The Voice of Truth International, Volume 10

8/8/2019 The Voice of Truth International, Volume 10

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myausaanthem? bf -mw. 4v - l w t e i y ~ i 'eacqulsltety colored, i R ome are so tiny,* so thin of fabric,G o d m d ? &@& ussrytobabmke

I f 1hadmadeWChItagilbIwould have bugt anrund titfallthick cases*mectngthem day andnWFrom ~ U W ' SumhandamksIwch.h ~ l t od had different thoughts:eplamedtteasuws- Me,fra#le tmasum-

In theM'Leatand ba r re nm ,In the tundra's coldandwmldwilds,In the jun@'s wetand monstrousgrowth,

and thrhe,& Mem douwiw .pwciwsbmae they liveMere hgl le gem should nevsr grow,h dh lhosewild and loartw,g&

TheymakdGod.etty Burton Choate


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A WORD. .Parents often make the mistake of thinking that the work they are doingwith their "minors" is also minor, that nothing counts much until the childrenare all grown up; but it is a rock-hard fact that they are becomingwhat weare talking, training, and living before them now,while they are still moldablematerial: Parents are in the process of rearing adults.STAFF:

Edlto~IrrChief: J.C. ChoateManagingEdltoc Byron N icholsLayout Editors: Betty Burton ChoateBarbara A. O liverArt Consultant: Steven 0. ChoateComputer Consultant: Bradley S. ChoatePromotion: Colin McKee, Bobby Tillman,Sudhir Mendiratta, Da le Grissom,Oran Rhodes, Mark Posey,Ray Bryan, Bob Marshall,Ken Willis, Dennis Larson,

Don Hinds, Charles Salmon,Buck Davenport, James Warren.Associate Editors Ior Foreign Editions:Roger Dickson , South AfricaSunny David, IndiaReggie Gnanasundararn, Sri LankaHenry Kong, SingaporeReuben Emperado, PhilippinesStephen Randall, AustraliaRod Kyle, New ZealandTHE VOICE OF TRUTH INTERNATIONALspubl~shedy churches of Christ, as a non-profit effort.J.C. Choate (edltor) P.O. Box 72,Winona, MS 38967,U.S.A.; Phone:601-2831192;ax: 601-283-1191.In lieu of a subscription rate, a donation of$4.00 is suggested for single issues, $12.00 for fourIssues. Make checks payable to World EvangelismFoundation, and mail to Byron Nichols, 2148 N.Natlonal, Sprlngfleld, MO 65803; Telephone:417862-7772.Changes of address and articles for publicationshould also be sent to Byron Nichols in Springfield.Please be sum to Include both old and new addrase8so that the computer record can be corrected.Readen' requests for articles on particular subjects will be considered. Comments and suggestionsregarding the content and appearance of the magazinewiii be appreciated. Our goal is to strlve for excellence.

George AkpabliW.T. AllisonO.P. BairdLeon BarnesWayne BarrierRoy BeasleyV.P. BlackMaxie B. BorenT. Pierce BrownRon BryantSalvador CariagaJack W. CarterDavid ChadwellFrank ChesserBetty Burton ChoateJeril ClineCharles E. CobbGlenn ColleyWillard CollinsOwen CosgroveSunny DavidJerry DavidsonHans DederscheckDavid DeffenbaughClarence DeLoach, Jr.Roger DicksonBill DillonBobby G. DockeryEarl EdwardsDemar ElamReuben Em peradoGarell L. ForehandRoyce FrederickE. Claude GardnerR. GnanasundaramMark HallGary C. HamptonJack HarrimanW. Douglass Harris

Ray HawkGordon HoganTom HollandWayne JacksonAncil JenkinsDan JenkinsJerry JenkinsJimmy JividenDayton KeeseeTom KeltonDalton KeyMichael L. KingMack LyonAvon MaloneCecil May, Jr.Bill McFarlandDon McWhorterJane McWhorterHollis MillerWayne MillerTim NicholsBill NicksFenter NorthernDon L. NorwoodBasil OvertonFrances PanMax PattersonClayton PepperDavid PharrHarvey PorterG. F. RainesEulene RamseyJohn ThiesenBetty TuckerKen TylerDon W. WalkerTex WilliamsWilliam Woodson


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J. C. CHOATEEDITORIN -CHIEFToday's religious world is moreconfused than ever. There are notonly all kinds of religions, church-

es, and cults, but added to this isfanaticism, liberalism, and material-ism. To many who consider only the surface, it seems impossible to siftthrough the doctrines and to determine which is true and which is false. Nowonder so many give up and become unbelievers.Most overlook the fact that we can bypass all of this confusion by goingdirectly to the Bible to learn the real and genuine truth of God. Why listento man, and blindly read his writings, when we can hear the Lord Himselfspeak through his word?In the Scriptures God has revealed His will for one and all. It is a pat-tern, a set of blue prints, instructing us in all things pertaining to life andgodliness. T he Bible is so simple and to the point that any person canunderstand and follow its teachings, if he is only seeking to do God's will.Those who go to that inspired Book will learn the beautiful truths ofcreation and how G od has dealt with man through history. The story contin-ues with the virgin birth of Christ who lived among men, died on the crossfor the sins of the world, and arose from the grave as a resurrected Lord.The careful reader will learn of the gospel of Christ, the good news of salva-tion, the church that Jesus built, the kind of worship the Lord wants, the lifethe Christian must live, and the reward of eternal life in heaven for thosewho are faithful.


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Why wade through all the filth,rubbish, false teachings, philoso-phies, and propaganda of yesterdayand today when it is possible tobypass that in favor of God's word,the truth, and the one and only waythat leads to heaven?But don't all religions claim tobe 'truth'? Perhaps they wouldmake that claim, but their teachingsare not supported by God's word.There is only ONE book of God,ONE truth, ONE Lord, ONE faith,ONE church, ONE gospel, ONEname, ONE worship, and ONE way.These did not originate with me, oryou, or any man. It is the one andonly divine way, given by God forall to follow. Whether we traveltha t way will depend on w h o wedecide to follow.As Christians we accept Christwithout reservation as the Son ofGod, the resurrected Lord, as ourLord and Master, our Saviour whoreigns in heaven as King of kingsand Lord of lords, having all powerand authority in heaven and earth.Because we acceptHim as such, webelieve in Him, in His words andHis promises. We believe that oneday He will return to receive us untoHimself so that where He is we willbe and will abide with Him forever.Christians choose not to rever-ence any man or school, or to suc-cumb to any movement, but to fol-low Christ only. We are pledged

not to accept any book but theBible, not to be a member of anychurch but the one which belongs tothe Lord, not to wear any name butthe name of Christ, not to bow inworship to anyone else or anythingelse but the Lord, and not to liveany life but the faithful Christianlife. How can anyone improve onthat choice? What would be betteror more rewarding?But is this idealism possible?Certainly it is. The Christian life, astaught in the New Testament, issimple and to the point. Why?Because the Lord wants us to besaved, not burdened down with mis-understanding and confusion, won-dering what His will really is.This is our plea to all peoplearound the world. By accepting andfollowing the Lord only, we will beunited since the Lord Himselfprayed, "that they all may be one,as You, Father, are in Me and I inYou; that they also may be one inU s, that the world may believe thatYou sent Me.

"And the glory which You gaveMe I have given them, that they maybe one just as W e are one:

" I in them and You in Me ; thatthey may be made perfect in one,and that the world may know thatYou have sent Me, and have lovedthem as You have loved Me" (John17:21-23). Q


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TRUTHHASNO VOICEOF TSOWN

Byron NicholsManaging EditorThere i s grea t va lue intruth. Surely truth is one of

the greatest commodities inthe world. Truth is so veryimportant that Jesus identified Himself as the personification ofit. The Lord said in John 14:6, "Iam the way, nd the truth,and the life: no one com eth unto the Father, but by me. "Solomon's wisdom led him to recognize the value of truth. Headmonished, "Buy the truth, and sell it not . . . ." (Proverbs23:23). In spite of its remarkable value, truth becomes of noeffect if it is not made known. Truth cannot speak for itself, itcannot speak in its own behalf, it cannot tell what it wants said,it cannot make itself known - t is dependent upon us to dothese things for it.

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make youfree" (John 8:32). Notice that Jesus here said that freedomresults from truth. Freedom is exceedingly important to everyperson in the whole world; thus truth is of the greatest impor-tance.The church has been charged with the responsibility of4


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revealing the truth to others.J e s u s c o m m i s si o n e d u s t opreach the Gospel (the Truth)to the whole creation, makingdisciples and baptizing peoplein all nations (Matthew 28:18-20; M ark 16:15,16). Jesusimplored the Father in behalfof His disciples , "Sanctifythem in the truth: thy word istruth " (John 17: 17). If peopleare to be sanct i f ied by thetruth, God's Word, they mustbecome aware of the t ruth .The t ru th mus t be g iven avoice, and Christians are thatvoice.In Ephes i ans 1:13 Pau lcalls that word of truth "thegospel of your salvation. "Withou t hav ing hea rd theword of truth those EphesianChristians would not have hadan opportunity for salvation.Chr i s t i ans a r e Chr i s t i ansbecause they have learned andobeyed the truth. Those whoa r e n o t C h r i st i a n s a r e n o tChristians because they eitherhave not had the truth madeknown to them, or they haverejected the truth.D av id dec la r ed tha t he

had no t se l f i sh ly h iddenGod's truth, but he had madethat truth known (Psalm 40:7-10). Can we, as God's chil-dren today, do anything lessthan tha t ? D are w e a l lowGod's truth to lie silently hid-den in our church buildings,or even in our hearts, whilethe world plunges headlonginto eternity without a savingknowledge of that truth? Wemust become truth's voice.There is a grow ing num-ber of people who believe thatthere is no such thing as truththat is absolute and unchang-ing. It is bewildering to thinkthat such could possibly bethe case, but there are evenfolks within the church whohave yielded to this erroneousthinking. It is astounding tothink that anyone who says hebelieves in God and believesthe Bible could also believethat t ruth changes , that wereally cannot know anything.T h e r e a s o n t h a t t h i s i s s oastounding is the fact that theBible uses the word "know"and its related word forms lit-erally hundreds of times. If


