THE NATURE OF THE REVELATION OF GOD
The apostle Paul gave Timothy a charge to "preach theword; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke,exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time willcome when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but,having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers aftertheir own lusts; and will turn away their ears from thetruth, and turn aside unto fables" (2 Timothy 4: 2-4, ASV).Paulaffirmed thathe wrotethe commandmentofthe Lord by the inspiration of the HolySpirit(1 Cor. 14: 37;Eph.3:25; Gal. 1: 11-12; 1 Cor. 2: 10-13). That means that the chargehewrote to Timothy was the commandmentof God. Italsomeans that some will turn away their ears from God's revealed truth and seek out false doctrines. That is the beginning of most of our problems.
Revelation means "an uncovering" of something not before known, and is related to "the mystery" as it wasrevealed by the Holy Spirit through the apostles (Rom. 16:25, 26). It is the "laying bare, revealing; manifestation" ofsomething before unknown, and probably unknowable,until one could make the REVELATION. Paul said that by revelation God made known unto him the mystery,which was not known in former ages, and that it was donenow by the Spirit (Eph. 3: 2-5). The mystery pertains to thatwhich was in the mind of God, which only God could reveal(1 Cor.2: 10, 11), and He did soby the HolySpirit through WORDS given to the apostles and inspired men. This wasdone by "speaking
words" (1 Cor. 2: 13; Matt. 10: 19, 20). The Spirit givenwords are far more important than the words of mortals,and must be respected even as the Person who spoke them.
Divine Channel ofRevelation
God is theultimate source of divine revelation. Jesussaid: "ForI have not spoken of myself; but theFather which sentme, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, andwhat I should speak" (John 12: 49). All who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, believe him to have supreme authority in heaven and in earth from the righthand of God. But he said while he was upon earth that hedid NOT SPEAK OF HIMSELF, but spoke only what theFather gave him! (verse 50).
Jesus Christ is now exalted at the right hand of theFather and has been made both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:33, 36); He gave him ALL AUTHORITY in heaven and onearth (Matt. 28: 18). God speaks to us now only in His Son,Jesus Christ (Heb. 1: 1, 2).
Notice that God "speaks" by or in His Son to this age. Thatmeans to talk; to give utterance. It is necessary to use WORDS in giving utterance in any language.
When Christ "speaks" with the authority given to him,he must also use WORDS. He said his "words" are spirit andlife (John 6: 63). We are required to obey these words. He said: "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). InJohn 15: 7 Jesus teaches: "If ye abide in me,and mywordsabide in you, ye shallask what yewill, and itshall bedone unto you. " He said his words would never pass away(Matt. 24: 35). Finally, he said those who REJECT HIM,and RECEIVE NOT HIS WORDS, will be judged by hisword in the last day (John 12: 48).
Jesus told his apostles to "tarry ye in the city ofJerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high"(Luke 24: 49; Acts 1: 8). He told them that the Holy Spiritwould "teach you all things, and bring all things to yourremembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John
14: 26). He also told them that the Spirit of truth would "guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself;but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and hewill shew you things to come" (John 16: 13). The Holy Spirit did not speak of himself,butspoke what he heard.
Acts 1: 2 tells that Christ gave commandments unto theapostles "through the Holy Ghost... " Acts 2: 1-4 revealsthat the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles on Pentecostfollowing the resurrection of Christ, "And they were allfilled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with othertongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. " Christ gave thecommandment, the Holy Spirit revealed it by WORDS inthe mouths of the apostles. They spoke and wrote it (1 Cor.
2: 13; Gal. 1: 11, 12; 1 Thess. 2: 13; 1 Cor. 2: 13; 14: 37;Eph. 3: 1-4; 2 Pet. 3: 15, 16).
What Is The Bible?
The Bible is a book apart from all other books that exist.It makes claims, that if not true, would indict it as the greatest fraud ever perpetrated upon man. The writers would be liars, the central figure would be a fraud, the promise false, and the doctrine of it would be as evil as Satanhimself, IF the Bible is not all it claims to be.
But if the Bible is what it claims to be, it is the word of Godand is not in any sense the word of man (1 Thess 2: 13). Infact the Holy Spirit forbids any addition, subtraction or changing in any way the revealed word of God (Rev. 22: 18,19; Gal. 1: 8, 9).
There is no way man can know the true and living God and His will by the wisdom of the world (1 Cor. 1: 21). All truth isin the mind of God. We search for real truth when we search for thatwhichis in the mindofGod.How can I know what is in the mind of God? I cannot do it by comparing how and what I think with what I imagine God thinks, becauseGod's thoughts and ways are not those of a man. As theheavens are higher than the earth, so are God's ways higher than man's ways and God's thoughts higher than man's thoughts (Isa. 55: 8, 9). No one can know God's mind unlessHe reveals it. This is done by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2: 13).Any tampering with these WORDS affects truth as it camefrom the mind of God. That is the very nature of therevelation of God and the inspiration by which it was givento us.
Revelation And Inspiration
Great importance is given to "inspiration" or "the breathed of God" (2 Tim. 3: 16, 17) by which we receivedivine revelation. "Revelation" is what is in the Bible, and"Inspiration" is how it is done. Paul said, "Which things also we speak"—that is revelation; "not in the WORDS which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth"—That is HOW the things are revealed: inspiration (1 Cor. 2: 13). It takes both to make aninfallible book such asthe Bible.
Inspiration alone is not the uncovering of anything, butthe method by which it is done. The gift of unknown tongues(other tongues) was by inspiration of God, yet it did not reveal anything if the person did not know the language. (1Cor. 14: 27, 28). 1 Timothy 3: 16 says that all Scripture isgiven by inspiration. Revelation is uncovering God's mind to man; inspiration is the process by which the Holy Spiritreveals the mind of God. But the very purpose of inspiration is to reveal the mind of God.
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IN MUCH WISDOM IS MUCH GRIEF
In Ecclesiastes, the Preacher grapples with the meaning oflife. In the first six chapters, he explores life. In this sectionhe raises the questions which men have commonly pondered through time. If that were all of the book, itwould leave us with pessimism. In the last six chapters, heexplains what to do with life so that it is rich, full and happy.The wise man himself pursued life with vigor. He gavehimself to many things in seekingwhat was good forman todo "under heaven all the days of his life. " When life is viewed only "under the sun" with no fear of God who formed the sun and fashioned all life under it, it is a perplexing puzzle. Only when it is viewed from the fear ofthe Lord does it have meaning and purpose.
The first pursuit was wisdom. The writer succeeded admirably in gaining that. He said "I am come to greatestate,and havegotten more wisdom than all that havebeenbefore me in Jerusalem: yea my heart had great experienceof wisdom and knowledge" (Eccle. 1: 16). In verse 18 hereaches the conclusion all much reach who seek wisdom "under the sun" but ignore him who reigns above the sun."For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. " Why is this so?
Paul also addressed the issue of human wisdom unaided by divine revelation. "For after that in the wisdom of Godthe world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by thefoolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (1 Cor.
1: 21). The philosophers of Greece reached as high as human reason would allow them to go in trying to unravel the mysteries of life and came away empty. Indeed, Godmade "foolish the wisdom of this world" (1 Cor. 1: 20). Allof this was to the end that "no flesh should glory in hispresence" (1 Cor. 1: 29). "For the wisdom of this world isfoolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wisein their own craftiness" (1 Cor. 3: 19). But what man's eyecould not see, what his ear could not hear, and what hadnot entered his heart, God "revealed... by his Spirit" which searched the deep things of God which man, unaided bydivine revelation could not do (1 Cor. 2: 8-13).
Many professing themselves to be wise have become fools(Rom. 1:21).It is the fool whosaid in his heart "there isnoGod" (Psa. 14: 1). All 261 names signed to HUMANISTMANIFESTO II were of those the world would regard aswise. Many of them were educators. Some were theologians. Some were scientists. All were
well educated. Yet these bright people signed their nameto a document which said "no Deity will save us; we mustsave ourselves. " "We can discover no divine purpose orprovidence for the human species. " "There is no credibleevidence that life survives the death of the body. " Humanwisdom has left them with no idea as to where they camefrom, why they are here and what destiny awaits beyond the grave. In this "wisdom" there is much grief. In a vainattempt to find "the good life, here and now" these have ignored the only true good there is in life. Their approachcaters to the flesh. It encourages sensuality, gratification forthe moment, and leaves those caught in this web full ofemptiness.
