ELEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL DISCIPLINE— VII PARENTAL PATIENCE

Whence came the idea that the terms "discipline" and"punishment" are usually if not always synonymous, Iknow not. While it is true that punishment properlyadministered may be one feature of discipline, it is farfrom the mark to affirm that all discipline constitutespunishment. If our definition that "discipline is thetreatment suited to a disciple" and if the disciple in ourstudies is the developing child, it should be clear thatthere is much more to disciplining children than punishing them. Someone has observed that "the best discipline is that which teaches, not that which hurts." Thisis not to say that bringing physical or mental pain to thechild is not sometimes good for the child's balance and development but it is to say that there are aspects of discipline apart from punishment.

Patience is Necessary

Patience is that quality which waits while it watchesand tolerates while it tames. The word patience and itsderivatives occur more than forty times in the NewTestament and always signifies a good quality. Certainly if patience is a commendable trait for a Christianthe Christian who is a parent can profitably cultivate itin the parenthood role. How often a parent needs to bepatient as he or she is provoked in mind and emotions!

As certain as love is the identifying badge of the Lord's disciple (Jno. 13:35), so patience becomes an illustration of that discipleship in the parental role as inevery other Christ-centered function. Too seldom is correct discipline applied in cases of emotional vexation oremotional inconvenience of a parent. In either event theparents need to be cautious lest they allow a child's behavior to provoke them to act erratically. This typereaction is to become more "childish" than the child itself! Parents cannot always be around to overseeevery action and reaction of the child's life. Parental temperance therefore becomes a major factor in thechild's own self-mastery. The successful disciplinarianis Biblically pictured as one able to rule his own emotions. "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketha city" (Prov. 16:32). Patience is a must in successful discipline.

Proper Parental Discipline Produces Child Self-Control

There is more involved in child discipline than meretemporary child management. Unless one's child learns to think for himself and act for himself there has been a complete parental failure with a normal child. This ultimate self-mastery by the child is the very heart and coreof the apostolic admonition to fathers to "nurture" theirchildren "in the chastening and admonition of the Lord"(Eph. 6:4).

Certainly there must be rules in the family. Chaosabounds where no regulations exist. Safety rules and health rules are essential to every person's survival inside and outside the home. The meaning of sharing,courtesy, kindness, and self-control, both inside and outside the immediate kinship circle must be learned.Furthermore, reverence for divine persons and sacredthings must become the lifestyle of every house and hearthside where Christ rules the hearts of the parents.

Though some older children might not admit it, thereis enough of the little child in the early adolescent andeven the late teenager that most of them who haveknown parental firmness in their pre-adolescent yearsfind comfort in the basic principles of right and wrongto which they were subjected in those childhood years.When crowd pressure, affected by teenagers with little exposure to firm parental guidance, is brought to bear

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upon their peers who have had such a parental blessing,it is then that the parentally conditioned youngstersmay rise to the occasion by doing right instead of wrongall the while remembering their parents' teaching andadmonitions. How often a young man or woman refusesto yield to peer pressure because he or she remembersthe teaching, warnings, and prayers of saintly parents!

High standards of moral and religious conduct shouldbe held before every normal child and enforced withfirmness of both head and heart. This necessarily involves consistent moral practice by parents as well asconsistent activity regarding the Bible as the center offamily teaching and governance and God as the abiding object of family reverence and worship.

Adolescents may not always thank their parents fortheir firmness—for holding to their regulations—yetmost youngsters like to think that there are basic principles undergirding the "house rules" as well as theirconduct outside the immediate oversight of their parents.

Few teenagers, or even adults, have faced situations

involving moral choices that they have not been challenged and, hopefully, controlled by memory of what adevout mother and father have taught them regardingright and wrong conduct. Sometimes the mere momentary recollection and teaching of a loving mother's face has kept a boy from taking his first drink of whiskey. Iknow. I have been there! I have thought a thousandtimes of how nearly I came to doing just that in myteens. I had the bottle in my hand and to my lips and inthat split second of memory I saw my mother's frowning face. Thank God! Thank God!

TWISTED LOVE AND UNITY

Several years ago, W. Carl Ketcherside wrote an article in his paper, MISSION MESSENGER (no longerbeing published), entitled "Twisted Scriptures." It washis opinion that many of us have "twisted" (perverted)such passages as 2 Jno. 9-11 and others frequently citedin opposition to unauthorized practices. I will simplyborrow his word and adapt it to the movement whichhis teaching and influence has generated among thosewho profess to follow the Lord.

That both love and unity are required none who hasany respect for the Bible could deny. Unity is praised(Psa. 133:1). Jesus prayed for the oneness of all whobelieve on him through the apostles' doctrine (Jno.17:20-21). Paul presented a comprehensive coverage of the subject in Eph. 4:1-16. In verses 1-3, he set forththe unifying attitude. In verses 4-6, he presented theunifying facts around which all must rally and uponwhich all must build. In verses 7-11, he set out theunifying gifts—those necessary functions, or offices,to provide the practical machinery to accomplish the unifying work described in verses 12-16. All of that wasdesigned to bring every Christian to spiritual maturity so that he could contribute his part toward the edifying of the body and the increase of the saved.That is the unity of the Spirit. Anything else is a poorsubstitute. Such unity requires a common standard of authority and a mutual respect for that standard andthe God who gave it. Paul said "let us walk by thesame rule, let us mind the same thing" (my emphasis,CWA) (Phil. 3:16), In Phil. 4:9 he said "Those things,which ye have both learned, and received, and heard,and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be withyou." The ecumenical movements of denominationalism have never succeeded because they have not come to grips with the need for common rule, for "one faith" originating in the mind of the "one God."

Love is also extolled in scripture and absolutely essential to our spiritual well-being. But scriptural love ismore than a warm sentiment. The real proof of love for the Lord is in obedience to what he said. "If ye love me,keep my commandments" (Jno. 14:15). "But whosokeepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him" (1 Jno. 2:5). "By this we know that we love the children of God,when we love God, and keep his commandments. Forthis is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (1 Jno. 5:23). Anything called "love" which ignores these basictruths or which attempts to short circuit them, is noteven akin to the love the Bible describes.

An Oddity

It is nothing short of amazing that a movementwhich says so much about love and unity has done somuch to destroy both among brethren. The so-called "New Unity Movement" has succeeded in dividing churches (I can cite places), undermining theoversight of elders, gendering strife, alienating parents and children, and in luring unsuspectingyoung hearts first to tolerate error (under the guiseof love) and then to embrace it (under the mistakennotion that this is unity). Thus, we have twistedlove, and warped unity.

The Source of the Movement

What is the source of this movement? The answer is simply: denominationalism. Let Carl Ketcherside tell us himself:

"We are wholly sympathetic to the 'call of renewal' as voiced by our religious neighbors in ecumenical circles. We congratulate and commend them for their recognition that ourpresent state is abnormal and for their concernwhich prompts them to want to do somethingtangible to remedy it. What they have said andwritten has affected a great many of us who would not like to credit them for an impact upon our thinking, but they have draggedand pulled some of us into the twentieth centuryquite against our wills." (W. Carl Ketcherside,MISSION MESSENGER, July, 1967, p. 98).

It is clear from this that the movement spawnedby the views of Ketcherside and fellow-travelers finds its impetus in the ecumenical spirit of denominationalism. This spirit extends to the notionthat:

"There are children of God dispersed amongthe various sects" (ibid. October, 1964, p. 150). "In our fragmented world God's sheep are scattered over the sectarian hills" (ibid. January,1968, p. 8).

This is even pressed to include the idea that theunimmersed are at least quasi-Christians:"All who believe the Message but have not yetbeen delivered through baptism, are God's children in prospect and my brethren in prospect."(ibid. December, 1964, p. 182). To all of this Leroy Garrett would supply the following:

"Is there really any way to pursue the unityfor which Christ prayed except throughdenominational structure, since our Movementis now several denominations..." (LeroyGarrett, FELLOWSHIP, March, 1974, p. 2).