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t ruth is not absolute, i f wecannot really know anything,surely we must totally rejectthe Bible, because it continu-ally affirms that we can knowmany things, and that truth isabsolute and unchanging.Christians must stand fortruth. We must be the voiceof truth. We must be willingto live up to our commitmentto stand with Jesus. Remem-ber, He said that we are eitherfor Him or against H im(Matthew 12:30). Someonehas said, "He who stands forno th ing wi l l f a l l fo r any-thing." Surely that statementhas some validity. It is our re-sponsibility to stand with andfor Jesus and truth.While it is true that everyChristian is required to standfor and speak up for truth, thisis especially so in the case ofthose who serve as elders inthe church. God's people arefacing greater struggles todaythan ever before in the entirelifetime of nearly all in thechurch. Plea se understandvery clearly- he situation isnot hopeless. However, the

welfare of the church dependslargely upon those who arethe elders, bishops, pastors,oversee rs . G od ' s insp i redWord has charged each o fthese men with the responsi-bil i ty of "ho ld ing fas t th efaithful word as he has beentaught, that he may be able,by sound doctr ine, both toexhort and to convict thosewho contradict" (Titus 1 :9).Elders, please lead us by yourexample in standing for truthand against error. Please leadus in being the voice of truth.Please also lead us in doingthese th ings "in l o v e "(Ephesians 4:15).As great as truth is, it can-not speak for itsel j Truth cansave , but only i f i t is pro-claimed by people. As God'schildren, we possess tremen-dous power- e possess thetruth of God. However, wecan diminish the power of thetruth by not sharing i t anddeclaring it. What a tragedy itwill be if we do not becomethe voice of truth so that soulsfor whom Christ died can besaved! +


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GODIn Defense of Jesus...................... 9Forgiveness in Christ .................. 11Is Your God on Welfare? ............. 13......................hat Is God Like? 1 5I Stand Amazed .......................... 17

EVIDENCES.....esus Christ: Fact or Fantasy? 1 9Christianity Is True Because ..... 1

......................et There Be Light 24THEWORDOF GOD

............................ove the Truth 27Is It or Isn't It? ........................... 29.....................he Sacred Writing 30.......he Silence of the Scriptures 32.....................he Book of Books 33

DOCTRINE TO LIVE B YPrecious Faith............................ 36Our King Is Coming..................... 38Faith Is Our Victory ..................... 40Go From Left to Right.................. 42Matthew 19:9 and Divine .........44

THECHURCHThe Purpose for Church Discipline..46Introducing the Church of Christ...47Obey Them Which Have the Rule..49Women As Elders and Deacons ...5 1

DAILY CHRISTIANIVINGBless the Feet of Those ..........53A New Word- n Old Idea .........55..............he Most Beautiful Fruit 56A Smile...................................... 59When You Pray........................... 6 1His Precious Promises................ 63Lessons from Nature .................. 65

THECHRISTIANOMEA Good Husband ........................ 6 8The Power of Mothers .................70

..............arriages Are Important 72.........................he Ideal Family 74CHRISTIANITYN ACTION

Do We Really Care for the . . .?...76..................ne Woman's Efforts 79........en's Hearts Provide Soil 8 1..........eet for the Master's Use 83SALVATION

.....................ur Need for Jesus 85..................alvation. God's Way 87........inding "Heart-Felt" Religion 90..............he Seed and the Soil 92...ust Good Morals Do Not Make 95TEXTUALTUDIES

.........................lessed Be God 96.............ome Thoughts on Unity 99CHARTS AND OUTLINES

Despised and Rejected of en ..100..........he Purpose of Preaching 1 0 1.....................Rules to Live By 103BIBLE QUESTIONS

.........id the Witch of En-Dor 105............hat Is the NT Church? 106POEMSAND WRITINGS.....................ou Cannot Say "I" 1 0

....................s Christianity Free? 1 4.......................hough the Cross 20.............................od's Church 48.............................ight My Light 58............................f I Thought 60...................iving the Way I Pray 62

............Lesson from the Spider 64......................hat Is a Mother? 67Is There a Way Out? ...................67.......hat God Gives a Boy or Girl 7 1................hen the Story Is Told 75.............he Doorkeeper's Prayer 80............................his Is for You 86............onderful Amazing Grace 897


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I Met the Strangest Man .............94..........................f Jesus Came 104FEATURES.......................ible Word Power 25Puzzle from Ephesians................ 35Quick Commentary ..................... 45Who Am I? ............................... 52.............................erse Search 84..............uzzle Answers .Back Page.ROMHE HEART O F . .

China .................................... A07.......................he lnvolvement 111HOW IMPORTANT I STHISMAGAZINE?NEVER AS THE NEED FOR

KNOWING AND DEFENDING THETRUTH BEEN GREATER THAN INOUR PRESENT AGE. ATHEISM,HUMANISM, PAGANISM, ANDIGNORANCE ARE ON THE RISE,GAININ6 NEW STRENGTH.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THELORD'SEOPLE EQUIP THEM -SEL VES W IT H A T HO RO UGHKNOWLEDGE OF HIS WORD, TOPROTEC T THEMSELVES A NDTHEIR FAMILIES FROM BEING LEDINTO ERROR. TH AT IS ONE OFTHE PRIMARY PURPOSES OFTHIS MAGAZINE.

THE SECONDGREAT PUR-POSE FOR THP VOICE OF TRUTHINTERNATIONAL IS THAT IT MAYBE USED AS AN EVANG ELISTICTOOL FOR CHURCHES OFCHRIST THROUGHOUT THEWORLD. "STUDYTO TEACH*SHOULD BE OUR WATCHWORD.GOD HELP US TO HAVE A CON-SCIENCE FOR SOULS.

X C


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We are told to be "ready togive an answer (apology, defense)for the hope that is in us, yet withmeekness and fear" ( 1 Peter 3:15).Paul was "set for the defense (sameword) of the gospel" (Philippians1 : 7). There are three charges madeagainst Jesus, based on John 2 ,which need replies: (1) that He wasrude to His mother; (2) that He wasan ascetic; and (3) that He encour-aged social drinking.

(1) At the wedding feast inCana of Galilee, His m other said toHim, "They have no wine" (John2:3). In reply, Jesus said, "Woman,what have I to do with thee? Minehour is not yet come. " The word"woman" as used in Matthew 15:28;Luke 22:57; and John 19:26 "is byno means disrespecthl, but there isno satisfactory English equivalentfor i t " (Shor te r Lexicon of theG r e e k New T e s t a m e n t , byGingrich). Gingrich says it "is bestDefense to omit the word in translation."However, most translators use theword "woman" in the sense of anyadult female. This is not disrespect-ful when we use it in the sense of"lady." When Jesu s was on theo f Jesus cross, He addressed His mother,"Woman , be ho ld thy son ; son ,behold thy mother . " The sameword is used, and He was showingutmost concern for the welfare ofBill Nicks His mother after His death.


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(2) One definition of an asceticis one who lives as a monk, or ahermit. Jesus certainly did not livethat kind of life, but showed us whatit means to be the "salt of the earthand the light of the world" by livingamong men and influencing themwith His life and His teaching. Heencouraged marriage by attendingthis wedding feast in Cana; thus, asGod, He was in the home circle, glo-rifying the ordinary life of humans,He joined in the festivities, drankwine, and was not opposed to show-ing joy at the proper time.(3) Jesus is often charged withencouraging social drinking of alco-holic beverages. Did He change thewater into between 108 and 162 gal-lons of liquor for this feast? Th e

very thought is r idiculous! Theword for wine ("oinos") has a goodand bad use. The good use: winewas nut r i t ious, and when mixedwith water, was non-alcoholic. Itrepresented prosperity, as "wine inthe cluster" (Isaiah 65:8). Its baduse is typified by the many warn-ings aga ins t d runkenness , a s i nProve rbs 20:l; 23:29-35; andEphesians 5: 18. We conclude thatthe "good wine, " as the governor ofthe feast called it, was non-alco-holic. Would the Prohibitor opposeHis own teaching, and encouragetha t which would l ead men t odrunkenness? 9Bill Nicks is a former missionary toAfrica and is now serving on theisland of Trinidad in the West Indies.

44 99You Cannot Say IYou cannot say the Lord's prayerAnd even once say "I,"You cannot pray the Lord's prayer

And even once say "My,"Nor can you pray the Lord's prayer

And not pray for one another;For when you ask for daily bread

You must include your brother,For others are included in each and every plea,

From beginning to the end of itIt does not once say "Me!"-Anonymous


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Hans J. DederscheckForgiveness is to be defined as before God. Man cannot save him-"to remit, to cancel, or a remission se lf "And they were astonished outof a debt" (Psalm 32:l ; Matthew of measure, saying among them-

9:2; Luke 7:48). As we talk about selves, 'Who then can be saved? 'remission of sins and forgiveness And Jesus looking upon them said,we also need to refer to the expres- 'With men it is impossible, but notsion of "not to impute" (Numbers with God: for with God all things12:s 1). are possible '" Mark 10:26,27).Thus, forgiveness is seen as the God loves man and wants toact of the Lord which puts an end to forgive him his transgressions if heth e un ha pp y si tu a tio n cr ea te d fulfills the conditions to obtain thethrough the transgression of God's forgiv ene ss of sin throu gh God'slaws by disobedient men, a situation grace. "Th y s ins are forgiven "that is offensive to God Almighty (Mark 2:5). The forgiveness of sinsand which is grievous to man. Sin is the good news to men as a freede stro ys the rea l re la t ion ship gift from God if man accepts thebetween a holy God and man. Man, co nd iti o ns Go d gr an te d : fa ith ,as such, cannot do much to obtain repentance, confession of faith, andthe forgiveness of sins. Here it is b ap tis m in w at er (A ct s 2: 38;God who acts in full sovereignty. Romans 6 :l- 10 ). God is lookingIn His mercy and longsuffering He forward to seeing man retum to therefuses to execute a judgment which fa th er ly ho m e (L uk e 15 :1 1-32).is deserved, and He grants man a God's compassion makes it possiblereprieve. fo r man to r e tu rn to God evenIn the New Testament, empha- though he is an unworthy creature.sis is placed on the unmerited char- His return to the paternal home anda c te r o f fo rg iv en es s. M at th ew to life makes it possible for fallen18 :23-3 5 gi ve s us a n ex ce lle nt man to be restored.exa m ple o f Go d's forgiv ene ss of Forgiveness of sins and restora-s ins . Sin ful hu m an be ing s are t ion of l ife would be impossibleunable to rehabilitate themselves w ithout Jesus Ch rist, the Son of