It is tragic that so many young people have been caughtin this trap. Many are awed at the worldly knowledge ofhighly acclaimed educators who ridicule the word of Godand poke fun at lives ordered after divine revelation. It isat this point that many have lost their way. At first, theyrevel in their newfound "freedom. " Some are willing toburn all bridges behind them, including the instruction ofgodly parents, preachers and elders. This happens hundreds of times every year on university campusesacross America. The grief of bewildered and disappointedparents is inexpressible. Talk about "Rachel weeping forher children"!
Men of great scientific wisdom have left us with muchgrief. The splitting of the atom created a weapon whichended one war but which holds the world hostage againstanother. Civilized nations hold their breath hoping thatsome mad man will not gain access to such destructiveforces. The great super powers are fearful of each other.The industrial world has made great advances. But alongwith these have come all sorts of problems. We have chemicals to kill insects on vegetables but some men ofwisdom tell us if we eat this produce we will get cancer.Debates rage among wise men over whether or not city water should be fluoridated. The by-products of industry produce toxic waste. What are we going to do with it?Bury it in the ground, some say. But where? Missouri doesnot want it! We live about two miles from what came to be called in the news "The valley of the drums" into which certain companies had dumped hundreds of barrels of toxicwaste. The EPA has cleaned it up, they tell us. What did theydo with it? I don't know, but wherever they hauled it, you can put it down that people there don't want it. Dump it inthe sea, you say. What about the fish? Well, burn it. But whatis to be done with the smoke? We have to breath. We are really wise! And in all the human wisdom is much grief.
In the church of our Lord, theproblem ofhuman wisdomis equally grievous. When men have forgotten that "it is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps, " untold grief has been the result. The divisions of the religiousworld bear evidence of that. In the church of the Lord, onedivision has followed another because some have been unwilling to "walk in the old paths. " They have "hewn outcisterns that can hold no water", "sought out manyinventions" and tried to improve on the infinite wisdom ofGod. Men never try to improve on divine wisdom until theyhave first lostconfidence in it.
The social gospel with all its trappings blossoms onlywhere men have lost faith in the power of the gospel tosave the lost. Men never invented missionary societies andsponsoring churches until they first lost faith in the all-sufficiency, of the local church to do the work God gave it.In such "wisdom" (?) there has been much grief. Churcheshave been divided. Hearts have been broken. Families have been torn apart. Life-long friendships 'have been alienated. And for what? To gratify man's passion to replace divine wisdom with human wisdom.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Psa.
111: 10). Wisdom which did not descend from above is"earthly, sensual, devilish" but that wisdom "that is fromabove is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to beentreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy" (James 3: 13-17).
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither areyour ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yourways, andmy thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa. 55: 8-9).
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If God had revealed His mind to twelve men without giving them words by which they could write and fulfill the great commission of Christ, it would have been worsethan the conflicting denominational creeds of the world.There would be a serious problem in selecting the materialto be included in the Bible, and to know what to exclude(John 20: 30, 31). Imagine these twelve men writing aboutthe trial, crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Christ injust a few paragraphs as it now appears in the New Testament. Such a book would be full of errors from personal prejudices and opinions. There would be errorsof omission, errors in exaggeration, errors in prophecy,errors in scientific and historical information, and muchmore. But the revelation of the mind of God as given by verbal inspiration is accurate, unchangeable and complete.That is what the Bible claims to be.
The Function ofInspiration
It isnotapartof thefunctionof inspirationto create factmaterial. The Holy Spirit did not create the truth, but simply revealed it. Inspiration does not make a fact moretrue, but only enables the writer or speaker to state accurately the facts and truth already existing in the mindof God.
From the fact that WORDS are given by inspiration, andWORDS separate between the doctrine of Christ and thedoctrines of men, it is absolutely essential that we respectevery word that is Spirit given. This is INSPIRATION;this is VERBAL INSPIRATION. This is why the accuracyof translations in any language is vital. An easy reading "in-other-words" translation (?) does not respect the revelation and inspiration of God. Any "paraphrase" is ahuman doctrine and not the word of God. A commentarylays no claim to being more than the work of a man, and aparaphrase or liberal translation is not more than a commentary.
The Bible must be accepted as the word of God, not the wordof men. Man's work will be destroyed, but the word of God will live forever.
OUR LORD'S INCARNATION—NO. 1
The birth, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus are three of the most momentous events in all history. This is so because all three combine to make possible the redemption of the human race.
Each involves the supernatural without which His birthwould mean no more than the birth of a mere man; Hiscrucifixion would simply be nothing more than anotherstatistic in the long line of funerals that have been; Hisresurrection would be nothing short of a false claim, and all mankind would be left adrift on the sea of life without chart or compass, tossed by the billows, driven with thewind, and finally dashed to pieces on the rocks of eternal destruction.
The birth of Jesus involves deity incarnate. The crucifixion involves His vicarious atonement by which Hisblood became a propitiation for the sins of the whole world (1 Jno. 2: 2). The resurrection involves our hope ofimmortality to which we are begotten again—even "to aninheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadethnot away... " (1 Pet. 1: 3, 4).
This article concerns primarily the first of these greatevents, namely, His birth or our Lord's incarnation, for that is exactly what His birth was—deity incarnate. Webster defines "incarnate" to mean: "1. Invested with flesh or bodily nature and form; esp. embodied in humanform;... " Paul, with reference to Jesus, put it this way:"God was manifest in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3: 16). Further, weare concerned with evidence of His incarnation.
The Ministryof Angels
In Hebrews 1: 14 we read concerning angels: "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister forthem who shall be heirs of salvation?" Again, we read: "Of which salvation the prophets have enquired andsearched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what mannerof time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify,when it testified beforehand the suffering of Christ, and theglory that should follow... which things the angels desireto look into" (1 Pet. 1: 10-12).
Think for a moment of the fulfillment of the mission of angels in behalf of the heirs of salvation in relation to thebirth of Jesus. Imagine their deep concern and pa
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tient waiting as they joyfully anticipated this wonderful ageof grace that is come unto us. What a thrill when finally in the fullness of time they were called upon to participate inthe events involved in ushering in this age of grace!
This ministry began with a series of announcements. First,there was the announcement of Gabriel to Zacharias of the birth of a son to his barren wife, Elizabeth, whose namethey should call John and whose work was to herald thecoming Messiah. The angel said further: "he shall be greatin the sight of the Lord,... be filled with the Holy Ghost..., and make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Lk. 1: 517).
Six months later this same angel appeared to a virgin inGalilee named Mary, espoused to one named Joseph, and toldher of the favor she had found in the eyes of the Lord; that"The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power ofthe Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holything which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son ofGod" (Lk. 1: 26-35). The angel further informed Mary of thesituation with her cousin Elizabeth, in response to which she went to the hill country of Judea and spent threemonths with her cousin. Their joy, holy meditations, and praises unto God are all a part of the divine record of Lukechapter one.
Again, it was an angel that appeared to Joseph in adream and calmed his fears and encouraged him to take untohimself Mary as his wife, for he ' 'was minded to put her away privily. " The angel explained that "that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bringforth a son, and thou shall call his name JESUS: for heshall save his people from their sins" (Matt. 1: 20, 21).Matthew then explains that "all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet,saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bringforth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, whichbeing interpreted is, God with us" (Matt. 1: 22, 23).
