptism
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).
Repentance And Baptism
“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:37-38).
Belief, Confession, And Baptism
“And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him” (Acts 8:37-38).
Hearing, Belief, And Baptism
“And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized” (Acts 18:8).
Belief And Baptism
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27).
Baptism Saves
“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).
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THE GREAT DIVIDE
Gary McDade
There stands a “great divide” between the church of Christ as presented in the New Testament and denominationalism (formerly known as Protestantism). And, the key difference is whether the Bible authorizes all beliefs and actions or only condemns unauthorized, non-allowed, actions. As you know, the “father of modern denominationalism” is Martin Luther (1483-1546). He saw the corrupt practices of the Catholic Church and the Reformation Movement was launched. However, he wanted to retain practices like infant baptism, so to retain those practices he originated the philosophy, “We may do whatever is not condemned in the Scriptures.” In view of the fact that all denominations, and now even among many churches of Christ, Luther’s philosophy is preferred over and above the Bible typically today allowing instrumental music in worship and women leading in worship, a statement from history about Luther’s philosophy proves the source of “the great divide” today.
“Luther returned from Wartburg to Wittenberg in the early part of 1522, when efforts were made to get him to drop infant baptism and make the Reformation thorough. But while translating the Bible, at Wartburg, he had determined to retain whatever practices it did not forbid. At first he had no little struggle on the subject of infant baptism. On other subjects he had been forced, against his will, step by step, to abandon the fathers, the councils, and Catholic tradition, being driven to it by the Scriptures. But when he found no authority in the Bible for infant baptism he assumed a new attitude. At that point he had a fiery contest with himself as to the true key of Biblical interpretation, and he deliberately chose the negative turn. That is, he determined to abide by what the Scriptures did not forbid, instead of by what they enjoined. He saw at a glance where his rule of interpretation on other subjects must inevitably lead him on this point. And he dared not venture one step further in free thought, for fear of invoking a complete revolution. To take one step more was to let infant baptism go and the State church with it. But this was not the kind of a church Luther wanted, so he dismissed the whole matter as a very inopportune question. Thus it appears that he was willing to do as a positive duty to God whatever the Scriptures did not prohibit, as in the Supper, when asked, ‘What scripture have you for elevating the cup?’ to which he indignantly replied, ‘What is there against it?’ By the same answer he might have justified the offering of masses for the dead, auricular confession, purgatory, infallibility of popes, and any other unauthorized thing practiced by the Catholics, but which the Scriptures had not positively forbidden.” (J. W. Shepherd, The Church, The Falling Away, And The Restoration, (Nashville, TN: Gospel Advocate Company, 1923, rev. ed. 1973), p. 115.).
The choice Luther made in the sixteenth century has been made down through the centuries up to today and not only in denominationalism but also now in many churches of Christ. The use of instrumental music in worship and women leading in worship are justified today on the basis of “the Bible doesn’t condemn it.” Some of the churches allowing women to lead in the worship have voted not to allow a woman in the pulpit. Their position purely is misogynistic, which is the very charge they raise against the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:8-15! Paul was writing by the commandment of the Lord (1 Corinthians 14:37); they are speaking from the “deceit of their own heart.” (Jeremiah 23:26). It’s hard to imagine the feminists in those congregations, before whom they have bowed the knee, letting the elders get away with it. It is probable that before long even these congregations will have women in the pulpit. Certainly, there is nothing in their erroneous view of how the Bible teaches to keep them from it.
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THE VALUE OF REGULAR BIBLE READING
Unlike many other books, the Bible is not one to be read one time and then laid aside and never read again. The Bible is a gold mine of spiritual treasure that requires constant digging. It is to be read over and over. Its sacred contents will never be exhausted. Regardless of how many times one reads it, better understanding, new insight, and greater appreciation will be the results.
The Scriptures are to be read in the public gatherings of the church. Paul exhorted Timothy, “Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine (teaching)” (I Timothy 4:13). This referred to public reading, exhortation, and teaching. The Book of Revelation was to be read in the public gatherings of the respective seven churches of Asia (to whom the book was originally addressed). “Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).
But the Bible is not just to be read “at church.” The Bible exists in mass distribution and is available to all who will avail themselves of its marvelous teaching. To the saints in Ephesus Paul wrote: “[H]ow that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (God’s eternal plan for man’s redemption through Christ, hf) (as I wrote before in a few words, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)” (Ephesians 3:3-4). The Ephesians were exhorted, “Therefore do not be unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). The Bible sets forth God’s will for all mankind. It can be understood. But it will require regular reading and diligent study on our part. A sobering thought that I have entertained for many years is that when one stands before the judgment bar of God and is condemned because he did not know and do the will of the Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21-23), he will be haunted by the realization that he had a Bible in his home, it contained the information that he needed in order to be saved, but he never read it, never really studied it, never made any effort to really understand God’s will… and now he is lost! What a tragedy!
Psalm 119 is a beautiful description of the power and value of the word of God. Read through this Psalm—the longest chapter in the Bible—to see what God’s word can do for you. Here are few examples (verse reference in parenthesis).
“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed to Your word” (9). “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (11). “Your testimonies are my delight and my counselors” (24). “I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies” (59). “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (89). “I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life” (93). “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Is it for you?, hf) (97). “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (103). “Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way” (And without a knowledge of God’s word, one is susceptible to every false way and whatever comes down the religious pike!, hf) (104). “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (105). “Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way” (128). “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (the uninformed, hf) (130). “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever (160). “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble” (165).