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God. Only Christ has the power toforgive sins. The death of Christ ispresented as a redemptive act whichmakes poss ible the remiss ion ofsins. Jesus said: "For even the Sonof man came not to be ministeredunto, but to minister, and to give hisl i fe a ransom for man y" (Mark1 0 : 4 5 ) . O n l y J e s u s C h r i s t c a nrestore a spiritual life through Hisforgiveness of sins. Thanks to Him,every sin will be forgiven, exceptthe sin against the Holy Spirit.As we look upon the church ofthe Christ, we will see that the for-giveness of sins is related to Christand the Christian life. This grace isspecial ly s ignif icant in bapt ism."T h en P e t e r s a i d u n to t h em ,'Repent, and be baptized every oneof you in the name of Jesus Christfor the remission of sins, and yeshall receive the gift of the HolyGhost"' (Acts 2 :38) . "And thatrepentance and remission of sinsshould be preach ed in his nameamong all nations . . . . " (Luke24:47). Paul said: "Therefore weare buried with him (Jesus Christ)by baptism into death . . . knowingthis, that our old man is crucifiedwith him, that the body of sin mightbe destroyed, that henceforth weshou ld no t s erve s in" ( R o m a n s6:l-10).It is a must for Christians toforgive the sins of those who offendthem. The real a tmosphere of a

Christ ian community is that of apermanent forgiveness of sins. It isimpossible to please God withoutforgiving others their transgressions(Matthew 6:12-14; 18:21-35; Mark11 25). "And when ye stand pray-ing , f o rg ive , i f ye have ough tagainst any: that your Father alsowhich is in heaven may forgive youyour trespasses. But i f y o u do notforgive, neither will your Fatherwhich is in heaven forgive yourtrespasses."There is no way to live withGod's forgiveness without forgivingthe sins of our fellow men. Thus forthe church o f Chr is t forgivenessdoes not concern only the things ofthe past. It is the living action ofGod which man knows in forgive-ness and which unceasingly opensthe W r e o him."In whom we have redemptionthrough his blood even the forgive-ness of sins " (Colossians 1 : 4). "Inwhom we have redemption throughhis blood, the forgiveness of sins,accord ing to the r i ches o f h i sgrace " (Ephesians 1:7). As God inChrist forgave our sins, so it is amust to forgive the sins of our fel-lowmen. It is impossible to imaginea Christian community without apermanent forgiveness of sin fromall our heart. QHans J. Dederscheck is an evangelistin Vienna, Austria.


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He needsour fu l -lest love,W.T. Allison d e e p e s taffection,and most sincere dedication . He wants us to live for Him twenty-four hoursa day for all the days of our lives. But as for occasional donations to flatterHis pride, or some gift to appease His wrath, He can get along fine withoutthem.Yet, it is surprising how many people think that God needs charity, orthat He seeks the "left-overs" and the "hand-me-downs," or that He should


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be sa t is f ied wi th a token o f ourtime, money, love, and energy -just the "souvenirs" of our lives.Some feel that after they havemade their contribution on Sunday,or v i s i t ed some s ick pe r son , o rtaught a Bible class that they have"done the i r good deed for theweek ." They have g iven to a"needy one" and now the con-science may be at rest until the nextdivine emergency arises.In the meantime, everythingbelongs to us. Time is ours to useas we might see fit. Money is oursto spend as we desire. The bodybelongs to us and we can use it aswe please.How different is the "GOD ONRELIEF" from the God of the heart!To the real Christian pure religion

does not consist of almsgiving, butof complete, total, and full commit-ment to Him. The true bel ieverseeks Him with the whole heart.The life he lives in Christ has slainselfishness and his life is ". . . hidwith Christ in God" (Colossians3:3). He loves the Lord with ". . .a l l t he hear t , sou l , mind , andstrength" (Mark 12:30). His wholelife is spent is preparing himself andperforming greater service to Christ.Wha t k ind o f God do youserve? Is your God on "welfare," ordoes He reign in your heart? DoesHe get a mere token obedience, or afull commitment? Is He an object ofcharity, or the Master of your life? BW. T. Allison is the preacher for theCreekwood Church of Christ in Mo-bile, Alabama, U. S. A.

NO. It cost God the ultimate gift of His Son.He will accept no token gift from us- othingless than our " . . . bodies a living sacrifice . . . ."A token in money or time or talents or otherpossessions will not be accepted either. If wefollow the rule in force since the earliest recordin the Scriptures, we will not dare to give lessthan one-tenth- nd then our joyous and thank-ful hearts will look carefully to see what more we- etty Burton Choate


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Th e B i b l e behold, thou art there. I f I take thedeclares the ex-i s tence o f Go din its first verse,w h i c h s t a t e s ,"I n the begin-ning God creat-ed the heavenand the earth" (Genesis 11:l) .

The human mind can-not fully compremeaning of God.best picture man haso f the Crea tor i s int h e p e r s o n o f H i sS o n , J e su s Ch r i s t ,

wings of the morn-ing, and dwel l inthe uttermost partso f t he s ea ; Eventhere shalt thy handl e a d m e " (P sa l m

139:8-10).There is the storyof the very poor father whotook his little son with him tosteal some corn. As the manprepared to put the corn inthe bag, he looked around

t o s e e i f a n y o n e w a s111 watching. The little boyIaddjone ', YOUdirecl did-ion."who said, "He that Frightened lest the boy hads e e n t h e F a t h e r " seen som eone, the fa ther(John 14:9). asked , "Where? Where?"

God S ees In The son answered, "Daddy,Secret you didn't look up." TheThe Almigh- father dropped the bag, and

ty is able to see in \ taking the little boy by thesecret, according k_ - hand, return-to Christ. In deed home with-scribing an acceptable manner ,, out the corn.of prayer, the Lord told the dis- Men mayciples to into thine inner hide their sins from each other, butber, and having shut the door, pray to God Sees and knows everything.thy Father who is in secret, and the There are eyes above which watchFather who seeth in secret shall rec- Our conduct.ompense thee" (Matthew 6:6 ) . God Makes Heaven PossibleDavid recognized the omnipres- In describing the judgment toence of God, because he wrote: " I f come, the Lord revealed Jehovah asI ascend up into heaven, thou art the one who makes heaven possible.there: i f1 make my bed in Sheol, The saved in that day of decision

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w i l l r e c e i v e t h e m e ssa g e , ". . .Com e, ye b lessed of my Father ,inherit the kingdom prepared foryou from the found ation of theworld" (Matthew 25:34).A seventy-five year old friendof mine told me recently that shewas just waiting to live in a happierexistence. This lady has been sub-missive to God for fifty-six years,and she i s happy because of herhope in the future. Heav en seem snearer to her now than it did fiftyyears ago.I read a story of a ship whichwas being tossed about by the windsand waves of the sea. Passengerswere frantic; that is, all but one littlegirl who sat calmly in her cabin.Another passenger asked her, "Whyare you not frightened?" The childreplied, "Because my daddy is cap-tain of the ship."Christ , the capta in, can leadman to heaven, the existence madepossible by God for His children.

God The FatherJesus and Paul referred to Godas the Father. There are one hun-dred sixty-one instances recorded inthe New Testament in which Christreferred to God as Father . Paulwrote to the members of the churchin Corinth, "Yet to us there is oneGod, the Father, of whom are allthings. . . " (1 Corinthians 8:6).The late W. L. Oliphant told astory of a young father who lost his

wife in death. He was left to be bothmother and father to a little girl.After the funeral the father andy o u n g d a u g h t e r r e t u rn e d h o m e .That night he took his baby girl toher room and tucked her into bed,turned out the light, and requestedthat she go to sleep. Throu gh hertears she said, "Daddy, it is so dark.I am afraid. I can't go to sleep."The child continued to cry untillate in the night. Finally, in an effortto be brave, she asked, "Daddy, willyou stay with me all through thenight?" "Yes, dear," replied th eheartbroken father, "I will stay withyou." "All right, Daddy," said the lit-tle one. "It's so dark I can't see you,but I know you are here in the roomand will stay with me, because youare my father and because youpromised not to leave me, so I canstop crying and go to sleep."The young m an knelt beside hisbaby's bed and said, "Yes, God, it isdark - o dark I cannot see You,but I know You will stay with me,because You a re my Fa ther andbecause You promised not to leaveme. So, I too, will stop crying andgo to sleep."The Christian can find great com-fort in the realization that the God ofthe universe is his Father, and that hecan talk to such a God in prayer. *Willard Collins is President-Emeritusof David Lipscomb University inNashville, Tennessee, U. S. A.