Finally, the long anticipated event comes to pass. The Saviour of the world is born! It is the birth of a king—a childis born upon whose shoulders the government of the peoplewas to rest and whose "name shall be called Wonderful,Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, ThePrince of Peace" (Isa. 9: 6).Once more angels are sent from heaven above to make the announcement to the world. It is interesting to observethat they were not sent to the palace of the Caesars, northe Athenian philosophers, not even to the Pharisees, thescribes, priest, or rulers in Jerusalem. Rather, they weresent to humble shepherds who were watching their flocksby night on the Judean hills and who, no doubt, werepatiently waiting and praying for the coming Messiah. Lukegives the following account: "And there were in the samecountry shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch overtheir flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord cameupon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round aboutthem: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said untothem, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Forunto you is born this day in the city of David aSaviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shallbe a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.And suddenly there was with the angel amultitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Lk.2: 8-14).
Conclusion
Brethren, I suggest to you that this ministry of angels inrelation to the birth of Jesus affords us irrefutable proof ofour Lord's incarnation. Wherever was there the birth of a man—mere man—however great, that was the object of asmuch patient waiting, deep concern, intense longing, deliberate preparation, and activity on the part of the angelic host of the heavenly world, as was the birth ofJesus of Nazareth? The answer is— Never, ever, anywhere!Hereisthe birth ofone who wasmore than man—Here deity became incarnate! "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word waswith God, and theWord was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. . . . Andthe Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the onlybegotten of the Father, ) full of grace and truth"(John 1: 1, 2, 14).
(To Be Continued)
SOME ELEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL DISCIPLINE
Earlier it was observed that "discipline" is "the treatmentsuited to a disciple", and as certain, therefore, as one's childis the "disciple", in our study we are thinking about theparental treatment suited to that child. In connection withthis topic we have made the observations, that every parent
(1) must be willing to accept parental responsibility, (2)must first discipline himself, (3) must be united with his orher spouse on disciplinary procedure, and (4) must thinkmaturely while understanding immaturity.
We here add some other elements of successful discipline.
Parents should cause their children to develop a strong sense of responsibility. One of Webster's definitions of responsibility is "accountability, " Innocent children canbe taught that they will suffer mental disappointment and even physical pain if they do not conform to the expectations and assignments of their parents. Just as theycan learn that they will be rewarded if they please theirparents, they can also learn that they will be deprived ofthe fulfillment of certain desires if they disregard their parents' will toward them. They learn therefore, that they must "answer" to their parents, that they are "accountable" to some person or persons outside themselves. It is in the early years of life with its parentsthat a small child can develop a respect for an authorityoutside itself. Here the child begins to "learn obedience"!
In Lamentations 3: 27 it is said, "It is good for a man thathe bear the yoke in his youth". This is another way ofsaying that when he is old he will not depart from benefitsgained from constructive duties performed in his childhood. The ox-driver did not wait until his oxen were stiff with old age to yoke them for gainful ploughing andpulling. There is an old proverb which says "The father who teaches not his son to work teaches him to steal". Parents cannot begin trainingtheir childrentoo early!
For many years I have believed that the parent whoteaches not his child to have definite chores to perform in terms of its developing mental and physical abilities is making of that child a bum or a thief or both a bum and athief! Any person capable of understanding the meaningof the words "idleness", "laziness" or "indolence", can have no question about God's will for the professed Christian who can but will not work, i. e., "if
anywill not work, neither lethim eat" (2Thes.3:10).
I have never known a family wherein an intelligent and able-bodied child could not be taught from very early lifeto perform constructive tasks if its parents wanted thatchild to develop a sense of responsibility. Boys and girlsreared on a farm are seldom short on this count. Urban parents can and should teach their children to make beds,clean floors and windows, wash dishes and clothing and otherwisebe useful to theover-all family life. Thisprincipleis set forth unmistakably in the only two occurrences of theword "ant" in the entire Bible—Proverbs 6: 6 exhorts: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise.While having no chief, overseer or ruler, provideth herbread in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest" and 30: 25 declares, "The ants are a people notstrong, yet they provide their food in the summer".
The child whose parents have taught it to be diligent inthe task at hand, to work "heartily as unto the Lord", to earnits own way, is indeed fortunate. He will seldom, if ever,become a leach on society. "Seest thou a man diligent inhis business? He shall stand before kings; he shall notstand before mean (marg: obscure) men" (Prov. 22:29).
Fathers and mothers, would you have your child to havea sense of—a conscience for—honorable labor? If so, tryyour best to discover God's natural gift to his mind andbody, encourage him or her to develop it in the fear of God and in an awareness that ultimate accountability to Godwill involve the seriousness with which he deals with his or her response in this life to the ability the God of creation bestowed upon him. The seriousness with which parentsapproach their parental responsibility toward teaching their own child a sense of responsibility may well determine the eternal destiny of both parent and child! It's a sobering thought, isn't it?
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WILL JESUS STAND ON THE MT. OF OLIVES?
QUESTION: Do you believe Jesus' foot will touch the Mt. of Olives as Zech. 14 says? Or, what about all nations going upto Jerusalem to worship God1! Or, does the Bible not mean what it says?
ANSWER: No, I do not believe that Jesus' foot will touch the Mt. of Olives, nor that all nations will go up to physicalJerusalem to worship. Yes, the Bible means what it says, butwe cannot always take it literally. The Bible contains a greatdeal of figurative language.
The querist has Zech. 14: 4, 16 in mind. We will deal first with verse 4. Let's quote both verses 3 and 4 and observe what they say. "Then shall Jehovah go forth, and fightagainst those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.And his feet shallstand in that dayupon themount ofOlives,which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the mount ofOlives shall be cleft in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; andhalf of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half ofit toward the south" (ASV).
Notice that the passage says "Jehovah, " not "Jesus. " It would be Jehovah's feet standing upon the mount. It is strange how preconceived notions can cause us to read things into the Scriptures that are not even there. Millennialists use this text to try to prove that Jesus is coming back to earth, first appearing on the mount of Oliveswherein He, along with His heavenly army (Rev. 19: 11-12),defeat the hostile nations of the world, and then He triumphantly enters the city of Jerusalem where He reignson the throne of David for a thousand years.
But as there is nothing in Zech. 14 about Jesus standingupon the mount of Olives, neither is there anything in thechapter about the second coming of Christ and the so-called"millennium. " This is another supposition. The chapterspeaks of "a day of Jehovah" (v. 1) and "that day" (vv. 4, 6,8, 9, 13, 20, 21), but what is "that day of Jehovah?" Several views have been offered.
Interpretations
Men like Calvin and Grotius supposed it to refer to thetimes of the Maccabees. Adam Clarke and Foy E. Wallaceapply it to the conquest of Jerusalem by Titus. Millennialists,such as Pentecost and Walvoord, apply the chapter to the second coming of Christ and their imaginary millennium.Others, such as Hailey, believe
it to be the gospel age in which we are now living. This view
is the most defensible of all the positions.
An analysis of the chapter and the context of the book of
Zechariah make it scarcely possible that the times of the
Maccabees is under consideration. The view that the
destruction of Jerusalem is meant is untenable as "the
residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city" (v.
2). When Jerusalem was conquered, Jospehus tells us that
the Roman army had no more people to slay because there
remained none to be the objects of their fury (Wars, Book
7, 1: 1). Yet, Zechariah said that the "residue of the people
shall not be cut off from the city. "
Concerning the millennial position, the Bible nowhere
states or hints that Jesus will ever set foot on earth again.
Paul said that we will meet Him in the air (1 Thess. 4: 17).
Our bodies of the resurrection will be spiritual, immortal
bodies (1 Cor. 15: 42-58), fashioned after Christ's glorious
body (Phil. 3: 20-21). These bodies of the redeemed will be
incompatible to live upon this mundane earth. Jesus said, "I
am no more in the world" (Jn. 17: 11). Hence, when Jesus
returns and we meet Him in the air, we will be with Him,
but it will not be here on earth. The reasons are many as to
why Zech. 14 does not teach the millennial theory.
The Gospel Age
That Zechariah is writing of the coming Messiah and thebenefits derived therefrom, harmonizes well with what the prophet said and what transpired in the coming of Christ.Keep in mind that the book of Zechariah is apocalyptic orsymbolic. Many become confused when they try to literalizethe book. Hence, Jerusalem (14: 2) is spiritual Jerusalem,the church (Gal. 4: 26; Heb. 12: 22). and the nations gathered againstJerusalem are the evil anddiabolical forcesin the world that are constantly assaulting the church.