The movement has borrowed generously from Calvinistic theology, particularly in regard to the doctrine of the imputed personal righteousness ofChrist to the sinner to compensate for his own shortfalls. This is merged with a concept of grace which argues that God's grace

becomes an umbrella wide enough to cover instrumental music, Premillennialism, liberalism, and like errors.The distinction between Gospel (to be preached to thesinner) and Doctrine (to be taught to the Christian) isthen used to argue that our differences of doctrine arenot really that important. These are to be viewed not asmatters of faith, but matters within the faith. It is herethat Romans 14 is applied to cover all such things, agross misuse of the passage. The theory mixes orangesand apples by confusing items which concern personalscruple with those which have to do with corporateteaching, worship or function.

Spirit of the Movement

This movement began to catch on among some of thebrethren in the days of the revolt against the VietnamWar (The 1960's) and capitalized on the restlessness ofyouth and its disillusionment with the "establishment."This spilled over into the religious realm. It flatteredbright young people with restless spirits into thinkingof themselves as progressive, daring and far more enlightened than their "legalistic" and "Pharisaical" brethren who were wedded to "traditionalism." These became virtual "buzz words" of the movement. Theyspeak much of being "free in Christ" (one adherent inTexas wrote a book by that name, and some congregations identified with the movement speak of themselves as "free churches"). They tell us we should preachChrist and not the church. They are forever being misunderstood. When knowledgeable brethren begin toclose in on them and expose their errors, they cry "misrepresentation." The rest of us are just too slow-wittedto REALLY understand what these self-confessed "enlightened ones" are able to see but somehow cannot explain in understandable language.

Fruit

Make no mistake about it, this spirit is at the center ofthe present courtship between the conservative Christian Churches and some of our liberal brethren. Ten years ago, a well-respected writer and teacher at one ofthe larger liberal colleges told me that the faculty andstudent body of that school were laced with those whosubscribed to the views of Ketcherside. In the late 1960's and into the 1970's, many of us watched sadly asa number of bright young men bought the package anddeserted the truth. Some of these have now completedtheir journey beyond Jesus and into denominationalism. Some are now in the Christian Church. Some became so bitter and cynical that they lost their power forgood. Some are no longer preaching. Some of us whotried to address the growing problem were viewed asalarmists and charged with having created an issue sowe could appear as heroes in saving the brethren fromthis imaginary villain. Rather than face the issue, some decided they were just "sick of reading about it" anddecided it was just a preacher, or a paper, fuss. Some ofus still bear the marks of the wounds of "friends." I am convinced that the liberals have a far worse problemwith it than the more conservative brethren do, thoughwe are not free of it. I continually run into it in variousplaces where I go for gospel meetings.

There is a need for elders to be alert, informed, anddetermined to guard the flock. There is a need for gospelpreachers to be informed and to "preach the whole counsel of God." Young Christians need to examine what ispresented to them in light of what the Bible teaches andnot be deceived by catchy phrases, buzz words and other ploys from those who speak much of love andunity but whose actions speak louder than their prettywords.

WAYNE EARNEST PASSES

On September 13 Wayne Earnest passed from thislife. He and his wife, Linda, were in Tampa, Florida, atthe time. They had traveled there, taking their youngest son, Stephen, to enroll him as a student at FloridaCollege. During the family's stay in the Tampa area Wayne was stricken with a massive heart attack. Hewas hospitalized immediately and the family was informed that all vital signs were failing and there waslittle hope. Linda and Stephen were joined quickly byDavid, Wayne's eldest son, and Cathy Osment, Linda's sister, both from the Memphis, Tennessee, area. Waynelingered for several days as the family kept their painfulvigil at his bedside. He never recovered consciousness.

At his passing arrangements were made to conductfuneral services in Memphis, Wayne and Linda's familyhome. On the day of the service, September 16, a host offriends and brethren from several surrounding statesfilled the chapel of the Memorial Park complex in thatcity. Among them were a large group of brothers andsisters in Christ from the East Central church in Tulsa,Oklahoma, with whom Wayne had labored some sixyears at the time of his passing. Scores of gospelpreachers traveled great distances to pay tribute to ahighly respected fellow-laborer in the gospel and to offercomfort to Linda and the boys. I was honored by thefamily with a request to conduct the service.

At this point I find it difficult to continue writing.The same emotions that overwhelmed me and all who were in attendance at the funeral are once again as vividand heart-rending as they were on the day of the service.The tears flow unbidden down my cheeks as they did onthe day I tried to speak to the friends and family of thisgood man. He was only fifty years old. He was in hisprime, ready to accomplish, in the years of his maturity,even more for the Lord than he had in the days of earlymanhood. I recall the words of one of the aged brethrenfrom Tulsa. "We don't even know where to begin to lookfor someone to replace him," and I am made to feel anewthe sense of tragedy and loss that all of us felt on thatday.

Wayne was a giver. He gave himself to the Lord, tohis family, to his brethren and to his fellowman generally. He gave of his talents in his preaching and he gaveof his material goods, over and over again, to any ofwhose need he had knowledge. I recall a day in Bowling Green, Kentucky, when I thought my troubles were toomany for me to take much time or give much help to a young man traveling through that city. I sent him frommy study with nothing. About an hour later I received a phone call from Wayne explaining that a young man(the same young man) had come to him for help. Waynesaid he had put the fellow up in a motel room in town (athis own expense, of course) because his house was full up—and did I think there was anything I could do aboutfeeding the man because Wayne had spent all he had!That was Wayne Earnest. I am certain I could findmany brethren who would testify that Wayne wastaken advantage of, occasionally. But I am equally certain that none is to be found who knows of an instance in which Wayne allowed covetousness, under the guise ofcaution, to withhold his hand from a neighbor. He simply did not think of himself if he felt others were in need.As a preacher Wayne was a happy combination ofcongeniality and courage. On the day of the funeral Iheard one preacher after another say, "Wayne was justabout the best natured fellow there ever was, but hewould not back off from the truth for anybody." Andthat is certainly so. He was always courteous and cheerful. Yet I have seen him work under conditions that would infuriate many of us. His delightful sense of humor seemed never to desert him, even in the most trying circumstances. But his honesty and his unequivocalcommitment to God's truth would not suffer him to compromise it. In all the places he lived and workedlocally and in the numerous communities where hepreached in meetings there is no question what he stoodfor nor his willingness to tell it.

I can scarcely write of Wayne's relationship with hisfamily. On the day of the funeral the depth of Linda's love for Wayne and the respect and esteem in which hehas held by his two sons was so plainly written oneverything they said and did that the hearts of all inattendance were rent with grief for them. In this day oftroubled homes and shaky marriages it needs to be saidthat Wayne set an example for all of us. To see Lindastanding by the coffin, stroking Wayne's hair, hour after hour, weeping inconsolably, was to know that sheloved him with all her heart. And to see David and Stephen attending their mother's every need while choking on their own tears was to know that Wayne wasappreciated in his own home. He practiced the samegospel there that he preached in public. He was thesame man in the privacy of his home that he was in the pulpit.

Wayne Earnest was a simple man who made no pretense of being a person of great importance. As Walton Weaver said, on the day of the funeral, "Wayne just dida good work wherever he went. . ." And by thus humbling himself he became the person of great importancethat it was not his primary aim to become. How manymountains Wayne moved by "just doing a good work" we'll have to wait for the judgment to know for certain.But there were many, as those whom he taught, baptized, trained and befriended testified on the day of hisburial. I know all who knew Wayne and read this joinwith me in extending their genuine sympathy to Lindaand David and Stephen.

Don Bassett Nashville, TN

"GOOD NEWS FROM A FAR COUNTRY"

"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news froma far country" (Pr. 25:25). It may be that advances incommunication have tended to make any kind of newscommonplace, but a bit of good news by phone, byletter, or by word of mouth is still refreshing.

In August of 1985, I received a letter from Mr. RubenBaroro, in the Philippine Islands. He had been "baptized" in two different denominations, and could notunderstand why he was not invited to preach inchurches of Christ on the errors of Premillennialism. He had seen my name in an issue of Searching The Scriptures, and decided to ask my advice. I wrote aletter to him, explaining his predicament as best Icould in the light of the scriptures. I further advisedhim to contact a Filipino preacher in whom I have theutmost confidence.