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I t has been w.;., , -3sy;:... -obse rved by a w ~ : . ~, .t 1 a ZS:::.--.:.,:...>-..

named Thomp-son that time is '"'


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(Acts 1 7 :26 ) . Th ere are l im its being able to "do all things throughbeyond which we cannot reach and Christ who strengthens me"abilities we cannot achieve- With (Philippians 4: 13), or that "we aremen this is impossible; but with God more than conquerors through himall things are possible" (Matthew that loved us" (Romans 8:37), and19:26). In this passage, Jesus was that we are to be thankful to Godrefering to salvation. "which giveth us victory throughMoses called Him the "eternal the Lord Jesus Christ " (1God" (Deuteronomy 33:27), Isaiah Corinthians 15:57 )? W e have andeclared that He is the "everlasting infinite God, limitless in every way,God" (Isaiah 40:28), and Jeremiah guiding, empowering us to salvationsaid that He was the "everlasting (Romans 1: 16) and enabling us t oKing" (J er em ia h 10: lO ). Jo h n overcome every obstacle, even therevealed that God was the creator of fearfulness of death and the grave.all things (John 1:1 3), and David Our primary fear should be what thesays that He is from "everlasting to devil can do to us (1 Peter 5:8) toeverlasting" (Psalm 90:2). neg ate the priv ileges through theChrist left the "mountain peak" hope of becoming eternal and in theto visit the "narrow vale" to help the resurrection, being raised to "eter-"valley people" in making the tran- nal life" as opposed to "eternalsition from finite and temporal to destruction" (John 5:28,29).infinite and eternal. Paul taught that M a y o u r li fe lo n g a m b it io na change wou ld occur because of w hile here in this "narrow vale"the visit that Jesus made to the earth be "to seek those things which are(Philippians 3:20,21; 1 Corinthians above, where Christ sitteth on the15:5 1-58). The purpose, according right hand of God. Set your affec-to John, for Jesus' coming to the tions on things above, not onearth was to convey God's love in things of the earth. For ye arethe form of a sacrifice, that finite dead and your life is hid withman might become "everlasting," Christ in God. When Christ, whowhich is another way of saying, "to is our life, shall appear, then shallshare the infinite" where time and ye also appear with him in glory"limitations are rem oved and man (Colossians 3:l-4).conquer s t ime and the grave to Do you not find this amaz-become a "mountain peak" person ing? 8like those of the godhead!why should the Christian have Michael L. King preaches for theGrant Street congregation in Decatur,problems seeing himselflherself as Alabama, U. S. A.

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This raises the question: What shall we do with the ~ h r i s ;who is setforth in the four Gospel records? He is therein revealed to be the Son ofGod descended from heaven and who afterward ascended back to heavenwhere He now lives and reigns.Is it reasonable to suppose that these writers, devoid of scho lastic attain-ments, would or even could invent a Christ they did not comprehend?Imagine Peter contriving that incident where he boasted so vainly that hewould never deny the L ord, then relating how he cowardly denied Him withcursing and swearing, even saying that he did not know Jesus! If Peter, as


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an imposter, wanted to convince anybody that Jesus was the Son of God, aconfession that he reputedly had made more than once, why would he thenrelate how he so completely disavowed that faith? And, remember, it isrecorded of all the apostles that they 'IforsookH im andfled" (Matthew26:56).The ring of truth and honesty is heard in all they wrote. If men hadconspired in their thinking and efforts to invent such a divine character forhuman belief, surely they would have revealed themselves as His unswerv-ing, indefatigable followers. The fact that they show themselves falteringand weak in their faith gives a greatly increased credibility to their accounts. BHershel Dyer has for many years been the preacher for the Tenth & Rockfordcongregation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.A.-

hough the cross did make salvation possible, it presentssome of the most startling paradoxes known to man.It was th e most tragic event in history . . .Yet it was the most wonderful thing that ever happened.It was the saddest spectacle mankind ever beheld . . .

Yet by it came the greatest joy.The old rugged cross was Satan's greatest victory . . .

Yet by the cross Satan suffered h is most stunning defeat.The cross was the greatest exhibition of Divine justice . . .

Yet it was the most wonderful demonstration of Divinemercy.It was through the cross th at God condemned sin . . .

Yet by it He forgave the sinner.The cross stands for God's hatred of sin . . .

Yet it was the greatest proof of His love for the sinner.The cross was mankind's darkest hour . . .

Yet it was the greatest of all lights.On that day th e sun, the SU N, refbed to shine a t midday . . .But on tha t day the son, the S0N, became the light ofthe world.- ia Etowah, TN, Herald TheFamily


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Christianity I s True Because theEarly Disciples of All Cultures

Were Religiously UnitedRoger E. Dickson

In the book of Acts Luke gives one o f the strongest arguments that canbe launched against man-made religions. If religions are man-made, thenany man that comes along can add to the teaching, and thus, cause d ivisionamong the followers. If the followers of any particular religion cannot finddivine authority for the teachings of the religion, then they will divide overthe pronouncements of great teachers of that religion.

Any religion that is closely linked to any particular culture is subject toisolation and division. Its own cultural orientation makes world propagationvery difficult. Man-made religions are often tied to the culture from which


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they spring. Because they are culturally linked, it is most difficult for suchreligions to be propagated to other cultures.The problem also arises with the culture from which a particular reli-gion may have arisen. If the culture changes- nd all cultures do changewith time- he religion is often divided from within because o f strugglesbetween conservatives and liberals within the religion and culture. Lukeargues that Christianity is above the culture of man. And by being above theculture of man, it is applicable to all cultures of the world. This is a mostconvincing argument to prove that Christianity is the revelation of the oneGod of heaven who is the Father of all humanity.

Luke seeks to prove that Christianity is a God-revealed religion simplybecause the foundation principles of Christianity were based upon the sim-plicity of one gospel message and the few fundamental beliefs whichChristians must maintain in order to be saved. That one gospel message, heaffirms, originated from God, and not man.The D isciples Preached One GospelThe central message of the disciples was the coming of Jesus to die forman's sins, His burial, resurrection to give hope, and reign over all things a tthe right hand of God. Men must obey this Gospel by immersion into thedeath, burial, and resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:38; 8:12,38; 10:47,48;16:15,33; 18:8; 1 9 5 ; 22:16). Jesus is also coming again and will judge theworld (Acts 17:30,31). Because Jesus is com ing again to judge all, menmust m aintain a moral life of integrity and righteous living (Acts 24:25).The message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus permeatesthe preaching of the disciples. Luke records several major sermons which

include these central events of the Gospel. Peter preached the death, burial,and resurrection on Pentecost (Acts 2:22-32). He preached the same in thetemple (Acts 3:14,15). Peter and John preached this good news to theSanhedrin (Acts 4:lO). The apostles preached the same message every dayin the temple and from house to house (Acts 5:42). The disciples' be lief inand preaching o f the Gospel united them in their outreach to the world.The Disciples Preached Jesus As Messiah

Luke centers his defense for Christians on the basis that they believedJesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. Th eapostles preached ''Jesus as the Christ" (Acts 5:42). Paul preached "Jesusis the Christ" (Acts 9:22; 17:3; 185). Apollos also preached that "Jesus isthe Christ" (Acts 18:28). The disciples' stand on this belief united them


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THERELIGHTWayne Jackson

On the first day of the creation week, God said, "Let there be light"(Genesis 1:3). For the very first time light existed. What is light? It is aform of energy that exists in "rays." God once asked Job, an ancient wiseman, "Where is the way to the dwelling of light?" (Job 38:19). It is anamazing fact that light does exist in a "way" (a path), and it moves in astraight line. Light travels at the speed of over 186,000 miles per second(640 million miles per hour). It takes the sun's light more than eight min-utes to come to earth (the sun is 93 million miles away).Everything that God made was "very good" (Genesis 1:3 I) , and thatincludes light. Light is good because without it we could not see the clouds,the birds, the green grass, or the words on this page. We see objects clearlyor dimly, depending upon how many light rays fall upon them.Light is good because without it plants could not grow and we wouldnot have good vegetables to eat. Nor would we have meat to eat, for ani-mals must eat plants in order to live. Light is good because it kills manygerms which would be harmful to us if they grew as rapidly as they some-times can in the dark. Doctors are even using light to perform surgery.Have you heard of laser surgery? How thankful we should be that Godmade light. QWayne Jackson is the editor of Christian Courier and is a preacher in Stockton,Cal~fornia, . S. A.


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I t Helps to Enrich YourBIBLEWOR31POWER

A e you sure you are understanding the richestmeaning of the Bible?, Test yourcomprehension of the followmg wordsused in the context found in M atthew 23. 1Afler making your choices, turn the page forthe correct answers.1. scribe n.- A: an orator. B: a writer. C: a attendan t. D: Temple official.2. phariseen.- A: separated. B: united. C: saved. D: sinner3. seat n.- A: bottom. B: sofa. C: piece of furniture. D: rank of teacher;judge.4. phylacteries n.- A: drugs. B: garments. C: safeguards or preservatives.D: utensils.5. synagogue n.- A: an assembly of Jewish worshippers. B: a townhall.C: court. D: school.6 . rabbi n.-A: sir. B: my great one. C: teacher. D: preacher.7. abased v.- A: promoted. B: selected. C: chastised. D: assigned to alower rank.8. exalted v.- A: cas t out. B: to be included. C: raised to a sum mit ofdignity.9. pretense n.- A: yesterday's strain. B: part of speech. C: to negotiate.D: color.10. damnation n.- A: a sentence of punishm ent. B: foul language. C: a hotplace. D: to be rejected or ostracized.1 1. proselytedj.- A: a weary traveler. B: one who has learned a doctrine.

C: a new convert to the Jewish faith.12. swear v.- A: to utter curse words. B: to offer as a witness for one's word.C: to cross the fingers and hope to die. D: to raise your hand in a court oflaw.13. sanctifieth v.- A: to separate from the profane and consecrate for holy use.B: to dance and sing. C: to speak in tongues. D: to be baptized.14. cummin n.- A: to be travelling. B: a small seed of a garden plant.C: incense. D: a sacrifice.1.5. sepulchres n.- A: a tomb or burial spot. B: a bier . C: whited stones.D: a cave.16. hypocrites n.- A: sincere religious people. B: deacons. C: elders.D: an actor or pretender.17. woe interj.- A: a command to stop. B: an exclamation of grief.C: pronounce a curse. D. weep loudly.