Jehovah protects the church by going forth and fightingagainst those nations who constitute the enemies of Hispeople (v. 3). The Lord's presence is symbolized by His feetstanding upon the mount of Olives, signifying His provisionof salvation (v. 4).Jehovah said through Isaiah, "Iwillmakethe place of my feet glorious" (Isa. 60: 13). The place wasthe temple in Jerusalem and His feet suggested His presence. Therefore, instead of "feet" being literal, the term is figurative, indicating "presence. "
All Nations
As to all nations going up to Jerusalem to worship God,verse 16 states, "And it shall come to pass, that every onethat is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalemshall go up from year to year to worship the King, Jehovahof hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles" (ASV). Thisverse is teaching that God's spiritual remnant, consisting ofJews and Gentiles who have been converted out of all nations through the gospel, will worship Jehovah at spiritual orheavenly Jerusalem, the church, according to the prescribedorder.
Under the figure of the feast of tabernacles, the prophetdepicts the joy and thanksgiving of the redeemed in Christ.The feastof tabernacles (Lev. 23: 39
44) was a festival of rejoicing and thanksgiving. However,it is used in Zechariah in a metaphorical sense. Spirituallyspeaking, we as Christians rejoice and are exceedinglyglad of the bountiful blessings we have in Christ (Eph. 1:3). Looking at the context of the entire chapter, we see:
(1) Protection by Jehovah (v. 3). (2) Presence of Jehovah(v.4). (3) Provision for escape from worldly temptations andthreats by way of the valley (v. 5). Here is security (cf. 1 Cor. 10: 13; 2 Pet. 2: 9). (4) Guidance through the light of God's Word (v. 7). (5) Living waters ofsalvation(v.8). (6) Jehovah will reign (through Christ) and He shall beone and His name shall be one (v. 9). (7) Saints shall dwell within the walls of the city (church) with full safety (v. 11). (8) Enemies of the church will be cursed(vv.12-15). (9) There shall "be no rain" symbolizes the deprivationof the blessings in Christ of those unsaved. (10) In that day all that pertains to the church will be holyand sanctified (vv. 20, 21).Therefore, in light of the context, the nations going up to Jerusalem to worship Jehovah and their keeping the feast of tabernacles are not a restoration of the old Mosaical system (which was temporary and nullified at Calvary), but rather it is language symbolic of our life wenow enjoy in Christ.
God saw a need and said, "It is not good that the manshould be alone; I will make him a help meet for him" (Gen. 2: 18). Notice, that is two words—a help meet,"meet" being the adjective of the word "help". Our moderndictionaries put them together as "helpmeet" or "mate, " and defines it "wife. " According to Mr. Webster, every married woman is a help meet, but the Bible usage involvesa distinctive, specifying what kind of help the woman is tobe—a "meet" help, or as some versions read, "a helper suitable" to the man.
In one sense, of course, woman is suitable to man by her very nature, that is, because "he made them male and female" (Matt, 19: 4). [That is the very reason homosexuality is wrong—it is against nature (Rom. 1: 26). ]God made man and woman to complement one another in anemotional way as well. Man is the idealist who sets the loftygoals; woman is the pragmatist who pulls them down tosomething within reach, and organizes the process of getting there. Man is the strong one who goes out to dealwith the world; woman is the soft one who soothes his wounds. Man is the cynic, who, as such, is able to protect hisfamily from those who might take advantage of them;woman is the more merciful one, who sometimes allows it to excuse faults and wrongs that need punishing. Togetherthey temper one another, and are more than they could everbe apart.
But in another real sense, not every woman is suitable to every man. We would do well to teach our children this fact. They grow up believing in "happily ever after" and "love conquers all". But after several years of picking upmuddy boots and strewn clothes, listening to foul language and crude habits, and waking up at two a. m. with no idea wherehe is,she beginsto wonder if her love hasenough ammunition left to conquer anything else. We mustteach our children to be more objective, cold-blooded, if youwill, about choosing a mate.
But once a woman has taken the plunge, if she is notsuited to him, it becomes her duty to make herself suitable to her man, even it means changing lifelong habits and ideas. Changing can be as easy or as difficult as one makesit. The first thing necessary is to conquer the resentment athaving to change. Why me and not him? Because, according to God's rules, man is the provider and head (1Tim. 5: 8; Eph. 5: 23). Woman is the help (Gen. 2: 18; 1 Cor.
11: 8, 9). That is one thing so wrong with the career woman.She expects her job to be every bit as important, or evenmoreso, than her husband's. That reverses God's rules, making woman the provider and man the help. So one mustface facts. (We women tell ourselves we are so much betterat that than the men. ) The wife changes because she is the woman
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and not the man. Man has primacy (not superiority). That isthe way God made us (1 Tim. 2: 13). Any resentment weshow is in actuality not toward the man, who cannot helpthe way we were made, but toward God. (We mightaddress a word to husbands to imagine themselves in thissituation and treat their wives accordingly, that is, "loveeach one his own wife even as himself" Eph. 5: 33).
We also change because God calls each one into accountfor his own actions (Rom. 2: 6). When I recognize a problem, itbecomes my responsibility to try to solve it, whether anyoneelse helps or not. But most men are not as bad as some woman would have us believe. When he sees such obvious efforts on his wife's part, the husband usually works harder himself.
The next step to changing is to be optimistic and open-minded. Steadfastness is a virtue, but stubbornness is atool of the Devil, and there is often a line between the two.If she goes into something dreading it, knowing she will hateit, griping about every little thing that does not suit her, then
99. 9% of the time she will hate it. And what's more, so will he. He will come away dissatisfied, and she will wonder whybecause, after all, "we did just what he wanted. " For example, in choosing a recreational activity, where theywent or what they did was less the point than having a goodtime, with her. Her observable dissatisfaction made them both miserable.
Try approaching these activities or habits of his with apositive attitude, determined to find something in themyou can enjoy, and equally determined not to gripe. Does itrequire physical exertion? Think of it as a way to improveyour figure. Is he just a whole lot better at it than you? Use itas a way to build his ego. Compliment him fervently, and hewill become a gallant knight right before your eyes. (When was the lasttime yougave hima realcompliment, anyway?)Is it"justnot theway youare?"Thenuse itas away toaddto yourself some more self-discipline (2 Pet. 1: 6). None of ushave enough. Will it mess up your hairdo? Really, now, yourcompanionship does a lot more for your marriage than yourhairdo. "It is not good that the man should be alone". Makeyourself meet for him.
There is another angle to this "help" business. The veryword demands that the woman not be a hindrance. How many times have you heard it said of a man, "He'd bea good_____ if it weren't for his wife?Especiallyin regard to his spiritual duties, what could your husband beif you were abetter person? A personal worker? A Bible classteacher? A full-time gospel preacher? A deacon? An elder?Perhaps, he needs to develop himself more as well, but will bemotivated to do so if he knows all he will get from you iscriticism of his efforts, or complaints about the time his newduties take or, worse yet, if he knows your character doesnot fit the bill (1 Tim. 3: 11)? Wouldn't you feel ashamed ifyour husband had to tell the Lord, "I have married a wifeand therefore I cannot come" (Lk. 14: 20)? Be a help to theman you love, not a hindrance; a stepping-stone on his way toHeaven,not a stumblingblock over which he plunges straight into Hell. And make no mistake. If that is whathappens, you will be there, too.
THE CASE OF BABY FAE
Lee Woodward, editor of the Huntsville News, is a faithful member of the Lord's body and of the local fellowship of the Market Street Church of Christ in Athens, Al. We are fortunate in Huntsville for the editorialviews that find origin in his office. They are quite refreshing.
I want to share with STS readers one such editorial
which appeared in our morning newspaper, Nov. 9, 1984:
"The case of the infant Baby Fae, who received a baboon's heart and at last report was doing well, (Shesoon thereafter died, KG) has raised a number of questions, especially whether an animal should be killed sothat its heart can be implanted in a human being.