A few days ago, I received another letter from Mr.Baroro, by this time brother Baroro, if I understandboth him and my Bible correctly. He had made a journey from Siocon to Ipil in the province of Zamboanga,and after talking with brother Cesar Caadan, was baptized into Christ. Whereupon, he returned to his home,and converted a premillennial preacher and his whole congregation.

All the news from the Philippines during the past fewyears has not been so good. But, a lot of their problemswere American-made, and imported to the Philippines.Realizing this, some of us are still working to salvagewhat we can of the cause of Christ in the Philippines,and our efforts are bearing fruit even in the face of otherefforts designed to destroy or hinder the cause of Christin that country.

Many factors entered into the conversion of brotherBaroro. My personal involvement includes three visitsto the Philippines, over a period of forty years, alongwith the correspondence and speaking engagementsconnected with those trips. I'm sure that there are other factors, involving other individuals, some of which factors may only be known to God alone.

But, one link in the chain of events which led to myopportunity to become involved in brother Baroro'sconversion was an article which I had written in Searching the Scriptures. And, had not someone madeit possible for that particular issue to fall into the handsof one who was searching for the truth, my effortswould have been in vain. Several, including the editorof Searching

the Scriptures, have made it possible for those in thePhilippines to learn the truth through the printed page,or to be placed in contact with someone who could teachthem the truth. The Filipino people are especially receptive to printed material, and will literally "wear out" a piece of printed matter by reading it and passing it on toothers.

We all know that only the truth as revealed in theword of God can save those who hear it, believe it, andobey it. But, we have to get people in touch with thattruth somehow. Why not consider the opportunity ofteaching the lost by subscribing to a publication such asSearching the Scriptures? Send it to those who need such teaching, both in and out of the church.Send it in the form of birthday presents, Christmaspresents, or get a bundle and pass them out. Pay thecost of having subscriptions or bundles sent to thePhilippines or some other foreign country. Maybe yourefforts will become a "link" in a chain of events that may lead to someone's conversion to Christ, or thestrengthening of someone who is already a Christian.

Brother Adams has not solicited this article, thoughhe has asked me for suggestions as to how he can increase the circulation of the paper which he edits. I haveno official connection with Searching the Scriptures,or with any other publication, but I do appreciate theefforts of its editor to disseminate the truth by means ofthe printed page, even as I also appreciate the efforts ofsimilar editors and writers.

I am partial to the work in the Philippines, not because it is any more important than other nations, butsimply because of my opportunities in that respect, andmy ability to communicate with the Filipino people inthe English language. May God bless those whose opportunities and paths lead them elsewhere, but let us alldo what we can, where we can, while we can. Only thelongsuffering of God has brought us this far (2 Pet. 3:9). May it continue until the summer is over, the harvest isin, and our souls are saved (Jer. 8:20).

THROUGH THE CILICIAN GATES

By the time we had filled the car with "regular benzin" at Eregli the sun was slowly sinking behind us.Eregli is the site of ancient Heraklea of Cappadociawhere the Crusaders were defeated by the Turks in A.D.1101. The saints addressed by Peter in his epistles livedin Galatia and Cappadocia (1 Pet. 1:1). We continuedeast along the north side of the Taurus mountains. Theywere beautiful and had the most snow we had seen. By 8

P.M. we turned south on E5, one of the main highwayswhich runs from Europe through Istanbul and Ankaraall the way to Antakya. Just as we were about to begin our descent which would take us through the CilicianGates we were detained because of an accident. After about 20 minutes we pulled away and counted morethan 150 trucks backed up. Trucks, so vital to the movement of the produce of the country, seem to outnumbercars about 10 to 1 in Turkey. With so many trucks on atwo-lane mountainous road the next two and a half hours to Tarsus would be difficult and tiring.

With no guard rails it was probably best that we couldnot see anything but the road. Several times Raymondreminded me that there was nothing but a steep drop onthe right. We talked a lot about the importance of thispass through the Taurus mountains. We knew that theHitties, Alexander the Great, the Romans, and the Crusaders had gone this way before us. Most likely Pauland Silas went this way as they went through Syria andCilicia, strengthening the churches (Acts 15:40-41).The hotel at Adana was a welcome sight after a long,arduous, but satisfying day.

Antioch on the Orontes

Our fourth day would take us to Antioch of Syria. Weheaded east from Adana for some distance and then turned south along the Mediterranean. Near this pointis the plain of Issus where the armies of Alexander andDarius fought in 333 B.C. Continuing south, the plainsoon narrowed to about a mile between the mountains and the sea. We realized that this had been the land bridge to bring the ancient powers, Hittites, Macedonians, Romans, and Crusaders to Palestine. Eventuallythere was no plain; the mountains tapered down to the sea. Modern engineers had made it much easier for usby cutting a road through the mountains. We suspectedthat Barnabas must have gone this way when he wentto Tarsus to look for Saul (Acts 11:25). Soon we came toIskenderun, the former Alexandretta. Iskenderun is the Turkish word for Alexander. The city had beenfounded by Alexander the Great after his victory overthe Persians in 333 B.C.

Antioch was founded on the Orontes River by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 B.C. The city is about 18 milesfrom the sea and is the most famous of 16 Antiochs built by Seleucus and named for his father Antiochus.Four of these cities are mentioned in the New Testament (Antioch of Syria, Pisidian Antioch, Seleucia, andLaodicea). Antioch continues today as Antakya with apopulation of about 95,000.

The Romans came in 64 B.C. and put an end to Seleucid rule. Antioch became the capital of the new province of Syria. It became the third greatest city of theRoman empire after Rome and Alexandria. Some haveestimated that in New Testament times the populationof the city neared a half million. Even Herod the Greatassisted Augustus and Tiberias in beautifying the city.

After Jerusalem, Antioch was the second great centerof Christianity in New Testament times. When the disciples were scattered from Jerusalem after the stoningof Stephen, some came to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene and preached to Greeks as well as Jews (Acts11:19-21). Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch, had been oneof the seven chosen to serve in Jerusalem (Acts 6:5). When the church at Jerusalem, some 300 miles away,heard of the new work they sent Barnabas. When the work became too much for him he left for Tarsus to look for Saul. The two of them labored at Antioch for a whole year and the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch (Acts 11:22-26).

The famine which hit Judea in the days of Claudius (C.

A.D. 46) provided an opportunity for the disciples atAntioch to show their love for the brethren in Judea. They sent relief by the hands of Barnabas and Saul(Acts 11:27-30). John Mark, a relative of Barnabas (Col.4:10), seems to have returned to Antioch with them(Acts 12:25). The church at Antioch was noted for itsteachers and prophets. Under the guidance of the HolySpirit they sent out Barnabas and Saul on the firstjourney (Acts 13:l-3). Upon completion of the journeythey returned to Antioch, made a report to the church,and spent a long time there with the disciples (Acts14:26-28). Paul and Silas set out from Antioch on thesecond journey and eventually returned there at the endof the tour (Acts 15:35ff; 18:22-23).

Not all was peaceful in the church at Antioch. It wasto Antioch that Judaizers came from Jerusalem, insisting that the Gentile converts be circumcised and keepthe law. Cephas was among those who spent some timeworking at Antioch; here he played the hypocrite inrefusing to eat with Gentiles and was rebuked by Paul(Acts 15:1-2; Gal. 2:11-21). As a result of the Jerusalemconference, what was possibly the first Spirit-directedletter written to any church was the short one addressed to Antioch (Acts 15:23-30).

There wasn't a great deal to see in Antakya. The city,in the Hatay province of Turkey, was restored to Turkey from Syria in 1939. We weren't far from the Syrianborder. We visited the museum which has a fine collection of fourth century A.D. mosaics from nearby Daphne. Statues and busts of several emperors illustrate the strength of the Roman empire for severalcenturies. A concrete channel has been constructed to direct the Orontes through the city and to control flooding. The Orontes is the largest river of the Levant, being about 170 miles in length. By early afternoon the sunwas shining perfectly on Mount Silpius which rises eastof the city. An aqueduct built during the time of Trajannow lies in ruin. (Seleucia and Tarsus in the next article.)