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Answers to

- 1. scribe-(Gk, am- 9. pre tense (Gk. colour) D: Col-. -mateus) A: to write; acopier of the law.2. Pharisee-(Gk. pharisaios) A. separ-ated. The Pharisees were extremelyself-righteousand refbsed to have anydealings with sinners, while Jesusmingled with them and found themmore open to his authority than thePharisees.3. seat-(Gk. kathedra) D: rank or

teacher; udge. The scribesandphari-sees were highly respected instruc-tors of the lawofMoses. Asmembersof the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewishcourt, their views were consideredfinal in religious legal matters.4. phylacteries-(Gk. phulakterion) C:safeguardsorpreservatives.ThePharisees wore parchments on their sleevesand foreheads in pouches as preserv-atives against sin.5. synagGue- (Gk. sunagogue) A: anassembly of Jewish worshivtxrs.synago&es had their ori& duringthe Babylonian captivity. They werefound in evey major town by the timeof Christ. They were centers forreligious instruction.6. rabbi- (Gk. rhabbi) B: my greatone; my honorable sir. A title ofrespect for teachers of the law.7. abased- (Gk. tapeinoo)D: assignedto a lowly rank. Because the Phari-sees exalted themselves on the basisof observing external laws and ig-nored the spirit of the law, Jesus saidthey would be assigned to a lowerrank.

8. exalted- (Gk. hupsoo) C: raised to

or, therefore to color over or hidereal motives; to be a hypocrite.10. damnation- (Gk. krima) A: asentence of punishment. Jesuswarned that because the Phari-sees were planning to murderhim, as their fathers did theprophets, they were in danger ofthis judgment.

11. proselyte (Gk. proselutos) C: anew convert to the Jewish faith.12. swear- (Gk. omnuo) B: to offeras a witness for one's word. Jesuscondemnedtheirmeaninglessoathssaying that one's word was suffi-cient. (See Matt. 5:34-37).13. sanctifieth- (Gk. hagiazo) A: toseparate from the profane andconsecrate for holy use.14. cummin- (Gk. kuminon) B: asmall seed of a garden plant. Cum-min was a small bitter-sweet herbgrown by the Jews. At harvestthey gave a tithe of the seed to theTemple priests.15. sepulchres- (Gk. tophos) A:a tomb or burial spot. Jesus ac-cused the Pharisees of being likewhited sepulchres, outwardly allclean and washed, but inwardlycorrupt.16. hypocrites- (Gk. hypocrites)D:an actor or pretender.17. woe- (Gk. ouai) b: an exclam-ation of grief.

a summitof dignit,. ~esus aid the Vocabulary Scaleblessing that came poor in 'pirit 7-1 0 correct.. .................. ..........good.................as entrance into the kingdom 11-13 correct Bible StudentGod. 14-1 5 correct.. ..............Bible Scholar


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Basic to translating truth into truth" (John 4:24).daily living is the acceptance of Here are other "musts": Ac tstruth as absolute. 4:12; 9:6; 2 Corinthians 5:lO; 1It is essential to believe that Timothy 3% Hebrews 11:6.truth is the final authority in reli- Jesus, "the truth" (John 14:6),gious practices and in everyday reli- taught that truth can be known whengion. The truth is the expression of He declared, ''Andye shall know the

being "situational," we must bereminded that there are absolutes.Here are divine imperatives; Jesusused the strongest word possible-"must." H e said , "Ye must beborn again " (John 3:7). Again H ec o m m a n d e d , "God is a Spirit:and they that worship Him mustworship Him in spirit and in

truth . . . "he divine wi llfor mankind. L John 8:32) .

found it (see Ac ts 10 :33). If theWord of God cannot be known orunderstood sufficiently for us to besaved, it is because the Godheadeither could not or would not givethe divine will clearly. Who canaccept either of these extremes?The Written Truth must not beignored with the foggy notion that

The truth isunderstandable, Lovenowable , andavailable to us.No one can pleadignorance or con-fusion and assertthat one cannots p e c i f i c a l l yknow how to besaved, how tooneself in orderto go to heavenby God's grace.In an age of E. Claude Gardneraccep tance o f"relativism" and7

He also statedtha t i f onewants to know,or has the de-s i r e to under -s tand , he w i llknow. "If anyman will do hiswill, he shullknow of the doc-trine, whether itbe of God, orwhether I speakof myself' (John7: 7).

Cornelius hadthe des i r e tok n o w G o d ' swil l , and he


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we should follow the Living Word (Jesus). Actually the two are insepara-ble. To accept or reject Jesus is the same as accepting or rejecting the writ-ten truth. Our Lord warned, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not mywords, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shalljudge him in the last day" (John 12:48).

The written Word is more than giving general guidelines. It is notmerely a "love letter." Basic principles, illustrations, narratives, and com-mands abound in the Scriptures.The God of truth (Deuteronomy 32:4), Christ the truth (John 14:6), andthe Spirit of truth (John 14:17) endowed and inspired men to produce theBook of Truth (see 2 Peter 1:21). We must acce pt or reject the N ewTestament as the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice. It has clear com-mands to obey and exam ples to follow. From these we learn how to becom ea Christian, how to w orship, and how to organize a congregation. To denythat religious authority is ascertained by direct com mands, necessary infer-ences, and approved apostolic examples puts one into theological confusion.It is of no value to encourage translating truth into life until we teachhow to ascertain authority. After we are able to accept the New Testamentas our divine creed, we then strive to bridge the gap between what the truthteaches and our personal practices. Belief of the truth without action andinvolvement in daily living is of no value. We should strive to get our "the-ory and practice" closer together, because it is important for us and also forothers we may influence (see Matthew 5:16).One's attitude toward the truth will determine the acceptance or rejection ofit. This thought was eloquently presented by N. B. Hardeman in his sermon,"The Reception of Any Truth Depends Upon Our Attitude Toward It." Heasked, ". . . what is your attitude tonight toward the Bible with reference to itsbeing a book of Absolute Authority? Is the Bible just a book of general direc-tions, outlining the general policy, with all details to be worked out by sanctifiedcommon sense, or is the Bible specific in those things that would lead a man outof darkness into the kingdom of God? Is it specific and does it go into detailwith reference to how the child of God ought to worship the Father?"J. D. Thomas has written, "What we do say, however, is that the use ofcommands, examples and proper inferences are valid ways of learningGod's will about certain things, especially those that impart informationabout essential obedience (man's response to God's requirements). QE. C laude Gardner is President-Emeritus of Freed-Hardeman University inHenderson, Tennessee, U. S. A.

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"All scripture is given by inspi- Therefore, the Bible is able to makeration of God and is profitable for us ' 'perfect" and God has given usdoctrine, for repro05 for correction, "all things that pertain to life andfor instrz~ction n righteousness: godliness. " If these are both trueThat the man of God may be per- (and they are), then the Bible mustfect, throzlghly furnished unto evely be the final and complete and per-good work" (2 Timothy 3:16,17). Is fect revelation of God to man. f it isit capable of makingthe "man of God"perfect, or isn't it?

"According ashis divine powerhas given unto usall things that per-tain unto life andgodliness, throughthe knowledge of h ,that called us to glory and virtue"(2 Peter 1 :3). Did God give us "allthings, " or didn't H e?Many notables (and not -so-notables) in the rel igious worldclaim that God has spoken directlyto them. This is a claim to whichmany have responded with disbeliefand efforts o f refutation. Am ongthis same select group to whom Godhas supposedly spoken there is alsothe claim of direction and guidancegiven by the Holy Spirit separateand apart from the Word. Becauseo f t he s e c l a i m s a nd t hos e w hoattempt to refute them, there is alsol e ft a g roup of peop le w ho jus taren't sure about it.Le t ' s cons ide r wha t we doknow for sure. We know that whatthe Bible claims for itself is true.

, then no referenceto '>erfectn o r"complete" or"all things " couldbe made. But wecan say emphati-ca l ly tha t Goda nd t he H o l ySpirit do not actin the way whichsome people claim. How can we beso emphatic? Because if God doesspeak directly to man today and theHoly Spirit does direct the lives ofpeople independent of the Word,then Paul and Peter were sadly mis-informed when they wrote the wordscited at the outset of this article.Is the Word able to do what itclaims to do, or isn't it? The claimsof the Bible and the claims of thesepeople cannot both be true. Th eclaims of the Bible, if true, excludeany further or separate guidance ormessages from God. The claims ofthese people, if true, exclude the

Bible from being the final, com-plete, and perfect revelation of Godto man. Is it, or isn't it? BDavid Deffenbaugh is a gos el preach-er in Harrison, Arkansas, U .~ .A.


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The Scriptures were written andpreserved by God's divine provi-dence so that mankind could cometo know fo r h imse l f God ' s w i ll(John 20:30,31; Luke 1:3 ,4 ; Ro-mans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10: 11; 1John 5:13; 1 Tim othy 3:14,15).God ' s Ho ly Sp i r i t in sp i red(guided) the men whom God choseto w rite the Holy Scriptures (2 Peter1 :20 ,21 ; 2 T imo thy 3 :16 ,17 ; 2S am u e l 2 3 :2 ) . C h r i s t H i m se l fendorsed the Old Testament Scrip-tu res as be ing d iv ine (Luke 24 :27,44,45). Consider some of the

scriptural names that are applied tothe Sacred W ritings (Romans 3:2; 2Timothy 3: 16,17; 2 Timothy 4:2; 2Peter 3:16).We a re warned concern ingwhat will happen to persons whowrest or twist the Scriptures (2 Peter3: 16). The New Testament explainsthat a person must love the truth(the New Testament is the wholebody of truth brought to mankindthrough Jesus Christ- ohn 14:6;John 1: 17), or God will cause theperson to be deluded, and thus tobelieve a lie and be damned as a


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result.God instructed the H ebrew peo-ple: "You shall love the Lord yourGod with all your heart, with allyour soul, and with all your might.And these words which I commandyou today shall be in your heart;you shall teach them diligently toyour children, and shall talk of themwhen you sit in your house, whenyou walk by the way, when you liedow n, and when you r ise u p"(Deuteronomy 6:5-7).The New Testament Scripturesteach that a Christian has ". . . allthings that pertain to life and godli-ness in the knowledge of him whocalled you by his own grace andvirtue" (2 Peter 1 3). This know l-edge can be found on ly in theScriptures of the New Testament.The Apostles of Christ were guidedby the Holy Spirit into revealing allthe truth (John 14:26; John 16:13; 1Peter 1 lo-12).