The entire Psalm is filled with such glowing tributes to the word of God and its benefit to a person’s life. Read through this Psalm carefully and prayerfully, and resolve to appropriate to your life (and the life of your family) the beautiful benefits of God’s word.
The King James Version of II Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to show thyself approved to God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” But the word “study” in this context is not meant so much in the sense of study as one might study a manual of some sort or as a student might study a subject in school. Rather, as other English translations show, it carries with it the idea of “being diligent” or “giving diligence” to making oneself approved of God. It is used in the KJV much in the sense of what a person means when he says, “I want to study on that matter,” meaning, “I want to reflect on that matter, I want to consider that matter from several different angles” Of course, in giving diligence and “studying” how we can be approved of God, it should be obvious that a knowledge of God’s word is necessary and that knowledge can only come from reading and studying the Bible.
The word of God, engrafted and implanted in a person’s heart, is able to save that person’s soul (James 1:18). God’ word is able to build up a Christian and make him strong in the faith, giving him an eternal inheritance (Acts 20:32). God’s word is milk for the newborn babe in Christ by which he can grow and become a mature child of God (I Peter 2:1-3). It is solid food for the more advanced child of God (Hebrews 5:12-14). The tragedy is that many who have been Christians for decades are still spiritual babies, needing the milk of God’s word and are unable to digest the meat of the word! (A future issue of these “News & Views” will address the subject of “Ignorance” and its damning consequences).
Jesus said (quoting from Deuteronomy), “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4; cf. Deuteronomy 8:3). Sadly, many people are feeding their bodies and starving their souls! I refuse to do that!
Christians are to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18). One of the chief ways we do that is by being a regular reader of the Scriptures. Learn to enjoy spending time reading the Bible. Develop a “taste” for the word of God. Turn off the television, the I-Pad, the cell phone, the radio, the video games. Pick up your Bible (I personally prefer a physical, print copy in which I can underline words and phrases, write in the margins, etc.) and begin slowly, carefully, and prayerfully reading it. You will be wonderfully rewarded for doing so.
Hugh Fulford
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VAIN WORSHIP
Gary McDade
A church of Christ here in Chattanooga that has believed and teaches there are Christians in all denominations for many years announced last Sunday they are going to be incorporating instrumental music in their Sunday morning worship service. And, they publicly published their view of Scripture on the music of the church. Their preacher with the 100% backing of their eldership has affirmed that the New Testament does NOT call for singing in worship. Most of the listeners to the preachers/elders position know better, but all sit silently by and accept this false statement as truth without objection. Why this false statement is made is because they know the New Testament does NOT call for instrumental music in worship, and the goal of the special pleading is to justify the use of instrumental music in worship by placing the use of instrumental music and congregational singing in the same category, that is, opinion or church tradition. The preacher even said those who advocate the use of singing unaccompanied by a musical instrument are saying those who do not agree with them are going to hell. This is said in an attempt to prejudice the listeners to reject congregational singing in worship. Does anyone think this statement provides the setting for an objective evaluation of whether or not to use instrumental music in worship? Churches of Christ in our area should know the prejudice these people have against those of us who have never used instrumental music in the worship of God. Their position is a grave insult to the body of Christ.
While they are and will continue to add to the Word of God by adding the instrument of music to the worship, the position they have taken that the New Testament does NOT call for congregational singing is false and will be refuted if we can find just one passage that supports congregational singing. We have nine!
MATTHEW 26:30; ACTS 16:25; ROMANS 15:9; 1 CORINTHIANS 14:15; EPHESIANS 5:19; COLOSSIANS 3:16; HEBREWS 2:12; HEBREWS 13:15; JAMES 5:13.
Bear in mind, we know these erring brethren know of the existence of all these verses, but not one member of the church there will acknowledge a single one of them because their leadership has already declared they do not exist and will never be allowed to enter the discussion of whether or not to incorporate instrumental music further into their worship. It is their own published position which states, “There is no New Testament support for the use of congregational singing in the worship of God.” The preacher was clear that to attempt to bring in any Scriptural evidence showing otherwise is rebellion against the preacher and the eldership. He even misapplied Hebrews 13:17 on obeying the elders as proof of their right to bring instrumental music into the worship. The misapplication of Hebrews 13:17 is beyond question a twisting of the Scriptures with its accompanying consequences (2 Peter 3:15) because Hebrews 13:17 does not have even the remotest application to instrumental music in worship. In fact, just two verses earlier in the context singing unaccompanied was enjoined by the inspired writer!
In the New Testament offering the sacrifice of praise to God, “that is the fruit of our lips” is what is commonly referred to as singing and “with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” (Hebrews 13:15). This is mentioned to illustrate that God is pleased with overt acts specified by the New Testament and that some acts are in the category of Christian worship. Therefore, appeals to some sort of subjective emotional worship by those who advocate the use of instrumental music in Christian worship is out of harmony with the plain teaching of the New Testament. Acts regarded as worship must be authorized of God to be permissible in Christian worship or else they constitute what Jesus called vain worship. (Matthew 15:9). The members in the offending church are going through a period of coaching, coddling, compromising, and convincing that in the end will only result in vain worship.
Published by tiftonia
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on April 17th, 2022