MAY THE GUILTY PARTY REMARRY?

QUESTION: My friend holds the view that "except for fornication" in Matt. 19:9 is the reason given forbreaking the marriage bond and allows both parties toremarry and be approved of God. He reasons that sincethe marriage is broken, there can be no adultery. Whatdo you think?

ANSWER: The verse states in full: "And I say untoyou, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be forfornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away dothcommit adultery." The phrase, "except for fornication,"modifies the one who puts away and not the "put away"party. Those who interpret Matt. 19:9 to allow theguilty to remarry would have to make it read, "Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication,and shall marry another, committeth adultery: andwhoso marrieth her which is put away, except it be forfornication, doth commit adultery." They have "except for fornication" modifying the person put away as well as modifying the "putting away" on the part of the innocent person.

Statements of Language Professors

Leonard Latkonski, professor Classic Language,Bellarmine College, Louisville, Ky., said: "In Matt. 19:9the original Greek text translated 'except for fornication' modifies the 'putting away' on the part ofthe man and does not modify the person who is putaway."

Dr. J. Cobert, English Dept. Head University ofGeorgia, stated: "I and a graduate student in Linguistics agree that the phrase 'except for fornication' should not be read into the second clause."

Donald A. Drury, English Dept., Long Beach CityCollege, said: "The modifying clause (except it be forfornication) applies only to the first person mentioned,in the first half of the sentence. It does not apply, grammatically or syntactically, to the person ('whoso marrieth her who is put away') in the second half of the sentence." (Quotes from Melear-Williams Debate.)

Hence, in Matt. 19:9 Jesus is saying that ALL put

away persons who remarry are committing adultery. If

a person is put away for incompatibility and he/she

remarries, that person is committing adultery. If a per

son is put away for fornication and he/she remarries,

that person is committing adultery. Furthermore, ALL

those who do the putting away and remarry are com

mitting adultery, unless the putting away is for fornica

tion. Though the innocent party is no longer bound to

the marriage partner who has been put away because of

fornication, the guilty partner remains bound by the

law of God, and God says that the one put away com

mits adultery if he/she marries another.

But someone asks: "What about a woman who is putaway (divorced) by a man simply because the man nolonger wanted to be married? Fornication is not involved and the woman repeatedly tried to prevent thedivorce, but to no avail. After a couple of years the manmarries another woman. Is the 'put away' woman then free to marry?" She certainly is, if she puts away herhusband for fornication. She would have to do this before God in purpose of heart since the divorce has already taken place, legally speaking. She could not gothrough the process of having a legal document charging her husband with "adultery," but God would know.And after all, the contract is with God and courts ofmen cannot bind together a man and woman in marriage, neither can they loose them.

Certainly, we should comply with the civil law as longas it is in harmony with the Word of God, but we shouldalways keep in mind that marriages, and divorces, aremade in heaven and not at the county courthouse. Rightand wrong are regulated by the Lord and not by thecounty clerk or probate judge. Jesus never predicateddivorce and remarriage on who beats the other to thecourthouse and files for divorce. In some cultures the "putting away" may not even involve legal procedures. But whatever the procedure, only the party who has puthis/her mate away for fornication may scripturally remarry.

It seems to me if the guilty party has the right toremarry as well as the innocent party, there would havebeen no need for Jesus to have discussed the matter at all. The "except" would, therefore, become completelyinsignificant.

"POPE TO PETITION MARY FOR NATION'S PROTECTION"

Roman Catholicism centers around Mary as much, and in some ways more, than Jesus Christ. Mary isvenerated, idolized, worshipped and prayed to and through.

An article by the Associated Press under the aboveheading appeared in the nation's newspapers Sept. 5,1985. It said in part:

"VADUZ, Liechtenstein—Pope John Paul II willspend Sunday in Liechtenstein and dedicate this tiny Roman Catholic principality to the protection of theVirgin Mary, as its ruler did when the Nazis stood at itsborders 45 years ago.

"A nation of 60 square miles and 26,700 people—85percent of them Catholic—Liechtenstein last month announced it was establishing diplomatic ties with theVatican. The Roman Catholic Church is the state church here.

"It was on March 25, 1940, when Nazi troops were atLiechtenstein's frontiers, that Franz Josef went to theChapel of Our Lady of Consolation in the village of Dux and dedicated his country to the Virgin Mary, petitioning for her special protection.

"John Paul's visit falls on the Feast of the Birth of the Virgin Mary. The Aug. 15 Feast of the Assumption, marking the taking up of the body and soul of the VirginMary into heaven after her death, is a national holidayin Liechtenstein."

One of the books circulated by the Knights of Columbus of the Catholic Church is a 48-page work entitled"Yes, the Mother of God WILL Help you." The chaptersare entitled: "Is Catholic Devotion to Mary Justified? /Did God have a Grandfather? / Yes, Mary was TheVirgin Mother of God! / Has the Mother of Christ anyRelation to You? / Mary Rejoiced in God - Her Savior! /No... Mary did not Moulder in the Grave / "All Generations shall call Me Blessed" / The Prayers of Mary HelpEveryone / The Mary Catholics Honor is in the Bible." Iwish that all of you could read this book on Mary.

The three basic errors which the Catholic Church has dreamed up concerning Mary are: (1) Immaculate Conception, (2) Perpetual Virginity, and (3) Bodily Assumption. Let us examine these in this order:

1. The invention of the immaculate conception wasto protect Mary from the taint of "original sin"—thebelief that all other people inherit the sin of Adam and are born depraved. Sin cannot be transmitted by genesor through the blood. It is a transgression of law (I John3:4). Jesus said that children are pure and called uponhis disciples to be like them (Matt. 18:3).

1. They teach that Mary remained a virgin all of herlife. The Bible says that Joseph her husband "did notknow her" TILL she brought fourth her firstborn Son (Matt. 1:24-25). "Till" implies that he did "know her"—a term for conjugal relations—AFTER the birth of herfirstborn. The Bible mentions by name the brothers ofthe Lord and refers to his sisters (Matt. 13:55,56). Howcould Mary have borne children and remain a "perpetual" virgin?
2. The newspaper article speaks of the "Feast of theAssumption." The Catholic Church has ruled (relativelyrecently) that Mary was received up in body as well assoul, and, therefore, her body did not "return to theearth" or see corruption as is normal in death. There isnot one word of evidence in the Word of God to supportthis idea, and we don't believe it! It is another inventionof the Roman Church to support a false doctrine.

As we hear Catholics pray to Mary, with such expressions as "Hail, Mary, Mother of God," we might think that the Bible must justify such exaltation. They makemuch of the statement of Gabriel, "Hail, highly favoredone, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" (Luke 1:28 NKJ) To read the three above-mentioned doctrines into that statement requires somewild imaginations or a scripture stretcher!

We understand that the woman chosen of God to provide a body (Gal. 4:4; Heb. 10:5) in which Christwould dwell while on earth would be a special personand remembered in history. But beyond that the Biblesays nothing.

In a similar way, Elizabeth was chosen of God tobring John the Baptist—the forerunner of Christ—into the world (Luke 1:13, 24-25). Both John and Jesus wereconceived under miraculous circumstances (Elizabethwas barren and Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit)and their bodies were made by two great and favored women.

The article says that the pope petitioned Mary forprotection. During the recent earthquake in MexicoCity we heard people say that they were praying to the"Holy Virgin." They teach that she can influence Christand mediate between God and man. Where is there an example of any of the apostles or early Christians praying to or through Mary? Where does the Bible teachthat Mary can bless and protect people or nations? TheBible says there is one mediator between God and man,Jesus Christ (I Tim. 2:5). Christ is our one and only highpriest (Heb. 3:1; 7:25-26) and advocate with God theFather (I John 2:1).

The story is told of two soldiers who were on thebattlefield in war. One of them was wounded and it appeared that he would die. The other one suggestedthat they pray to Mary. The wounded soldier replied,"A sick man needs the doctor, not the doctor's mother."

We plead with our Catholic friends to study the Bible,learn the truth, and come out of that system of superstition, idolatry and man-made doctrines. The Lord

said, "it you continue in My word, then you are Mydisciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and thetruth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32).