The kings of Israel were com-manded by the Lord to have a writtencopy of God's law at hand all the timeand to be very careful to do as ittaught (Deuteronomy 17:14-19).Human beings have the freemoral choice of learning and believ-ing God's Word (Holy Scriptures,the Bib le ) o r no t to do so .However, Christ said that those whobelieve the Gospel and obey it willbe saved, and that those who disbe-l ieve wi l l be condemned (Mark

16:15,16; John 3:36).The Bible (at least parts of it) isthree thousand years old. It wa swritten over a period of about 1600years by men inspired by the HolySpirit of God. It never contradictsitself, and its historical accuracy isperfect. It tells openly about thegood and the bad deeds of peoplementioned in it. Th e propheciesrecorded in it have come to pass justas was predicted centuries before. Iteven named people long before theywere born and told what they woulddo. No ordinary human being couldwrite such things.As the Psalmist wrote: "Yourword is a lamp to my feet and alight to my path" (Psalm 119:105).Man cannot guide his own life in amanner that God will accept (readJe re m i a h 10 : 23 a nd P rove rbs14:12). Without the guidance fromthe Word o f the Son of God(Christ), mankind will be hopelesslylost and condemned to an eternalpunishment with the Devil and hisangels (Ephesians 2: 1-3,11,12; John3:36; 2 Thessalonians 1 7-10).How prec ious , then, a re theSacred Writings to all mankind?Surely nothing compares with thevalue of these words of God, andman's learning and doing as theyinstruct. QDon L. Norwood preaches for theLord's church in Mason, Texas, U.S.A.


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TheSllence of theOwen Cosgrove

T h e r e a r e t w o m a r v e l o u saspects of the Holy Bible: what itsays and what it does not say .The restraint of the Scriptures isvery impressive to me. I f I hadbeen an eyewitness of the Lord'slife and had been writing a Gospelaccount by mere human power, Iwould have been tempted to writedetails of His physical stature andappearance and other items that wouldhave become spiritual distractionsthrough the centuries. The Scripturesare complete. They say just enoughand they do not say too much.Anything that I would do to "touchthem up" would only defile them.

Going beyond the Scripturescan be just as serious as falling shortof them. The Bible warns againstleaving out part of the Word, but italso cautions against adding to it(Revelation 22: 18-20; 1 Corinthians4:6;2 John 9-11).The ear ly res torers p leaded," L e t u s s peak whe r e t he B ib l espeaks and be silent where the Bibleis silent." Man is not free to makeup his own rules that go beyond theWord of God.

How m any t im es have youheard someone defend an unscrip-tural practice by saying, "The Bibledoes not say not to"? A doctor'sprescription does not have to tell thepharmacist what NOT to put intothe medicine. To add unauthorizedchem icals or elem ents is to alter theprescription.Whi l e h i s to r i c a l l y we haveurged "calling Bible things by Biblenames and doing Bible things inBible ways," many congregationsand preachers seem bent on invent-ing catchy names, titles, phrases,programs, and ministries that areinclined to go beyond mere descrip-tions of Biblical activities. The ytend to add a whole new terminolo-gy to our work that clashes with thesimplicity and the honest directnessof the Bible. They belie our appealfor pure Biblical terminology.Respect for the Word of Godinvolves appreciation for what i tdoes not say, as well as for what itsays. 0Owen Cosgrove preaches the Gospelof Christ in Waxahachie, Texas, U.S.A.


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and no guide. Were it not for God's nature and promised destiny.book, the Bible, we would know The word "Bible" is not foundnothing o f d iv ine law, wi ll , and within the pages of God's eternallove; we would know nothing of revelation to mankind. This match-God's eternal purpose for man; we less book refers to itself as the lawwould be ignorant of Christ's sacri- (Psa lm 1 1 9 9 7 ; J ames 1 :25), thefice, shed blood, intercession, and word (Psalm 119 :11), the word ofadvocac y. W ithout the Bible we truth (2 Timothy 2151, the oracleswould not know of our own sin, our of God (1 Peter 4:111, scripture (2need for salvation; we would be Timothy 3: 16; 2 Peter 3:16; A ctswithout knowledge of our eternal 1 7 :1 1), d o c t r i n e (2 J o h n 9 ; 2

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Timothy 4:2 ,3) , and t ru th ( John8:32 ; 17:17). The Bible describesitself as a sword (Ephesians 6: 17), afire and a ham mer (Jeremiah 23:29),a seed (Luke 8: 1I), a lamp (Psalm119 : 105) , and a l i gh t ( P s a l m119:105).The Bible is not a "dead letter."According to the Hebrews writer,God's Word is both quick (alive)and powerful (Heb rews 4:12). Itwas by the word of God that theworlds were framed and the heavenswere made (Hebrews 1 1 3); Psalm33:6). The Bib le quickens (Psalm119 : 50 ), bege t s ( J ames 1 : 18 ) ,cleanses (Psalm 119:9), purifies (1Peter 1 22), converts (Psalm 19:7),saves (Acts 11:14; James 1:21) ,pricks and cuts the heart (Acts 2:36-38; Hebrews 4:12), and will judgeus i n t he l a s t day ( J ohn 12 : 48 ;Revelation 20: 12).The Bible stands alone. It isunlike the books of man in that it isinerran t (Psalm 19:7; 33:4), verballyand w ho l l y i n s p i r ed o f G od ( 2Timothy 3: 16; 1 C orinthians 2: 10-13), and eternal (Matthew 24:35; 1Peter 1 24,25). W hile the books ofmen rise and fall with respect to

penmen.Through the ages , many andvarious attitudes have been held bymen toward this Book of Books.Some have rejected it , some havewaged war against i t , some havebeen apathetic toward it, and someothers have loved, cherished, andrespected it. King Jehoiakim cu tand burned his Bible because hedidn' t care to hear or do what i tdemanded of him (Jeremiah 36:23).Unl ike th i s wicked k ing , Davidloved God's Word to the point ofmaking it his constant meditation(Psalm 119:97).What is your att i tude towardthe Bible? PDalton Key is the editor of Old Pathsand preaches for the North AmarilloChurch of Christ in Amarillo, Texas,U.S.A.

' 0 How I love Thylaw! It is my medita-tion all the day ..How sweet are Thy

public acceptance and popularity, to my taste!the Bible has throughout the yearssus ta ined a "bes t se l ler" s ta tus . Yes, sweeter thanOther works are undergoing con-stan t rev isio n, ye t ~ o d ' s ook is honey to my mouth!"every bit as relevant today as it waswhen first etched out by the insp ired (Psalm 1 19:97,103).


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The Book of Ephesians for adultsFill in the verse below by using the graph.

POWER-JESUS

BEABUNDANTLY

WORKHIM

6FAR--ALL-Y

AMENASKIN-

C D E FIS AT WHO THINK

CHURCH I OR 1 WE I WITHIN IEPHESIANSNOW GENERATIONS THAN 3:20.21

CHRIST


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0.P. Baird"Sim on Peter, a servant andapostle of Jesus Christ to them thathave obtained a like precious faithwith us in the righteousness of ourGod and the Savior Jesus Christ" (2Peter 1 :l ) . Th e Christian's faithnow is as precious as the faith ofPeter and the other apostles and allthe early Christians. It is preciousbecause of the righteousness of G od

and our Savior, Jesus C hrist.Faith brings a person into thegrace and peace of God and ourLo rd J e su s , " G rac e t o y ou andpeace be multiplied in the knowl-edge of God and of Jesus our Lord"(2 Peter 1:2). As our knowledge ofGod and His w i l l inc reases H isgrace and peace increase in us, andour faith becomes more and moreprecious.God's power gives us life andgodliness, "Seeing that his divinepower hath granted unto us a l lthings that pertain unto life andgodliness, through the knowledge ofhim who called us by his own gloryand virtue " (2 Peter 1 3).The Christian's faith is preciousbecause God's promises are pre-

cious, ". . . he hath granted unto ushis precious and exceeding greatpromises " (2 Peter 1 4a). Fai thbecomes more precious as we layhold of the promises.Peter gives another reason whythe Christian's faith is precious.Speaking of the promises, he says,". . . that through these ye ma ybecome partak ers of the div inenature . . ." (2 Peter 1:4b). What isthe divine nature like? Speaking ofChrist , the w ri ter of the book o fHebrews says, "Tho u hast lovedrighteousness and hated iniquity"(Hebrews 1 9). That also describesthe person who has become partakerof the divine nature.

What was man like when Godcreated him? "And God createdman in his own image, in the imageof God created he him; male andfemale created he them" (Genesis1 27). When the man and wom anwhom God created listened to thedevil and believed what he said anddid what he suggested they becameunlike God. Some people are morecorrupt than others, but all responsi-ble people have sinned (Romans


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3:10,23) . Bu t G od , because Heloved us, sent His Son Jesus to saveus from sin (John 3 :16). When Godsaves a person He remakes him inHis image. "Ye have put o f t h e oldman with his doings, and have puton t he ne w man , t ha t i s be i ngrenewed unto knowledge after theimage of him that created him"(Colossians 3:9,10). Notice that thiswork of God is not yet completed.The new man is "being renewed."There is something that musthappen before we can receive thedivine nature, ". . . having escapedfrom the corrup tion that is in theworld by lust" ( 2 Peter 1 4c). Lusto r e v i l d e s i r e i s p a r t o f h u ma nnature, and it is natural for a personto do what he desires. The nature ofman leads to greater and g reater cor-ruption, and he must escape fromthis before he can receive the divinenature. He escapes when his faithb r in g s h im in to s u b mis s io n t oChrist. When Peter preached thefirst complete Gospel sermon, hesaid to the people, "Repent ye, andbe baptized every one of you in thename o f Jesus Ch r i s t un to theremission of your sins; and ye shallreceive the gift of the Holy Spirit"(Ac ts 2:36-38). The forgiven per-son is in Christ, "For we are all

sons of God, through faith, in ChristJesus. For as many of you as werebapt ized in to Chris t d id put onChris t" (G alat ians 3:26,27). InChrist we have the new nature, thedivine nature , "I f any m an i s inChrist, he is a new creature: the oldthings are passed away; behold theyare become new" (2 Corinthians5:17).