"That prompts another question: Which is more important, a baby or a baboon?
"Surely, the answer should be obvious. It should be, butit apparently is not. Numerous groups of animal lovershave protested the propriety of killing an animal so that itsheart can be used to save the life of a human. And that makes us wonder if these same groups protest child abuse.
"While we are of the opinion that baboons were createdas baboons and humans as humans, and there was no evolution of human from any kind of animal, some doctorsand scientists have expressed concern that the animal used in Baby Fae's case was a primate, 'a close genetic relative of our own species. '
"Dr. Jack Provonsha, director of the bio-ethics center atLoma Linda University Medical Center in California wherethe operation was performed, brought this into focus withhis comment: 'It is difficult to look at a primate's hand and not feel kinship. '
"But even with his attitude about the closeness between baboons and humans, he says that the benefits clearly outweigh the drawbacks of using a baboon heart topreserve the life of an infant who otherwise would surelyhave died.
"The pediatric surgeon who performed the implant, Dr.Leonard L. Bailey, offered these illuminating words afterhaving noted that he was 'sympathetic with the issue of animal rights'. 'However I am a member of
human species. I deal with dying babies every day. I ammore sympathetic with them. I am an animal lover, but Ilove babies too. '
"We would change that last part to 'I love babies more. '
"But the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animalsapparently do not. They picketed the hospital where the operation was performed, and one of the members stated:'Nothing should be done to an animal that would not bedone to a severely retarded human being. '
"Are you astounded at that? Then let me hasten to point out that the People for the Ethical Treatment ofAnimals is no small outfit, having grown to some 30,000 members in the last four years. So such feelings aboutanimals over humans is widespread. That is very disturbing----"
Amen, and amen, my brother. That kind of thing disturbs me so much it makes me want to rant and rave! It just almost makes me want to hit someone! The very idea!
We would hasten to point out the obvious. The view ofthese misguided souls is a logical end of the theory of evolution. The doctors and scientists who have expressed concern as mentioned above, realize they have nosolid reasonfor assigning morevaluetoa human life thantoa baboonlife. We who acceptthe Bible "not asthewordofmen, but as it is in truth, the word of God... " (1 Thess. 2: 13),havea firm foundation for our convictions.
FALSE VIEWS INSIDE THE CHURCH
Paul sounded a grave warning to the Ephesian elders inActs 20: 29-30. He predicted, "For I know this, that aftermy departure savage wolves will come in among you, notsparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will riseup, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciplesafter themselves". It is unfortunate but true that there are still false teachers which rise up among God's peopletoday. There are some in the church today who are teaching false ideas concerning the security of the Christian. When we refer to these brethren, we are notspeaking of those who are found in what is commonly called "liberal" churches but those in "conservative" churches. What are they saying?
Imputed Righteousness of Christ
One of the false views outside the church which we studied in our last article was the Calvinist teaching about the imputation of Christ's righteousness. Some of ourbrethren have advocated a similar idea.
One area of difference between the Calvinist and these brethren is which sins the imputed righteousness of Christis supposed to cover. While the Calvinist would teach itcovers all sins, these brethren limit it to sins of weaknessand ignorance. Thus they can make the claim they do notbelieve in Calvinism and are able to preach against the"impossibility of apostasy" because they believe sins ofrebellion will condemn the Christian.
However, what we had to say against the imputedrighteousness of Christ in the previous article will alsohold true for the teaching of these brethren. We will not take the space to repeat it here, but encourage you toreview that article.
Humility Only
There are a number of brethren who are teaching that aslong as a Christian has a humble or penitent attitude, he can sin and still be in fellowship with God and not place hissoul in jeopardy. It is certainly true that one needs humility and sincerity, but these are not the only conditionsGod requires of His people. One of the mistakes made bythese brethren is confusing a penitent attitude with repentance. Some believe that you can be in a constantstate of repentance.
One of the definitions Webster gives for "penitent" is"feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses." He defines "repent" as "to turn from sin and dedicateoneself to the amendment of one's life. " There
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are two Greek words translated "repent" in the New Testament. The word METAMELOMAI "signifies to have a feeling or care, concern, or regret;... it expresses the emotional aspect of repentance. " (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, IV, p. 2558). While this word may besimilarto "penitent,"letus also look at thesecondterm.ThewordMETANOEO "expresses the true NT idea of the spiritual changeimplied in a sinner's return to God. The term signifies 'to have another mind', to change the opinion or purpose with regard to sin. " (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, IV, p.2558). How in the world could one then have a constant state ofchanging "the opinion or purpose with regard to sin?" Such wouldbe ridiculous.
In commenting on the difference between these two words the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament states, "In remorse(METAMELEOTHAI) a man sees the bitter end of sin, in repentance (METANOEIN) he breaks free from it" (Vol. IV, p.627). However these brethren believe that one can continue topractice sin and yet be in a saved condition. One brother saysinstrumental music, Premillennialism, and institutionalism will not separate us from God if our attitude is right. Another wouldadd immodesty, dancing, mixed swimming, and Masonry to thelist. Some have said that David, while involved in adultery andmurder, was still in fellowship with God. And one brother hasbeen so bold as to affirm that the Christians in Corinth involved in all the different sins mentioned in 1 Corinthians were still saved and going to heaven.
The Bible has taught, both in the old and new covenants, thatboth a change in attitude and a change in action is required toreceive God's blessing. As the wise man said, "He who concealshis transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses andforsakes them will find compassion. "
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one of the conditions for the Christian's cleansing. As one haswell stated, "The present passage never specifies the circumstances under which the cleansing takes place, but I do notfind plausible the suggestion of Houlden, Epistles 56, 'The sense of 1: 7 may be that the sacrifice of Jesus serves to obliterate aChristian's sins assoon asthey are done. "An interval is requiredbetween the sin andthe forgiveness; for v. 9 casts light onv.7, andfrom that verse we learn that a confession of sin was desired. " (Raymond E. Brown, The Epistle of John, p. 204).
I know the view that a man can sin and still be in the light isfalse because of what John says about our walking in the light. Johnsays we are to "walk in the light as He is in the light". Whatevermay be said about the Christian in the light can be said about God in the light.
in sin and yet still be pleasing in God's sight. Such an ideais false.
Finally, we see the fallacy of this view because it placesthe Christian in double jeopardy. This idea has the Christian forgiven twice for the same sin. When he committed the sin in ignorance, he was supposedlycleansed at that moment by the blood of Christ, but thenwhen he finds out about it, the Christian is supposed torepent and so be forgiven again. Yet God promised, "I will bemerciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sinsno more" (Heb. 8: 12).
Conclusion
Brethren, whether a false idea is taught from outside the church or from within the church, it must be rejected andopposed. Let us "buy the truth, and do not sell it" (Prov.
23: 23). We wish to take a positive look at what the truth says about the Christian's security in our next study.
It is imperative that the Christian "increases in the knowledge of God" (Col. 1: 10). There is great value in learning about God's character. Furthermore, there is a direct relationship between God's character, God's promises and man's faith. The purpose of this study is: (1) To establish that the Lord is faithful. (2) To show the necessity of man's faith being rooted in that fundamentalaspect of His nature.
The Bible teaches that the Lord is faithful. This is to say that the Lord is reliable, or can be trusted. "Knowtherefore that the Lord thy God, the faithful God-----"(Deut. 7: 9). In the New Testament Paul said: "God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of hisSon Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Cor. 1: 9). The Christianserves a faithful God. What is the relationship betweenGod's faithfulness, His promises and man's faith? Abrahamwill serve as an example (Rom. 15: 4).
Abraham, Believed in the Lord
God promised unto Abraham that an heir should proceed out of his own bowels. God also promised that his seedwould become innumerable as the stars of heaven. Uponwhat grounds could Abraham believe these promises? From a human view there was no reasonableness that these promises would be brought to fulfillment(Rom.4: 18). Thepromiseswere reasonable to Abrahamonly to the extentthathe allowed his faith to be rooted in a confidential trust of God's character. It is said of Abraham, "And he believed inthe Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness" (Gen.