IS NOTHING SACRED?

Newspapers around the country ran the AP release(Nov. 24, 1984), "Silent Night, Deadly Night," the Christmas horror film that sparked protests because it features an axe-murderer dressed as Santa Claus, isbeing dropped from distribution by Tri-Star Pictures.

"The film features a man dressed in a Santa Claus suit armed with an ax who carries out a murder spree at Christmas. Commercial for "Silent Night, DeadlyNight" showed Santa swinging an axe at his victims,and firing a pistol."

An organization called "Citizens Against Movie Madness" was launched in Milwaukee to protest the production. After protests widened, three theaters in Milwaukee, two in New York and one in New Jersey all chose tostop screening the picture.

Then on December 17, we read in our hometown newspaper of a man in Burlington, Vt. who was jailed fortelling children there is no Santa. He was at a shoppingmall, harassing Santa Claus and shouting to the littlechildren in line, "There ain't no such thing!"

Following his arrest, the judge told him he could gofree if he promised not to return to the shopping centerand inform on Santa Claus again. But truth was too precious. The principle at stake was too noble for compromise. He had a duty to perform. He could make nosuch promise. So the judge sentenced him to jail. Until after Christmas I presume.

Is nothing sacred anymore?

Actually, I 'm glad the movie was dropped and the nut was jailed.

I have nothing against Santa Claus, the EasterBunny and other such fanciful characters. I enjoy them.Many readers will do doubt disagree, but I see a difference in playing "make believe" with your kids, and inlying to them. I think children have enough innate intelligence to see the difference too.

But wouldn't it be great if people could get as upsetover the movie industry's blasphemy and ridicule of thename of our great God as they became over Santa beingmisused and abused? Probably 90% of the movies playing in Milwaukee, New York, or Huntsville, Al. do violence to God's arrangement of marriage. These movies may not give our children bad dreams at night, butthey're much more likely to turn their lives into nightmares by the subtle influence they exercise.

George Burns, who is almost as old as Santa Claus(certainly old enough to know better) has just made histhird movie in which he stars as God. The title, "OhGod, You Devil" speaks for itself as to the nature of thefilm. I didn't hear about any pickets or protests.

While many teachers in our public schools may not beshouting to the children. "There ain't no such thing asGod!" they're getting the message across. Creation andrevelation are out and evolution is in. God's standard of morality is out and "everything goes" is in. "The buckstops here" is out, and passing the buck is in.

Lord, give us men like "the children of Issachar, menthat had understanding of the time, to know what Israelought to do..." (I Chron. 12:32).

In a grade school science class I learned that by usinga magnifying glass to focus the sun's rays I could starta fire. I would place a piece of paper under my magnifying glass, adjust the distance between the paper and theglass until a small circle of light appeared on the paper.The smaller the circle of light the faster I could start thefire. The magnifying glass gathered the sun's rays andbent them so that they were concentrated in a narrowlydefined area. The heat from all of them, focused on aspecific area, produced fire while the same rays, unfocused, left the paper unaffected.

"What does this have to do with Lord's church?" you may be asking. Doesn't it seem rational that if thepurpose of the church is to make disciples that weshould combine our efforts and focus them narrowly onthe accomplishment of this task? We will never set theworld on fire for Christ in any other way.

Every effort, every energy that we expend should bedirected toward the accomplishment of our purpose.Our purpose will be accomplished depending upon thedegree to which we understand how our work as anindividual relates to making disciples.

If you are a Bible class teacher you should understandthat your class has a particular purpose which contributes ultimately to making disciples. Bible classes areonly expedient if they are used to accomplish God'spurpose for the church. Bible classes are designed toequip Christians so that they can be effective in makingdisciples.

As a teacher do you ever stop to consider whether ornot what you are doing in your class is accomplishing this objective? Sometimes we fail to realize the ultimateobjective of Bible classes and end up having classeswhich do not teach others how to make disciples, butbecome merely intellectual exercises in Bible study. Westudy for the sake of study, and not for the sake ofteaching the lost. When this happens, Bible classesbecome meaningless and boring for we have no outletfor what we learn. If, however, both teacher and studentunderstand the purpose for the class and make it relevant to its objective the class will be stimulating andexciting. The teacher will constantly be pointing outhow the material can be used on a practical level. Thestudent, as he converses with his non-Christian friends,will then use what he has learned to persuade his friendsto become Christians.

Many Christians do not perceive the church as anorganization designed to make Christians. They perceive of it more as an organization designed to keepChristians safe, sort of like a bank that collects money

for safe keeping but does not perceive of itself as afinancial institution designed to make money.

Have you ever considered the impact that your worship has on making the church grow As we assembletogether we have a two-fold objective: 1) to praise God;and 2) to stimulate one another to love and good works.God has a purpose for our worship. It makes his body ofbelievers grow, not only qualitatively but also quantitatively.

Stop and consider what you are doing when you worship. When you observe the Lord's Supper you are proclaiming the Lord's death until he comes (1 Cor. 11:26).This is the essence of the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4), God's power of salvation (Rom. 1:16). When we partake of theLord's Supper we are reminded of the sacrifice Christmade for our sins "and not for ours only, but also forthose of the whole world" (1 Jno. 2:2). We should bereminded of Christ's purpose of seeking and saving thelost and be encouraged to let his purpose be our purposeas we proclaim the gospel to the lost and dying world.

Our singing is designed to "teach and admonish" (Col.3:16). What is the objective of our teaching and admonishing but to encourage one another in the accomplishment of God's work of making disciples?

Every action that we perform as Christians should bedeliberately calculated to contribute to the making of disciples, whether it be cleaning the building, preparingthe Lord's Supper, praying, preaching, reading the Bible, fulfilling the office of overseer or deacon, or makinga comment in a Bible class. We must view our actions from the larger perspective of causing the number of thesaved to increase and the number of the lost to diminish. If this is our perception we will be motivated to dowhat we do with greater enthusiasm and with purpose.

Too many churches and too many Christians are lostin doing things just because they are commanded byGod. They assemble, partake of the Lord's Supper, sing, pray and study the Bible, but they don't realizethat all of these actions are designed to equip Christiansto accomplish their God-given task. As a result, assembling is neglected, the Lord's Supper is observed ritualistically, songs that are sung are sung because of theiresthetic appeal rather than their effectiveness in teaching and admonishing, our prayers are by rote and ourstudy of the Bible is a mere intellectual exercise in"sacred trivia" where we cover the same elementaryprinciples year after year rather than maturing to beable to handle the more advanced things of God.

How do we expect to set the world on fire when we areso out of focus? It's time for us to understand our objective. It's time to understand how what we are commanded to do relates to the accomplishment of ourobjective and it's time for us to concentrate our energieson accomplishing this objective. Just as the power forbending the sun's rays and focusing them is found in themagnifying glass, there is power in the gospel to focusour efforts so the world can be converted. Let us read it, study it and meditate upon it, looking to concentrate itspower so world changing results are produced.

There have been several statements recently in favorof women taking part in church business meetings. I believe we need to give serious thought to some biblicalprinciples that are involved. Before I address that, letme make some remarks that will prevent any misconceptions. I believe that women should be able to expressfeelings and suggest ideas to the leadership of thechurch. Anyone being led should have this kind of relationship with those leading them. It should be true of acitizen and his government, a husband/father and hisfamily, and the members of a church with it's leadership. Any leader should be responsible to this chargeand not "lord it" over them. This doesn't mean he must do everything his charge desires, but he must give dueconsideration to their ideas, feelings, and desires whenmaking his decisions. Women should be able to expresstheir feelings to the leadership of the church and thiscan be done in many different ways.

I think it good, also, to say just what kind of "business meeting" we are talking about. I have seen meetings when all the members came and the purpose was togive everyone a chance to express feelings and newideas, but no decisions were made. It shouldn't take ameeting to get such expression, but I see nothing wrongwith it. Then, there are meetings where there are matters to be taken care of, the leadership of the church isengaged, and decisions are made. It is this latter type ofmeeting to which I will be referring here. So, this is notso much a matter of who can attend a meeting as it is amatter of WHO'S RUNNING THE CHURCH.