Perhaps a warning is in orderhere. Some people might think it isnot serious for them to sin if theyplan to repent later. But that is notthe divine nature, not the Spirit ofChrist. "But ifany man hath not theSpirit of Christ, he is none of his"(Rom ans 8:9). W e cannot escapecorruption if our minds are on theevil lusts, "For they that are afterthe f lesh mind the th ings o f theflesh; but they that are after theSpirit things of the Spirit" (Romans8:5).By faith we obtain forgiveness.Those who have faith are partakersof the divine nature. By faith wein h e r i t t h e p ro mis e s (H e b re w s6: 12). How precious the Christian'sfaith is! Q0. P. Baird is a former missionary toKorea and now lives in Searcy,Arkansas, U. S. A.

PEACE S E E ~ N ~ SUNSET ANd ~ N O W ~ N ~~ O M O T ~ A N ~ .


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Our King 1sComingCharles E. CobbJesus Christ is the Christian's King. He lives, rules, reigns as "King ofkings and Lord o fLo rds " (Revelation 17: 14; 19: 16). He is the head over allthings to the church, and He is the Savior of the body. He lives today at theright hand of G od while He waits for the time of H is coming to claim His

own -those who have been redeemed by His blood.The majestic Jesus will come in His glory with all the holy angels withHim. What a spectacle of power, might, and splendor this will be. Thenations of men will behold His glory and the announcement has already beenmade, "Every eye shall see Him and they also who pierced Him . . . . "(Revelation 1:7). There can be no mistaking the event that is taking placewhen Jesus comes.The idea that Jesus is coming back to THIS earth to set up His Kingdomand rule from Jerusalem for a thousand years is a popular theory, but issadly lacking in genuine biblical proof. The Kingdom was to be establishedwhile some of the contem poraries of Jesus still lived (Mark 9:l) . We learnfrom the Colossian letter that the Kingdom was in existence and peoplewere being "translated" into it (Colossians 1:13,14). The Kingdom, there-fore, is already in existence, and Jesus now rules over it as its king.Date setting for the coming of Christ has been a popular speculationdown through the years. The plain teaching of the Scriptures is that no oneknows when Jesus will come again. lie day of the Lord will come as athief in the night . . ." (2 Peter 3:10), while men are saying, "Peace andsafety, "and others, "Where is the promise of His coming? All things con-tinue as they were from the beginning," he Lord "will descend from heavenwith a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of G o d . . . ." (1Thessalonians 5:3; 2 Peter 3:3,4; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). But, we do notknow the day nor the hour (Mark 13:32,33).

Just as surely as our Lord lives, just that surely He will come again.The faithful promise of the Son of God is, ". . . I will come again . . ." (John14:3).Jesus left the earth after suffering mockery, ridicule, unbelief, scourg-ing, and crucifixion. He will come again in glory, power, honor, and judg-38


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DOCTRINE TO LIVE BYment.When our King com es, He willcall forth all of the dead, both smalland great (Revelation 20:12). Menwho have gained prestige, promi-nence, and power will be called tostand before the Lord. Men whoselives have been a waste, who havelived a gutter-type existence, willstand before the Lord. The rich,poor , bond, f ree, al l races f romevery walk of life will give answerto Chr i s t (2 Cor in th ians 5 :10).There will be no respect of personsand no escape when the King shallcome.Men may seek to hide. Theymay "with one consent begin tomake excuse." Men may cry out inagony because they have been over-taken in their sins and discovered bythe Lord. Their effor ts to hide,make excuse, or cry in terror beforethe King will not prevail. The judg-ment of the Lord will be withoutmercy, for the mercy of God hasbeen granted while men lived withopportunity to make ready.The plan of God is that Jesuswill, at His coming, deliver up theKingdom to God the F a the r ( 1Corinthians 15:22-28). The King ofkings wil l have won the victoryover Satan and his hordes. He willbe the Conqueror over all and willpresent to the Father the victoriousKingdom . The c i t iz ens o f t heKingdom of Chr i s t and o f God

(Ephesians 5:5) wil l be foreverblessed of the Father. All the trialsand troubles of earthly life will beover and there wil l be peace -pure, beautiful, and lasting peace.Knowing that the King is corn-ing should cause every person towant to make ready for this gloriousevent. Those in Christ should livefaithfully (Titus 2: 11,12). Thosewho are not in Christ should obeythe Lord and be in a state of readi-ness (Matthew 7:21; Mark 16:15,16;Hebrews 5:8,9). The message ofthe inspired apostle to those in sinon the day o f P en tecos t was ,"Repent, and be baptized every one ofyou for the remission of sins . . . ."(Acts 2:38). Those who obeye dwere added to the chu rch (Acts2:41,47).Our King is coming. If Jesus isnot your King, if you are not in HisKingdom, if you are not servingHim as your Master and Lord, it istime N O W that you should obeyHis will while time yet affords youthe opportunity.Why not plan to be one of thece lebran ts a t the com ing of theKing, rather than one who will beconfined to an eternity of miseryand punishment? The coming Kingwan t s you to be long to Him(Matthew 11:28-30). QCharles E. Cobb is editor ofTennessee Valley Christian, and helives in Scottsboro, Alabama, U. S. A.


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Faith IsOurVictoryRandall Caselman

" . . This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith"(1 John 5:4)."Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things no t

seen " (Hebrews 11 I). One translation says, "Faith is the assurance ofthings ho pe dfor , the conviction of things not seen. " There is a lot of talk inthe religious community today about faith, what it is and is not. An under-standing of this subject is important to us as Christian people.Faith is a knowledge of God. There can be no biblical faith withoutknowing God. Ignorance is the antithesis of faith, and is its enem y. Ourfaith is a result of knowledge. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearingby the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). Hebrews 11 6 tells us we mustbelieve that He is. Genuine, victorious living is impossible without a faithin God. Don't even try it.Faith is mental assent. Faith is acceptance, acknowledgement of Godas God, as the Supreme Being, Creator of the universe, Sustainer of life,Grantor of salvation. "In the beginning God created . . ." (Genesis 1:l)."In Him we live, move and have our being . . ." (Acts 17:28). "For God soloved the world that He gave . . ." (John 3:16). Many know about God butfail to acknow ledge Him as Supreme and Sovereign.Faith is trust and confidence in God's promise. This is where manyof us fail. We know the Bible, we acknowledge Him as Sovereign with ourlips, but we are still not sure we want to trust Him with our hearts. "Theyhonor me with their lips, " Jesus said, "but their hearts are fa rf ro m me"(Matthew 15:8). Yes, we know about Noah 's salvation, Abraham 's bless-ings, Israel's deliverance, David's confidence, Elijah being fed by ravens,and the Sea of Galilee being calmed, but we fall short of letting God work inour lives. Faith is relying on God in our daily walk. Friends, God will seeus through. Trust Him. Believe that "He is a rewarder of those who dili-gently seek Him " (Hebrews 11 6).Faith is obedience. Even the casual Bible student knows that genuinefaith is not complete until it is moved to act in accordance with the will ofGod. By Faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than did Cain


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Go From LeftTo RightTo Get ItRightTim Nichols

GOD CONCLUSIONS CONSEQUENCES

The l i t t le chart above is notintended to be a political statement.It is not a cure for dyslexia. It issimply to illustrate, in a very abbre-viated way, the proper order to fol-low in a r r iv ing a t w ha t we w i llbelieve and do as followers of theGod of the Bible.The chart is oversimplified, butit may hopefblly provide somethinglike a map for us to follow as weattempt to understand and apply thewi l l o f God to our l ives . Muchmore could be said about each ofthe elements of the chart than wewill have space for in this brief arti-cle. G O D . We begin wi th God.This may seem to be out of order atfirst. After all, we can only know ofthe existence of God by examiningthe evidence that is available to usin nature and in His written Word.But these proofs of God's existence

came to us from God. They are sureand unmistakable to the unpreju-diced mind, to be sure , but Godcame first. The evidence may havearrived first in our minds, but Godhas been behind i t a l l f rom thebeginning.TRUTH. God inspired men to

write the series of books that we callthe Bible. They reveal more aboutthe nature of God than we couldhave ever come to know by obser-vation of nature alone. They revealtruth about the nature of the worldand of man. They reveal the will ofGod for mankind. They provide uswith a clear point of contact withthe mind of God.C O N C L U S I O N S . We takewhat God reveals and draw conclu-sions about what He is saying to us.Honest, sincere, and hum ble peopletry very hard to conclude only thosethings that God's Word actually


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DOCTRINE TO LIVEBYteaches. They synthesize all that theScriptures teach on any given sub-ject, being careful to conclude nomore and no less than what theydirectly teach or truly imply. Forthe humble servant of God, th i sprocess is more than just an acade-mi c ex e r c is e . I t i s an ex c i t in gadventure to seek out and to pre-cisely discover divinely revealedtruth.CONSEQUENCES. Truth hasconsequences. Righ t conc lusionshave right applications to life. Godrevealed truth that leads us to theright conclusion that it is wrong fora man to steal. Consequently, it iswrong for me to steal; it is wrongfor you to steal; it is wrong for himto steal; it is wrong for her to steal.Anyone who will begin with God,examine His truth, and draw theconclusions that are demanded byan examination of that truth willhave little or no difficulty under-standing the consequences of thoseconclusions in the real world. Howto apply God's truth to life is mucheasier to understand than it is form a n y t o d o . W h e n t h e d o i n gbecomes difficult, the understand-ing, for some, becomes muddled.However, if you start on the left andwork your way to the right, you willunderstand what you and others aretaught by God to believe and do.S t rugg le , i f you mus t , wi th thedoing, but do not allow the struggle

to rob you of the proper understand-ing.Never allow yourself to begin

on the right and move to the left! Ifyou begin there you will go wrongevery t ime. Do not let yourselfbegin with what you want to believeand do. If you begin there you willdevise a principle that will "justify"your belief or practice and call ityour conclusion. You wil l thenmove one more step to the left andread into the Bible what is not there.You wi l l go to the Bib le in anat tempt to prove w hat you havealready decided to believe or do,and you will "find" what did notoriginate with God.