15: 6). The passage teaches that Abraham's faith was in a God that he knew was faithful. Though the text does not state that he believed the promises, he certainly did for he knew that theGod he served could be trusted.
This truth concerning Abraham's confidence in God is quoted in the New Testament. In Romans chapter fourPaul discusses the theme of justification by the faith ofChrist. Also, he shows that the promise to Abraham thathe should be heir of the world was not through the law, butthrough the righteousness of faith (Rom. 4: 13). The apostle then makes this statement: "(As it is written, Ihave made thee a father of many nations, ) before himwhomhe believed,even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were" (Rom. 4: 17). These are three matters which arrest ourattention in this test. First, the statement is made in thepast tense. "I have made thee". The promise is treated as an accomplished act. Second, Abraham's faith was grounded in a trust of God's character and nature. "Before him whom he believed, even God". Finally, Abraham believed God and His promise for he knew that God wasfaithful.
Application and Conclusion
The Christian must confide in the faithfulness of God. He can be assured that the promises of the gospel will bereceived. The writer said: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God mustbelieve that he is, and that his is a rewarder of them thatdiligently seek him" (Heb. 11: 6). Again, "Let us hold fastthe profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised; ). Paul said: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: butGod is faithful, who will not sufferyou to be tempted abovethat ye are able; but will with the temptation also make away to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 1-13).Cultivate a faith that trusts and confides a God. The promises of the gospel will certainly not be a delusion.
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SNORING THE BABY AWAKE
A married couple were having a problem which I suppose has been faced and solved by several others. Thesnoring of one party kept the other awake. A friend offered this solution: the one who was hearing the snoring shoulduse ear plugs. Well, I suppose the ear plugs would shut outthe snoring, but they also might shut out the telephone, thealarm clock, the doorbell, a crying baby, or a prowlingburglar.ThePennsylvania Dutch have a saying: "Don'thorn the car so; you will blow the baby awake!" I suppose a similar colloquialism could be coined with respect to blowing the nose.
I had the unpleasant task one time of conveying thenews of a brother's death to his sister, who was hard ofhearing. Other members of the family and I approached thehouse with some trepidation, wondering how we would get her attention. We finally stood outside her bedroom window, and yelled loudly enough to get her attention. I don't know what the neighbors thought, and I do not careto know.
Now, if some people want to solve the snoring problemby operating on the snoree instead of the snorer, that istheirbusiness. But, aspiritualapplicationof this principleisfraught with all kinds of ramifications, and I don't think I would recommend it.
The prophet Isaiah spoke of some whose eyes would beclosed, and their ears stopped (Isa. 6: 9). Jesus referred tothis passage of Scripture, and applied it to some of God'speople in His day (Mt. 13: 13-15). Mark, Luke, and Johnmake a similar notation of the Lord's use of this statement,and Paul drew on the prophet's words when talking to someJews at Rome (Acts 28: 26, 27). It is a bad situation whenpeople's eyes are closed, and their ears are stopped.
Stopped Ears
Following the formula used for solving the snoringproblem, let us apply it to the use of mechanical instruments of music in the worship. This kind of music is unauthorized by the New Testament, but some rebelliousbrethren, unconcerned about what God likes or what would offend other brethren, introduced it anyway. Thisbegan tohappen in churches of Christabout 1859.
Well, these digressive brethren just the same as told everyone else to use ear plugs if they didn't like the sound of mechanicalmusic in worship, or get out ofearshot. Somehad to do just that, and then got accused
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of causing trouble in Israel.
Closed Eyes
I read about a denominational church in Texas which introduced a nudenight club dancer into the worship of thatchurch. I forget just what she was supposed to be doing,but I guess any who would object could put on darkglasses if they were offended by such a sight. That maysatisfy man, but all things are still "naked and openedunto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" (Heb. 4: 13).
In the hey-day of the mini skirt, those whose duties required them to stand before the congregation were treated to a veritable sea of women's legs. The preacher, the song leader, those who waited on the congregation or madeannouncements, all experienced some embarrassment during this period of poor taste in women's fashions. Thefashion designers planned the mini skirt to attract the stares of men, and many good sisters followed like somany bleating sheep. Maybe we could have solved thisfiasco by passing out dark glasses or blindfolds to thosewho had to look back through the building.
Plugged Noses
Some brethren seem to be more wrapped up in their"fellowship halls", church kitchens, and gratifying the fleshly appetite than they are in spiritual things. If not, whydon't they stop such foolishness?
Again, I suppose some would suggest that if the smell ofcoffee or spaghetti didn't aid the spiritual man, then those who had trouble mingling spiritual and fleshly odors together could stop their noses with cotton balls, supplied by the ushers. If brethren could find authority for the church to provide recreation and entertainment for the "saints" (or the world, either), then they would have authority for their fellowship halls. This would also givethem authority to purchase the cotton balls out of the church treasury. Or, would they contend that this was anindividual matter? But, God still knows a sweet smell when it comes before Him (Phil. 4: 18, Rev. 8: 4), and hewon't be fooled by the culinary offering of deluded brethren.
RESTORERS APPROACH TO EVANGELISM Preliminary Observations
I have been asked to talk about the nineteenth centuryrestorer's approach to evangelism. But a fair presentationof the views and practices of these men cannot be madewithout also taking some other factors into consideration.Sobefore discussing evangelism itself, some preliminary observations may put the pioneers' understanding of evangelism into better perspective.
1. The Restoration Movement Developed Slowly.The men called Restorers (Barton W. Stone, Thomas andAlexander Campbell, Walter Scott, and their contemporaries) did not sell out all at once to restore "theancient order". Their restoration views graduallyevolved over several years. For this reason, it is difficult topoint to a particular date when restoration was "complete".In fact, it is doubtful that restoration was, or ever can be,a finished work because human frailty and the tendency toapostasy make perfection practically impossible.
The gradual growth of Restoration idealism also presentsa mosaic of beliefs and practices that are contradictory.Contradictions are apparent in the thinking of the samemen at various times in their career. (Anyone who has experienced a long spiritual development can better appreciate this. ) Alexander Campbell's changing views on missionary societies is a prime example. There were independent churches associated with Stone, as early as1803, who were striving to be simple "churches of Christ";but it was not until 1826 that they accepted baptism asessential to salvation.
The point is that at different times and among different men, the views and practices of the Restorers changed onmany things, including evangelism.
2. The Restoration Is Not the Lord's Church. The New Testament order was restored to some degree by men associated with the movement, but the Restoration and the church are not the same. The movement arose out of denominational chaos and reached different levels of success at different times and in different places. Someefforts met with only limited success and reverted in timeto denominationalism. Others succeeded in restoring a resemblance of the apostolic order but stopped beforeattempting to return to all the essential features of the earlychurch. However, some efforts were highly successful, fromour point of view, although perhaps no nineteenth century church was without some defect.
There were always sharp differences within the movement, even though this did not at first create any seriousdivision. These differences extended to evangelism, as wellas to other doctrinal matters. So we do not find completeharmony in the views and practices of the early Restorersin regard to preaching the gospel.
- The Restorers Did Not Attempt to Restore theChurch. It is a mistake, though one that is often made, to talk about "restoring the church". The church of Christby its very nature must stand forever (Matt. 16: 18-19;Luke 8: 11). Uninspired men could no more restore whatChrist purchased with his blood than they could have builtthat church to begin with. The Restorers understood this andbelieved the church of the New Testament to be a continuingbody (Eph. 1: 20-23). This view of the church also affectedtheir attitude and practice in evangelism.
- The "Golden Age" of the Movement Came Between 1826 and 1860. At least this very likely would bethe view of most conservative Christians today. By the beginning of this period, the Restorers had gone far toward restoring the practice of New Testament Christianson many important points. The sole authority of the Scriptures, the difference between the covenants, the planof salvation, congregational independence, the simplicity ofworship, and other such teaching and practice took on a New Testament appearance during this time.