True, there are no passages specifically forbiddingwomen to attend business meetings—neither are there any specifically forbidding instrumental music in worship. But, are there no biblical principles that apply? Ibelieve there are. How about I Cor. 11:3? God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of man, and man is thehead of woman. This is a general principle that in I Cor.

14:34 is applied to the church. Paul says that women are"commanded to be under obedience".

Suppose a church is selecting a preacher and thewomen have voting privileges right along with the men.In every church I have ever been a part of the womenoutnumber the men. Suppose the men vote against theprospective preacher and the women vote for him.Therefore, the women win and he is hired. Now, who isrunning the church in such a situation? Now who is thehead of whom? The conclusion is inescapable that thewomen are exercising authority at least equal to, andactually over, the men. In such a situation man is certainly not the head of woman and God's order has beenviolated. This does not mean that the men can never do what pleases the ladies, but that is a lot different thangiving them decision-making authority.

Some have asked on what scriptural basis the womencan be excluded from business meetings, and have asserted that because the women are excluded, that this isa separate organization other than the church meetingto take care of its business. It is done on the same scriptural basis that the members are excluded fromelders' meetings. Is an elders' meeting something other than the church taking care of it's business? I don't believe so. Are women REALLY "justified" in feeling they "are not a part of the work of the church" if theydon't get to attend and vote in business meetings? Doesthis mean that all members are justified for feeling the same way if they don't get to attend and vote in elders' meetings? Any argument that can be made on men'sbusiness meetings as it relates to the women can also bemade on elders' meetings as it relates to the members.

Others have said that because the "multitude of disciples" was present in Acts 6:1-6 that that means thewomen had as much decision-making privilege as the men. If that's true, then Acts 15 teaches that thewomen had as much decision-making privilege as the apostles and elders, because the "multitude" was present at that discussion, also (Acts 15:4, 12, 22). Theerror here involved is that the conclusion is unwarranted. It is mere assumption that the women took partin the decision-making. Although the "multitude" waspresent, it was the proper leadership that made theneeded decisions (Acts 15:6). If Acts 6:1-6 puts womenon a par with men in decision-making, then Acts 15 putsboth men AND women on a par with elders in decision-making. Who is willing to accept that?

Brethren, we need to remain true to God's order, nomatter what the philosophy of the world around us.

In 1978 Alexander Solzhenitsyn was asked to address Harvard's graduating class. At that time hespoke on the subject "A World Split Apart" and at thattime he said, " ... the human soul longs for thingshigher, warmer, and purer than those offered by todays .. . intolerable music." What music Mr. Solzhenitsyn hadin mind he did not say, but this much we do know, ourpresent foray of rock and country-western music is definitely not something "higher and purer".

Our young people are being fed a steady diet of sex,drugs, alcohol, homosexuality, incest and infidelity,right under our very noses and in some cases with ourblessings.

Let me hasten to add that while I am not a connoisseur of rock music my dislike for it has nothing to dowith its volume. Many parents could care less whattheir children listen to just as long as they "keep the noise down." So our children retreat to the sanctity oftheir bedrooms, don their headphones, and are exposedto all manner of filth and perversion in the name ofentertainment and all with Mom and Dad's blessings.

Music is more than mere entertainment. Music educates. It motivates. That's precisely what Paul tells usin Col. 3:16 ".. .teaching and admonishing [motivating,RWT] in songs...". You don't have to take my word forit, listen to some insiders in the rock industry.

"Rock radicalizes youth because it estrangesthem from the traditional virtues which theyno longer see as relevant."

(Martin Perlick, president of Disc Records). "We combine youth, music, sex, drugs andrebellion with treason and that's a combination that's hard to beat."

(Jerry Rubin in his book "DO IT"). "If the establishment knew what today'spopular music really is saying, not what thewords are saying, but what the music itself issaying, then they wouldn't just turn thumbsdown on it, they'd ban it, they'd smash all the records and they'd arrest anyone who tried to play it."

(Alfred G. Arnowitz—former music

critic for the New York Post)."Pop music is sex and you have to hit them in the face with it."

(Rolling Stones' manager). And hit them in the face they do with such titles as

"Let Me Put My Love Into You" by AC/DC a professed homosexual group or "Tonight's The Night" by Rod Stewart in which his lover is told to "spread your wings" so Stewart would "come inside." These songsand many more are available to our children at almostany major discount department store. Some of the lyrics are so filthy and so vile that I can't even print them.

Now, perhaps you have already become aware of thepresent trend in what George Wills of the WashingtonPost calls pornographic Rock. Perhaps you have tried,without success, to channel your teenager's musical interests in a more wholesome direction. One of the main reasons our children fail to respond to our pleas isbecause of an inconsistency in parental examples. Whatabout the music to which we listen? Is it any better? Ihave told you what those in the rock music industry hadto say with regard to the value system that rock musicespouses, but is what we listen to any better? Listen towhat Conway Twitty had to say about the influence ofcountry music, "As a country artist, I'm not proud of alot of things in my field. There is no doubt in my mindthat we are contributing to the moral decline in America." Just as soon as Dad gets into the car on goes the"country music". Some might protest "County music ispure Americana. It's apple pie and motherhood", yetsuch could also be said for some "Rock Music" such as Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A.". Lest we make a blanket condemnation, let us understand thatnot all "rock music" advocates sex, drugs, homosexuality, incest and infidelity any more than all "countrymusic" advocates America, apple pie and motherhood.

Tell me, which is worse, Rod Stewart singing "HotLegs" or Conway Twitty singing "You've never beenthis far before"? AC/DC singing "What do you do for money honey?" or Jeannie Seely singing "Take me tobed (and I'll be good.)"?

Our children often see things with far greater claritythan we give them credit and they see the hypocrisy ofdenying them the privilege of listening to their musicwhile Mom and Dad listen to something equally asdemoralizing.

Before you rush in and destroy all those records inyour teenager's room you should be reminded of onething . . . You allowed them to bring them into yourhome and you might have even bought them some ofthem. If we are going to ask our children to alter theirmusical preferences we must be willing to set the properexample by doing the same.

Paul, in writing to the Christians in Philippi wrote"whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever isright, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever isof good repute, if there is any excellence, anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things" (Phil.4:8). When that which we listen to is compared withsuch a criteria how does it measure up? If what we listento does not appeal to the higher, nobler things of life then we must abandon such music in order to pleaseGod. Brethren. . . ." think on these things".

Tetragrammaton—This is the Greek word that refers to the four consonants: J H W H that served to identify the Divine Creator of the universe.

The ancient Jewish people considered the name of theCreator to be so holy, that His Name was not to beexpressed or uttered except upon the most sublime occasions. One could refer to this attitude on the part of the early Israelites as being a 'taboo'. This word made its way into the English language from the Tongantongue, where it was spelled tabu: and, meant something unmentionable or untouchable. In language studies, it is simply the substitution of a different word, for one that for some reason, is NOT to be used. Thus, the consonants (JHVH, IHVH, JHWH, YHVH, and YHWH) were considered too sacred to pronounce.

Since the ancient Hebrew language was written onlyin consonants, it became necessary to insert vowelsbetween the consonants, in order to establish sense andcoherence out of the written message. Now the word for'Lord' was Adonai, and the word for 'God' was Eloah,and its plural, Elohim. Therefore, the Jews used Elohim with JHVH, and produced Jehovih or asmodernly spelled; Jehovah. Or, if they used YHWH with Adonai, they ended up with Yahwah or Yahweh.

God's Ineffable Name

God's name was considered too overwhelming to beexpressed; to awesome or sacred to be spoken. "...Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord"(Genesis 4:26).

Another expression, 'El Shaddai', meaning the Almighty, is used in Genesis 17:1—". . . .the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the AlmightyGod; walk before me and be thou perfect."

"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: andhe said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel,I AM hath sent me unto you" (Exodus 3:14). Before theexodus from Egypt, the Hebrews are recorded to havesimply referred to the Creator as 'Yah'. At this point, before the exodus, God's greatness had not been widelydemonstrated among the Hebrews. But after their deliverance from Pharaoh, God's omnipotence was widelyshown to be a God far beyond any trivial tribal god, ofthe heathen nations and tribes. Thus, after the exodus, 'Yah' was expanded to 'Yahweh'.