Some seem to begin at the rightand work their way to the left whenthe application of God's truth justseem s too hard for them. Thosewho find themselves in adulterousmarriages often move to the left insearch of "loopholes." Those whoseek to justify the sins of friends orf a m i l y m e m b e r s d o t h e s a m e .Preachers who must preach to audi-ences that might be offended by theactual consequences o f truth aresometimes tempted to move fromright to left. But all faithful doersof the Word and all faithful preach-ers of the Word go straight downthe line- rom left to right. PTim Nichols preaches for the Churchof Christ in Keyser, West Virginia,U.S.A.


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Matthew 19:9 mdDivine HoI'ieaFrank Chesser

God is independently, infinitely, and immutably holy. He sits upon the"throne of his holiness" (Psalm 47:8). He is of "purer eyes than to beholdevil, and cannot look on iniquity" (Habakkuk 1:13). Isaiah pictures theseraphim as flying about the throne of God crying, "Holy, holy, holy is theLord of hosts " (Isaiah 6:3). God is absolute holiness, untouched by even theshadow of sin.Divine revelation and divine holiness are indubitably consistent. Anydoctrine that is contradictory to the holiness of God is a false doctrine. Suchis the case with regard to the limitation of God's law to marital relationshipsin which both partners are Christians. The earth's population is nearing sixbillion. Of this number, a very small portion are Christians. Sm aller still isthe number of marriages in which both partners share in the faith of theGospel.Is it conceivable that our holy God would leave the teeming masses ofhumanity in pagan darkness, void of any law to govern and restrain theirsexual relationships? Are we to conclude that by divine design, the non-covenant world is allow ed to wallow in the pit of sexual indulgence with asmany partners as they wish until they find themselves within the confines ofthe church? By His permissive will in the absence of law, would not God beencouraging animalistic sexual behavior am ong His own offspring?

This humanly devised doctrine is an offensive affront to the holiness ofGod. It is as incom patible with the nature of God and as easily discernibleas such as is the Calvinistic view of predestination and election, or theimpossibility of apostasy . It nullifies holiness and prom otes sin.This matter could not be more serious. This is not an ivory tower theo-logical debate on some abstract principle. It is an eternal destiny-determin-ing matter involving the souls of men and the unity of the church. The prin-ciple of God's holiness is overwhelming evidence for the fallacious natureof this doctrine and those in kinship therewith and for the universal applica-tion and obvious import of Matthew 19:9 and kindred passages. 3Frank Chesser is the preacher for the Lake Forest church in Jacksonville,Florida, U. S. A.


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Maxie B. BorenThere can be no doubt but thatthe church must exercise disciplinein any given situation that calls forit. By inspiration, the apostle Paulc o m m a n d e d t he chur ch inThessalonica to ". . . withdraw your-selves from every brother that

walketh disorderly, and not after thetradition which they received of us "(2 Thessalonians 3:6).An example of such "disorder-ly" (i.e., the word means to be "outof step" with God's revealed will)conduct took place in Corinth inapos tol ic t imes . A brother wasguilty of gross immorality in carry-i n g o n a s e x u a l a f f a ir w i th h i sfather's wife. The church had takenno action, so Paul wrote them a let-ter in which he instructed them bythe authority of Christ to take dis-ciplinary action against the brotherso that his "spirit may be saved" (1Corinthians 5:5). This is obviouslythe first and foremost reason for

5:19,20).A second reason is for the sakeof the church. When stringent mea-sures were taken against Ananiasand Sapphira, as recorded in Acts5 : l - 1 1 , t he t ex t i n f o rm s us tha t"great fear came upon the wholechurch. " Brethren need to knowthat the church must remain pure a sper the teachings of God's revela-t ion , and tha t imm ora l conduc t ,false doctrine (Rom ans 16:17), anda "divisive spirit " (Titus 3 :10) willnot be tolerated.After every reasonable efforthas been made in a loving and ten-der way to restore an erring brotheror sister, and that has failed, and theelders then deem it necessary totake disciplinary action, the churchmust follow the Biblical instructionlaid down in 1 Corinthians 5:9-13and 2 Thessalonians 3: 14,15. OMaxie B. Boren is the preacher for thechurch discipline- o save the soul Bro wn Trail Church of Christ ino f t h e o n e i n s i n ( s e e J a m e s Bedford,Texas, U. S. A.


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W eknow that itis very con-fusing in ther e l i g i o u swor ld . I t ' sh a rd t o k n o wwhere to turn orwhat to be l ieve .The Lord led John theapostle to remind peopleto be very careful in establish-ing their religious beliefs. "Beloved,

do not believe every spirit, whether they are of God; because many falseprophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:l). But how could youand I be able to test someone and his teaching to verify whether or not he istruly representing the Lord? Since the Word of God (the Bible) is supposedto be "a lamp to my feet and a light to m y path " (Psalm 119: 105), the guid-ance necessary to test spiritual matters must certainly be found in theScriptures of the Lord . That's why the Bereans were called "noble" by theLord- ecause "they received the word with all readiness, and searchedthe Scriptures daily t o find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:l l ) .They didn 't even trust Paul until they had checked him out in the Bible!With that in mind, we'd love for you to give the church of Christ a fairevaluation from the Bible's point of view. We do not claim to have anyman other than Jesus as the founder of the church . There is no date, exceptthe Day of Pentecost right after the resurrection of Christ, that we would


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point to for the beginning of the church of which we are a part. There areabsolutely no doctines that we teach or practice that have been originatedby a man or group of men. There is not a single view that we hold to thathas Alexander Campbell (or any other person) as its source. We try ou rvery best to depend exclusively on the Bible itself to establish all of our doc-trinal positions. Feel free to check us out on that claim as to anything webelieve or practice.We believe that the Word of God is the "seed" of the kingdom (Luke8 : l l) . And we believe that the truth will make us free (John 8:31,32)- hatthe Gospel is God's power to save people (Rom ans 1: 6,17). If people willhonestly and faithfully accept the Word of God, the Lord Himself willcleanse their sins by His grace, and add them to the church He built and pur-chased with His own blood (Acts 2:37-47). The seed of the kingdom (theWord) will grow just Christians. All other "plants" will finally be uproot-ed on the last day (Matthew 15:13). We are just people; but we are peoplewho try to obey God's Word the best we can. Please take a closer look atthe church of Christ. QGarell L. Forehand is the preacher for the Granbury Street Church of Christ inClebume, Texas, U. S. A.

God's ChurchMost people think the New Testament church is built of

brick and wood and stoneAnd after Sunday services stands empty and alone.But God's own church is made of souls, who spread both

far and wide.The story of His wonderous love and Jesus crucified.A living church - family royal: with Christ the lung to

reign.Which after stone and wood are gone, forever willremain. - e l e c t e d


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There is an ongoingdebate these days about theauthor i ty of the group ofmen holding the office ofe lder (or b ishop) in thechurch. Some believe thatthe elders have no authority,and tha t the i r leadershipapplies only in the sense ofmaintaining a good example,and no more. Others believethat elders have authority tomake judgments relative tothe spiritual well-being ofthe members in the flockthey oversee, and that themembers have an obligation

There are several interesting passages awaiting your consideration onthis subject: 1 Timothy 3:l-7; Titus 1 5 -11; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:l-4.We would also do well to consider Hebrews 13:17 which reads, "Obeythem that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch foryour souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, andnot with gr ie t for that is unprofitable for you. " Anyone can see from thisverse that we are commanded to obey someone. If this passage teaches obe-dience to the elders of the church, then in honest hearts the confusion overthe authority of elders will be forever settled.The word "obey" here is from the Greek word "peitho." According to


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Thayer, it comes from a root wordmeaning "to bind." Specifically inthis passage it means, "To listen to,obey, yield to, comply with."But who are we to obey accord-ing to this passage? Who is it whohas the "rule over you," and watch-es "for your souls"? We find twoother references in this chapter tothe ones who have the rule over us:(verse 7)- Remember them whichhave the rule ove r you, who havespoken unto you the word of God:whose faith follow, considering theend of their conversation." (verse24 - Salute all them that have therule over you, and all the saints . . . ."In Acts 20:28, where Paul isinstructing the elders of the churchfrom Ephesus, we read, "Take heedtherefore unto yourselves, and to allthe flock, over the which the HolyGhost hath made you overseers, tofeed the church of God, which Hehath purcha sed wi th His ownblood " The elders can be correctlydesc ribed as "overseers," from aGreek word meaning "a mancharged with the duty of seeing thatthings to be done by others are donerightly." Th at describes elders inthe New Testament church.While it is true that elders lead

by example (1 Peter 5:3), it is alsotrue that elders lead as overseers,and we, as members of the f lockwhich they are among, must obeythem. The exception to this teach-ing would of course be the case ofelders requiring that which contra-dicts the Word o f God. (Acts 5:29)- We ought to obey God ratherthan men. "

Hebrews 13:17 clearly has ref-erence to the overseers of the flock,the elders of the church.We should thank God for godlye lder s . May we be hum bleChris t ians wh o "reme mb er themwhich

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