The "disciples of Christ" or "Christians", as they frequently called themselves, enjoyed relatively little seriousinternal conflict during this period. The union of thoseidentified with Stone and Campbell, beginning at Lexington, Kentucky, in 1832, set a pattern of striving foroneness that continued until the Civil War. Even thoughthere were differences, disagreements, and pointeddiscussions, the overriding desire for unity held a primaryplace with most brethren, as least in the earlier part ofthis period. Moses E. Lard, among others, believed thedisciples could not dividebecause of theirstrongdesire forunity. But fellowship was never pursued at any cost, assome heirs oftheRestoration would haveus believe.
5. A Post-Millennial View of the World Prevailed. This was especially true before the Civil War. This belief wassparked by an expectation that the millennium was nearand that restoring the New Testament order, with the attendant destruction of denominationalism, would usher itin. Post-millennialism probably helped promote the zealfor evangelism that swept the Restoration plea across theAmerican frontier like a prairie fire. It cannot be overlooked in any true evaluation of the evangelism of theperiod under consideration. The post-millennial view, asmost are aware, does not envision a personal reign of Christon the earth, but simply holds that there will be a long periodin which the gospel will dominate the affairsof men on earthbefore Christ's second coming.
With these factors in mind, the views and practices ofRestorers in regard to evangelism during decades preceding the Civil War may be better understood than without them.
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I had an experience at 3: 05 Thursday afternoon,January 24th, that I shall not soon forget. It had to do witha steam locomotive. A Union Pacific steam engine passedthrough Conroe pulling a number of cars, coaches, Pullmans, and a dining car, among others. A handsome picture of this mighty machine appeared on the front pageof the Morning Newson the followingday. Iwish you could have viewed it with me, especially if you are one who livedback in the steam engine day. I could hear the mournfulwhistle even before I could plainly see the engine, so, I had sufficient time to get my camera adjusted. I stood on theedge of the track as I saw it coming, and it was a sight tosee. It was black with a silver front and a bright light in themiddle. As it approached, the black smoke, mixed withsteam, billowed from thestack, almostengulfing the rest ofthe train, and you could see fire shooting out the sides of thefire box as the fireman injected fuel. Perhaps, it was nothing more than a novelty for many of youth, but for me,this forty year old locomotive transported me back to myyouth, at least, for a moment. My wife stood by my side asthis magnificent power thundered by, and tears ran down her cheeks. You see, she is from a rail-road family, and it was probably more thrilling to her, but I must admit, myeyes were a bit misty also. The engineer seemed to bethoughtful of the viewers for he slowed down some as thetrain passed by. As it went out of sight, and I settled downto earth, I realized I had momentarily lived in the past. Ihave ridden trains like this one years ago, but, oh whatchanges have taken place since then. Istill travelfrom timeto time, but it's in a plane at 30, 000 feet and 600 miles perhour. Many changes have taken place in my lifetime, mostfor the better, but some for the worse. There is nothingstable in the material things of this earth. But, let me tell you something that is unchanging.
The Word of God has not and is not changing. It is trueof the entire Bible, but I speak in particular of the NewTestament which is our guide of "grace and truth" in the final age. In governmental matters, the laws are constantlychanging. One has to be a rather avid reader just to keep upwith the latest. But, this is not true of the Law of the Lord.It says the same thing today that it did 1900 years ago.When I go to sleep at night, I don't have to endure restlessslumber in fear the Law will change before the morning.When I get up, Iwillget up to theverysame Law I wenttobed by, and to me, that is a great comfort. It has been thatway since the "Word wasgivenand it will be that way whenthe world ends. Men may butcher it with their views, butthe
Word remains the same. The Word of God is the only absolute thing we have around us today. Everything else ischanging, decaying, fading, rotting, and shifting, but not so of the Word of the Lord. Jesus said; "Heaven and earthshall pass away, but my words shall not pass away"(Matthew 24: 34).The inspired apostle Peter wrote; "Beingborn again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, bythe word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (I Peter
1: 23). Let us cling to the only absolute thing we have withus today.
He's the cutest, cuddliest, most adorable little bear youhave ever seen—a recent gift from a friend to which our fouryear old has more than just taken to. "What'll ya name him?" said I, expectant of an innocent "Teddy" or "Brownie" or maybe a "Pooh" to be forthcoming. Insteadshe spoke without hesitation and said, "His name is George... BOY GEORGE!"
I probably shouldn't have been all that surprised seeingthat this is the same little girl who named her first baby-doll Elvira" (thanks in part to the Oak Ridge Boys). Now,believe me, I try and keep an open mind when it comes tomusical diversity and I fully realize that musical taste andpreference may vary, but to my way of thinking "Boy George" was a little much. Too much. "Why that name?" I asked. "Simple" she said. "His name is George and he is a boy and that makes him BOY GEORGE!" (Now folks, it's hard to argue with such powerful persuasive innocence as that—in fact there's noreason to try). It was plain to see, ole dad was stumped. Where did we go wrong? Maybe I'll write to brother Warnock who does the question and answer column inSearching The Scriptures. He'll know what to do... Or maybe I'll drop brother Cope a line. He knows a lot about kids. "HELP!"
Aren't kids great? The Psalmist said of children,
"Blessed is the man who has his quiver full of them"
(127: 5). Now I've never really understood what the noun"quiver" meant (until I looked it up) but I'm sure I've seen some situations where the parental "quiver" tended to bemore of the verb variety. Like the time I was enjoying apleasant meal with the Rodney Miller family in a fineOrlando eating establishment only to hear one of theirchildren holler out, "Hey dad—that fat guy over there issmoking a yucky cigarette... " You know what I mean.We've all been there.
Now whether your "quiver" is a noun or a verb and
whether it is fullor half-fullor waiting to be filled— you've just got to admit that life would be a lot less colorful wereit not for children. Jesus understood that. He said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming tome; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these"
(Matt. 19: 14). It is obvious from scripture that our Lord had a fond affection for children. I imagine that He loved tobounce them on His knee now and then while telling afavorite story or two; and I imagine that their laughter, theirinnocence, their comical responses delighted Jesus and caused Him to smile and softly chuckle (probably more thanonce). Ijust see Him that way. Hecared for kids.
Iread a statementawhile back which said: "If you want to enjoy living, see life as a kid!" Now that says a lot. Thatat once speaks of optimism, of enthusiasm, of innocence, ofcaring, of loving, of eagerness to learn— things we grownupscould use a bit more of. "See life as
a kid. " That's a good motto.
Now please understand. My little girl has no idea who thereal "Boy George" is (for which I am very thankful) or whythat name struck such awful consternation in daddy's face.But after a while we were able to compromise this littledeal: we agreed to just call him "George" for short. Now Ionly hope one thing... I only hope that her Papaw doesn'tfind out! (Editor's Note: Papaw is still laughing. )
Sendall News Items to: Connie W. Adams,P. O. Box69, Brooks, KY40109
Phillipes Married 50 YearsOn May 8, H. E. Phillips (former editor of STS) and his beloved Polly,will celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. In this age of easy andfrequent divorce, such occasions take on even more grandeur. Their children,grandchildren and great-grandchildren all plan to be present. The godlyinfluence of this grand couple has been felt throughout that whole familyand has been extended to touch and bless the lives of countless people.Scores of younger people consider them as "second parents" or "second grandparents. " Their home and their hearts have been open to so manywho needed guidance away from their own families and congregations. Ourtwo sons fall into that category, along with many others. Readers of thispaper are keenly aware of the sacrifices the Phillipes have made on behalfof this publication, I just thought our readers would want to know and thatmany of you would want to drop them a note of appreciation as they savorthis special mile-stone.