Hallelujah

The word 'hallelujah' is a Hebrew word, meaning "Praise ye Yah." And in modern parlance, "Praise yeJehovah". The Greek word meaning the same is "Alleluia", and used in Revelation 19:1, 3, 4, and 6.

"And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto

Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name

JEHOVAH was I not known to them" (Exodus 6:3).

Whether the word 'Yah',' Yahweh', or 'Jehovah', is

used, it refers to "underived existence", or "the existing

one".

In the Decalogue, Exodus 20:7, reads: "Thou shalt

not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the

Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in

vain." This refers to using the name of the Lord in an

empty or useless manner; in an unauthorized way.

God's name was to be utilized in a manner authorized by

Him, or approved by Him.

The Mishnah

The Mishnah was the first portion of the Jewish Talmud, which was compiled by the Rabbis in about 200

A.D. It contains the essence of Jewish tradition that prevailed shortly after the time of Christ. It decreed severe punishment upon those who uttered the HolyName ... starting: "He who pronounces the name withits own letters, has no share in the future world." The 'magical' use of this designation for Deity continuedlong after its pronunciation had been forbidden. TheTetragrammaton was used by those who asserted thatthey could exorcize demons through the use of thissymbol. The "four letters" are found about 5,500 timesin the Old Testament.

The Septuagint

The Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures,

made a few centuries before Christ, renders Leviticus

24:16, as follows: "And he that names the name of the

Lord, let him die the death: let all the congregation of

Israel stone him with stones; whether he be a stranger

or a native, let him die for naming the name of the

Lord." Modern English versions translate this passage

as "He who blasphemes the name of the Lord . . ." But

the Septuagint dealt simply with 'naming the name of

the Lord' as being punishable by stoning to death.

"And they shall put my name upon the children of

Israel, and I the Lord will bless them" (Numbers 6:27).

By the time of the Septuagint, the word Kurios (Lord)

was being used in lieu of the four letters.

Other Words Combined With 'Jehovah'

Genesis 22:14—"And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, in themount of the Lord it shall be seen." This expressionmeant that the Lord would see, and that the Lord would provide. This was the occasion when Abraham was about to take the life of his son, Isaac. But the Lord saw, and provided a ram as a substitute sacrifice. The ramwas caught in the under-brush by his horns.

Exodus 17:15—"And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi:. . ." Meaning, the Lord ismy banner. The Lord had sworn that war would prevailwith the Amalekites for generations. But the Lord would lead the Israelites victoriously; He would be theirmilitary leader and banner.

Judges 6:24—"Then Gideon built an altar there untothe Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day itis yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites." In the preceding verse, the heavenly messenger, the angel, had spoken toGideon, saying "Peace be unto thee.. ." Therefore, Gideon named his altar 'The Lord is my peace'.

Ezekiel 48:35—"It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be 'The Lord is there' ". The prophet Ezekiel wasgiving the description of the boundaries of the landassigned to the tribes of Israel. Finally, in the 35thverse, the name of the city was given, as "Jehovahshammah"; meaning 'The Lord is present' or 'TheLord is there'. This was referring to the city of Jerusalem. Our English suffix 'salem' means 'peace'.

Conclusion

The truth century compilers of the notes, which supposedly gave the correct rendering of various Old Testament passages, were known as the Masoretes. They collected the 'traditions' and wrote them down. This collection was called the 'Masora', and from this, these scribes were Masoretes. . . .the traditionalists. This was the last major effort to collect the Jewish traditions and catalog them. Meanwhile, the actual pronunciation of the Divine Name of the Lord was lost. No one now knows of a certainty, how the Name was pronounced, when it was pronounced. Most of the time, the Jews avoided pronouncing God's Name.. .by using the 'four letters'.

Send all News Items to: Connie W. Adams, P.O. Box 69, Brooks, KY 40109

WILLIAM C. SEXTON, 6403 NW Roanridge Road, Kansas City,MO 64151—I have moved to Kansas City to work with the Roan Ridge congregation meeting at the above address. We are just off I-29at 64th St., NW, a few miles south of the KCI Airport. My work beganhere July 8, 1985. The congregation is in a new building which is to bepaid off in about three years. I conducted a meeting here since arrival.The growth potential is great. At the present I am short $650 a month in support and would appreciate hearing from any who would be interested in this work. If you have relatives or friends in the area we might help spiritually, please let us know.

DON GIVENS, 411 Hobron Lane, Apt. 3511, Honolulu, Hawaii 96815—We have been in Hawaii since August 1st, and are enjoyinggospel work with the church here. Our membership numbers about 50with Sunday attendance ranging from 75-90. We have many visitorsfrom the mainland almost every week. The membership includes Hawaiians, Filipinos, Samoans and several "mainlanders" here in the military. My monthly support needs have been supplied through1985, but I am in need of $600 more per month as of January 1st. Thecost of living here is 25% higher than on the mainland. Please considerour needs in your budget plans for 1986. Visit us when vacationinghere. We meet at 94-1233 Waipahu Street in Waipahu on the island of Oahu.

TURNERS CANCEL PLANS FOR MOVE TOSOUTH AFRICA

The Allan Turner family has been forced to cancel plans for theirmove to South Africa due to the unrest presently in that country.Currently, white evangelists, who formerly worked among the blacksin surrounding Johannesburg areas, are prohibited from going intothose areas. Two of these men are now working with the Brixtoncongregation where Allan had intended to work. The Turners willremain with the Wendell Avenue church in Louisville, Kentuckywhere they have been working for the last several years.

DEBATE IN TENNESSEE

On October 21, 22, 24 and 25 Howard See of Nashville, Tennessee represented the Expressway church in Wildersville, TN in a debatewith Obie F. Benton of Scotts Hill, TN. Mr. Benton is the head of the independent Church of God, Philadelphian. The Church of God, Philadelphian is closely akin doctrinally to Herbert W. Armstrong's World Wide Church of God. The first debate pertained to the Covenants andincluded "ceremonial" and "moral" distinctions, the "law of God" and the "law of Moses" and whether the Ten Commandments are eternal and binding on Christians today. Five more debates are scheduled andwill cover the " Sabbath" and the " First Day of the Week;" whether the Lord's Supper is to be observed on the first day of the week or on thenight of the Passover in conjunction with the washing of feet. The lasttwo propositions will discuss the origin, name, doctrine and practice of the church. Mr. Benton will attempt to trace the Church of God,Philadelphian back through history to the Apostles. We are sorry wedid not get this notice in time to print it before the first of these six debates occurred, but urge all interested to contact Howard See aboutdetails of the remaining five debates.

GARY EUBANKS, Rt. 2, Box 74U, Niceville, FL 32578—On June 2,1985 the Twin Cities church of Christ met for the first time in its recently purchased building and would like to apprize all interestedparties of the new location. The address is: 92 Eastview Ave., Valparaiso, FL. Turn left off Highway 20 (John Sims Pkwy) onto OkaloosaAve. (3 blocks before Tom's Bayou Bridge) and follow 3 blocks to the intersection with Eastview Ave. We meet from 9 AM-12 on Sundayand 7 PM Wednesdays. We welcome any coming into the Niceville/Valparaiso, Eglin AFB, or surrounding areas to meet with us. Myphone is (904) 678-5596.

WAYNE GREESON, 2131 N. 62nd Ave., Hollywood, FL 33024—After four years of fruitful labor with the Castleton church in Indianapolis, Indiana, we have moved to Hollywood, Florida to work withthe Harding Street church. I wish to publicly thank the followingchurches which helped support me in the gospel in Indiana: W. SecondSt., Bloomington, IN; Spencer, IN; 40th and Emerson in Indianapolis,IN; Stilesville, IN; Southport, Indianapolis, IN; Paris Ave. in Peoria,IL and Valley in Phoenix, AZ. During the four years with Castleton,we grew from 22 to about 55 members and the contribution went from$150 to $500 a week. Ten were baptized and one restored to faithfulness. The Harding Street congregation is a strong, spiritually thrivingchurch of about 95 members and blessed with three hard working elders: Norman Henderson, Clifford Jenkins and Mack Maguire. Ianticipate a challenging and rewarding work. If you are in the Ft.Lauderdale/Miami are, be sure to visit us.