EDITORIAL LEFT-OVERS
Shabby Treatment of GoodMenKnowledgeable preachers are aware that they must "endure hardness" as good soldiers of Christ. Our Lord was despised and rejected and finally crucified. Paul was beaten, stoned and imprisoned. The promise that "all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall be persecuted" should be taken seriously. Having to endure hardness helps to separate the committed fromthe mere pretenders. It is no surprise when those of the unbelieving worldoppose and oppress preachers of righteousness. But it does sometimes catchus by surprise when we are "in perils among false brethren. " Ungodlybrethren, including those who profess to be elders, will have to answer beforethe Judge of all the earth for ruthless treatment of good men. I know twofine gospel preachers right now who are undergoing severe trials from brethren who do not understand the rudimentary principles of honesty,fairness and human decency. One of these is a young man with a wife andsmall children. The other is nearer middle age with a wife and older children.Both are decent, God-fearing men who preach because they love the souls ofmen and through all their trials are more concerned for the welfare of thechurch than themselves. Some churches are virtual graveyards for young preachers.
The editor knows firsthand the pain of being told to vacate a house in aweek. The feelings of frustration, perplexity, outrage, grief for tear-stainson the cheek of a wife who does not understand, apprehension over loss ofincome and how to meet honest debts, these and many other impressions aredeeply etched in memory. Older brethren encouraged and helped. I am glad I did not quit preaching, for it has been, and remains, a most rewarding work. In balance, brethren over the years have been gracious tome and to mine and I am grateful for all of that.
The editor is well acquainted with both the men mentioned earlier in thisnote and would be glad to put churches needing and deserving good men in touch with either of them.
RAMON A. MADRIGAL, 7146 S. Thomas Ave., Bridgeview, IL 60455—Through nearly four years of work with the saints here, we are glad to reportthat the progress has been steady and sure. 1984 proved to be a good yearfor us, despite Orwell's ominous exhortation. We rejoiced to see five obeythe gospel and seven wayward Christians found their way "home. " Since 1981 our number has nearly doubled (to 60). Four of these baptisms occurredin April when we presented a special series on "Science and the Bible". We had a question and answer period each night. Both members and visitors responded withsincere questions on the general theory of evolutionand the Biblicalcreation account. In 1985 weplan a lectureship on the bookof James with Rick Liggin, Bob Dickey, Bill White and David McClister,all from the Chicagoland area. May God bless our efforts and yours as westrive to serve him in 1985.
JAMES L. ZACHARY, 208 E. 28th St., El Dorado, AR 71730—After two years with the Union Heights church in El Dorado, I am moving toMemphis, TN to work with the Winchester Road church the first of March. Ihave enjoyed my two years in El Dorado and hope this church can soon find a faithful preacher to work with them.
ROBERTO SPENCER, P. O. Box 452, Odessa, TX 79760—1984 was agood year for the church which meets at Lamesa Rd. and Louisiana St. in Midland, Texas. We conducted three meetings during the year, one eachwith Valente Rodriquez, Luis H. Trevino and Adolph Hitler Cepeda. Thesemen gave us much encouragement.Nine were baptized.
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Four brothers preached the first time from the pulpit. Sadly, we had to withdrawfrom three members. We are a congregation of35 Spanish speaking members.
NEW CONGREGATION JOHN GENTRY, 3115 N. W. 16th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32609—A new work began in Gainesville on January 6, 1985 with 30 present for morningservices and 37 that evening. This work began with faithful brethren who camefrom four area congregations. This work is located on the northwest side of Gainesville and is meeting in a rented building. We have adequate auditorium andclassroomspace with roomforexpectedgrowth. Paul Caseboltwas with usin ashort meetinginJanuary. For further information contactme at (904)462-2529,or Lester Tillman (904) 376-9013.
DEBATE ROBERT WAYNE LA COSTE of the Wonsley Dr. church in Austin, Texaswill meet BILL JACKSON of the Southwest church in Austin in debate May20-21on the issueofchurch benevolence. The discussion on May 20 will be inthe Wonsley Dr. building with the session on May 21 in the building of theSouthwest church.
MIKE MILES, P. O. Box 42, New Bremen, Ohio 45869—This congregationbegan meeting in August, 1981. We began here in August of 1982 when therewere 11 in attendance and a contribution of $200weekly.Withinayearwewereaveraging 35 and had a contribution of $350. By then we had outgrown ourmeeting place and sought a larger rental property. Finding nothing suitable, inMarch, 1984 we purchased an existing building and renovated it. It seats 80and can be expanded to seat 150 witha few changes.At thetimewe bought theproperty we were averaging 42 with a contribution of $480. We converted twofrom theChristian Church,two fromthe liberalchurch,and one familymoved inand identified with us. Four were baptized.
The total expenditure for our meeting house was $70, 000 including thebuilding with a basement on one acre of land, and all the renovations (furnace,carpet, classrooms). We agreed to finance with the owner for a period of threeyears making payments of $20, 000 eachofthese years. The firstinstallment wasdue April, 1984 which we paid by one of the members taking a secondmortgage on his house and loaning that to the church. We renovatedwith $10,000 borrowed from another member here and with individual Christians from across the country making donations.
We are now in need of the next installment of $20, 000. This is due in April,1985. We are looking for individual Christians that will lend the church heremoney for 10 years at 11% interest annually. If you can help, contact me at theabo ve address. Several capable men know of the work here. Among them: SEWELL HALL (404) 455-8468; ELMO HAZELWOOD (205) 232-6957;IRVEN LEE, (205) 233-1188; HOBERT JOHNSON (an elder at Hueytown,AL) (205) 491-2803. I would encourage you to call any of these men andinvestigate the work here. If I may answer any questions, call me at (419) 6292573, or call Walt Hazelwood at (419) 629-2171. This area has been neglectedfor halfacentury.There is a need for astrong, soundchurch inthis area. If you areable to help, let us hear from you.
NEW CONGREGATIONEDGAR C. WALKER, Rt. 2, Box 278 C, Jamestown, KY 42629— Afteralmost seven years with the churchinJamestown, we are starting a newwork inColumbia in Adair County. The church in Jamestown isnowout of debt. Duringthat time, we were aware of the great need for a sound work in Adair County.Columbia is a college town. Many young Christians attend Lindsey WilsonCollege here with no place to worship unless they drive many miles. A newcongregation now meets at 708 Russell Road in Columbia known as the AdairCounty Church of Christ. The temporary meeting place isone half block east ofthe traffic light at the intersectionof highways 80 and 55.We met the first timeon January 13 with 26 present. We are off to a good start and anticipate a good work here. I am also in need of some additional support. We invite any whomight be in the area to visit with us. Also, please put us in contact with peopleyou know here.
BOBBY R. HOLMES, 601 N. Dallas Ave., Lancaster, Texas 75146— The church here has for sale 16 pews, 10 ft. long with pulpit stand and communiontable. These items are only two years old and look like new. Very reasonablypriced. Contact Bobby Whitton (214) 227-2458 or see them at 601 N. DallasAve., Lancaster, Texas.
INFORMATION SOUGHT RICHARD W. TERRY, Rt. 1, Box 293A, Houston, MS 38851—I am interested in compiling, for future publication, a listing of all radio programspresently being conducted by faithful congregations throughout the UnitedStates and Canada. If you have knowledge of such programs I would appreciate your assistance. I would like the following information: Location,station call letters and frequency, time or times of broadcast(s), congregationfinancing the broadcast and the speaker. I also want to compile a similar list ofcongregations which publish bulletins.
PREAC HERS NEEDED ELDORADO, ARKANSAS—The Union Heights church in El Dorado islooking for a preacher to work with them. The attendance is around 35 onSunday mornings with 25 members. The population is around 26, 000. Someoutside support will be needed. Those interested should write the church at 208
E. 28th St., El Dorado, AR 71730.Orcall(501)862-5209or863-0698.
DENHAM SPRINGS, LOUISIANA—This small congregation east of Baton Rouge is seeking a gospel preacher to work with them in a town ofabout 9, 000. We have an older building situated near the center of town. Wecan provide only partial support due to the small size of the congregation.Those interested may send resumes to: Church of Christ, P. O. Box 404,Denham Springs, LA 70726. All of these will be answered with a follow-upletter giving more details.
IN THE NEWS THIS MONTH BAPTISMS 257RESTORATIONS 81(Taken from bulletins and papers received by the editor)