JAIME RESTREPO, Carrera 12 9-42, Manizales (Caldas),Columbia, South America—I am 22 years old today (July 29) andhave been a faithful Christian since my baptism five and a half yearsago. For most of that time I have been preaching the gospel. The pastyear and a half, I have preached here in Manizales. Here, I have beenworking with Hernan Urdinola and have done this work on my ownwithout financial support. Occasionally, the brethren helped me with$20 a month support. Though I am certified to teach math andchemistry, I am not exercising my profession so that I may preachthe gospel. The locations for that work would take me near the Amazon jungle and would prevent me from continuing in the goodwork we have begun in Manizales. I would like to be able to devotemy full time to gospel preaching. Royce Chandler of Mason, Ohioknows me and the work here and would be glad to respond to yourquestions.

JAMES H. JONES, JR., Rt. 1, Box 45 G-l, Summit, MS—Thereare presently no non-institutional congregations in the southwesternsection of Mississippi. The nearest churches are in Jackson, Vicksburg and Hattiesburg, each of which is two hours away. We would like to begin a work in the McComb, Mississippi area. If youknow of interested people in the area, or those contemplating a movethere, please contact me at the above address or phone (601) 2763046. This is an attractive area in which to work and rear a family.

EASTERN PART OF ISABELA, Luzon, Philippines—FromAugust 28-Sept. 1, 1985 we had a preacher training and gospelmeeting at Fugu Sur congregation with Diosdado P. Menor of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, Rody Gumpad of Tuguegarao, Cagayanand Ben Ngislaon of Mt. Province. Brethren Menor and Gumpad didtheir best to preach to the Ibanag tribes. Brother Ngislaon led singing.He knows music well and taught us how to sing better. God blessedour efforts in that 20 were immersed into Christ for the remission of their sins. Ten of these came from the Pentecostal group, six fromthe Adventist and four from the Catholics. Please pray for these.

Report on Preaching in Dominica, West IndiesMIKE VICERY, 44 Pittman Rd., Ocean Springs, MS 39564—I amhappy to tell you of a preaching trip in an area not far away, whichmay be reached inexpensively and where there is little or no languagebarrier. It is the English speaking Carribean, Belize in Central America and Guyana in South America. In early August, 1985, Gary Henry and I traveled to Dominica, located between Guadeloupe and Martinique, about 250 miles north of Grenada. The purpose of Gary Henry's trip was to help Ernest Roberts establish a congregation in Paix Bouche by holding an open air gospel meeting.

Ernest Roberts is a native of Dominica and a sound gospel preacher.He returned to Dominica about a year ago. Before Gary's trip, he hadestablished a congregation in the capital city of Roseau. He nowpreaches in Roseau on Sunday mornings and then travels to PaixBouche (about an hour and half drive) to preach on Sunday evenings.He is a solid, sound, mature, well grounded, extremely hard working man who deserves our support. In coming to a knowledge of the truthErnest first rejected Catholicism, then denominationalism and finally,liberalism. Each decision brought with it persecution and hardship.

Gary Henry used a public address system and spoke on the streetcorner each night. Obstacles included rain, passing vehicles, and a "madman" who followed us about. Despite all this, the meeting waswell attended and the people asked many questions. The last nightthere we were able to rent a meeting place from a man with whom wehad studied. Such places are hard to find. Most of the homes are toosmall and a hurricane in 1979 destroyed most of the public buildings.Since then, Ernest Roberts has reported that there are now fourfamilies in regular attendance at the Sunday evening services and thatthey usually have other visitors. Gary did an excellent job of adaptingto the setting and presented excellent lessons. Brother Roberts reports that the people are still discussing the things Gary taught.

We were impressed with the concern shown for the word of God andhad one or more studies almost every day. We also visited with liberal brethren in other areas on the island. They appeared anxious to studyand seemed open minded. Materialism, denominationalism, communism and liberalism are all making steady progress in this part of theworld. The door is open now to help and we must not fail to teach whilethere is opportunity. For further information you may contact me atthe above address, or Gary Henry in Louisville, Kentucky.

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NEW LOCATION IN PORT WORTH ROBERT L. GABHART, 7025 N. Beach St., Ft. Worth, TX 76137— The N. Beach St. church (then N. Ft. Worth church) beganmeeting April 18, 1982 with an attendance of 60. After a year, KenBlankenship and Bob Jobe were appointed as elders. We have six deacons. We now average just over 100 in all services. On July 7,1985 we began to meet in our new building at 7025 N. Beach Street,two miles north of Loop 820 which encircles Ft. Worth. Beach Streetwill become a six-lane divided highway in the future. The Summerfield subdivision in which the building is located will eventually have 25,000 residents and other subdivisions are alreadyplanned for another five miles north of Beach Street. In the first twomonths in our building 25 families have visited from the area. Twofamilies have placed membership, two others attend all services and there are countless opportunities for visiting and studying theBible. The elders are planning special classes and series to meet theneeds of the congregation and the community. Visit with us when inthis area. For other information call the building at (817-232-2568 or call me at (817) 282-7996.

MARY L. CAMPBELL Mary Campbell, wife of Charles M. Campbell, passed away on August

29. Her funeral was conducted September 3 in Akron, Ohio. She wasjust over 80 years old and the Campbells had been married about 60 years at the time of her death. The last several years had been difficultfor her due to lingering illness. She obeyed the gospel while attending the Tabernacle Meetings held by N. B. Hardeman at the RymanAuditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, approximately 60 years ago.

Brother Campbell has done extensive preaching in many places andhas been noted as an orator. In anticipation of her death, he hadrecorded an eloquent and moving tribute to his wife which was playedto the audience at the funeral. Jerry Cook, of Phoenix, Arizona, assisted, Singers from the Brown Street church sang, "Be With me, Lord", "No Tears in Heaven" and her favorite song, "Meet me There."Beautiful flowers were everywhere, and friends from the area filled the chapel. If you would like to send a card to brother Campbell, hisaddress is: 67 E. Sunrise Boulevard, Mogadore, OH 44260.

MIKE HUGHES, P.O. Box 75, Joaquin, Texas 75954—On September 1, 1985 we began working full time with the church here. We are located on Hwy. 84 west, about 3 miles from Logansport, LA and theToledo Bend Reservoir. One has been restored so far. Attendance is around 35 on Sunday mornings. I am in need of additional support.Please add me to your bulletin mailing list.

WELDON GANN, 3596 N. 10th, Abilene, TX 79603— After preaching for nine years in Graham, Texas, I am now working with theSouth 14th and Oak St. church in Abilene. Our new phone number is

(915) 675-0302.

PREACHERS NEEDED GRAHAM, TEXAS—The Hillside church in Graham is looking fora man to help preach the gospel in this area. Those interested maywrite them at P. O. Box 751, Graham, TX 76046, or call T. P. Herring at

(817) 549-0140 or 549-5456.

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA—The German School Road church in Richmond needs a full time man to preach the gospel. This congregation was established in 1969 and has a present membershipof 50 with attendance about 65. We have an active personal work program and a strong Bible class teaching program. Our building mortgage is to be paid off in four years. Prefer a man with minimumof 3-5 years experience. Contact Steve Legat, 6301 Daleshire Dr. N.E., Richmond, VA 23234. Phone (804) 275-5837 (after 6 PMweekdays).

HOUMA, LOUISIANA—The church in Houma needs a gospelpreacher. We can supply only partial support. Anyone interested maycall Sam Cooper at (504) 876-9212, or write Sam Cooper, 106 Mary Beth Ave., Houma, LA 80364.

PINELLAS PARK, FLORIDA—The Skyview church needs a mature, experienced man for full time work. Congregation has muchtalent and potential. Please contact Walter Taylor (813) 527-1853, orDon Greenlee(813) 544-8321 (evenings).

IN THE NEWS THIS MONTH BAPTISMS 235 RESTORATIONS 66 (Taken from bulletins and papers received by the editor)