THE BIBLE ONLY

Thomas Campbell stated the main themes that directedthe thinking of the early nineteenth century Restorers of "theancient order" "Where the Bible speaks, we speak; andwhere the Bible is silent, we are silent". "A thus saith the Lord, either in express terms, or by approved precedent,for every article of faith and item of religious practice"."Nothing ought to be received into the faith or worship of thechurch, or be made a test of communion among Christians,that is not as old as the New Testament". "The restoration of primitive Christianity, in its doctrines, its ordinances,and its practice"! These principles formed the great war criesof the Restoration movement.

As might be expected from a people wedded to such themes, the Restorers relied heavily on "the Bible alone"in their evangelism. It was the simple proclamation of theunadorned word of God that made their plea unique in pioneer America and that appealed so largely to the sectarian-weary citizens of the new nation. The preaching ofthese Reformers was wholly Biblically oriented, with stress on those passages held to be of primary interest to restoratio n.

1. Their Preaching Was Fundamentally Expository in Form. James DeForest Murch says: "In the early days ofthe movement, preaching was almost exclusively polemicaland evangelistic. Preachers were under attack by the denominations and were driven to defend their simple NewTestament position. They constantly inveighed against theevils of denominationalism and

called upon members of other churches to 'come out of Babylon'. The proof-text method was popular. Sermons portrayed the glories of a united church and the religiousmillennium that would come on earth when all God's people were one. In the so-called protracted meetings, theypreached expository sermons largely drawn from the bookof Acts and concluded with a 'gospel invitation'. This invitation to accept Christ at the close of every sermonremains until this day a distinctive feature of Disciples' preaching and worship service". (Christians Only, p.195. )

2. They Preached While Looking in Two Directions. They looked back to what they believed to be the pattern ofChristianity in the first century, and they looked forward tothe millennium when all of God's people would be one andthe world converted to Christ. Dwight E. Stevenson gives asummary of the early nineteenth century disciples' views regarding this two-directional look, as reflected in their evangelism. He writes: "It is as if they were thinking of twogolden ages. One lay behind them in the Mediterranean world of Peter and Paul. The other lay before them on theAmerican continent, to be announced by the trumpet of theseventh angel of the Apocalypse. The way to the golden age of the future was by way of the restoration of the goldenage of the church from the ancient past". (Disciples' Preaching in the First Generation, p.65. )

While they looked for a world characterized by postmillennial idealism, they did not dwell on it, nor did theyspeculate about it to any great extent. Alexander Campbell reflects the view of many regarding the millennium. He changed the name of his journal to THE Millennial Harbinger in 1830 and stated his millennial views in the first issue. But during the next thirty-six yearsof publication, he paid scant attention to the expected golden age of Christianity. He was far more interested in what he conceived to be the means of bringing it about: theconversion of the world to Christ. However, when some ofthe leading brethren were diverted briefly to premillennialism during the 1830s, he exposed the errors of thisdoctrine and perhaps saved the brotherhood from its folly.But he spent relatively little time dealing with his own postmillennial views.

3. The Preaching of the Pioneers Was Unique in

Their Day. They rejected the homiletical style thenpopular in the denominational world. Campbell wrote: "The whole system of sermonizing, text preaching, expounding scripturalscraps, and of doctrinal expositions, is unauthorized byGod, and it is not the way to save sinners or edify saints.There is no trace of such a mode of procedure in the apostolicage, nor in the times immediately subsequent thereto. Thissystem has darkened the counsel of God, and filled theworld with error". (Millennial Harbinger, 1834, p. 589. )

Barton W. Stone said this kind of preaching had "almost ruined the world, and swelled the number of skeptics". (The Works of B. W. Stone, p. 342). Walter Scott poured equal scorn on textual preaching, condemning such texts as: "Naphtali is a hind let loose"; "Ephraim is a cake not turned"; "Remember Lot's Wife"; and "Judas went out andhanged himself". The Restorers did not object to such textsin sermons, but they believed they should be used only whenviewed in context. Stephens said, "In a word, the only textualpreaching to be trusted was contextual preaching".

These men also opposed the preaching harangue then invogue among sectarians. Abraham Lincoln is said to havepreferred to hear a man preach like he was "fighting bees".He had ample opportunity, but "bee fighting" preaching did not suitthose whocalled themselves"Christians only". Theypreferred reason to emotion and were accused of having"head religion", as opposed to "heart-felt religion". Of course,they did not object to emotion, but opposed placing it abovereason. "Come let us reason together" said the Lord and sosaid these nineteenth century Restorers.

Their preaching was an open war on Calvinism and Arminianism. They searched for Biblical models for all theypracticed in religion: the plan of salvation, the organizationof the church, the order of worship, and other matters ofprimary concern.

One cannot be committed to "the Bible only" without ithaving a profound effect on his preaching. Having adopted the Bible alone as their sole authority, the Restorers of "theancient order" preached the word of God, as near as possible, just as it came from "the fountain-head of inspiration". They saw denominational preachers as clouding the truth in the minds of the people with theircreeds, opinions and textual preaching. They were determined not to follow their example. Perhaps the moststriking characteristic of the Restorer's evangelism wastheir total reliance on the word of God, both to advance thepure gospel and to oppose its enemies of whatever stripe orcast.

THE MIND OF CHRIST AND ERROR

The statement "Let this mind be in you which was also inChrist Jesus" (Phil. 2: 5), challenges every disciple from themoment of his translation into the kingdom of God's dear son until the time of his transition to yonder's world. The context of that passage speaks of the willing obedience ofthe Christ who, though "in the form of God", and "equal withGod", was fashioned in the likeness of men to suffer at thehands of men the humiliating death of the cross. All of thiswas presented to provide the supreme illustration of what itmeans to have "lowliness of mind" and "esteem other better than themselves" (Phil. 2: 3).

It is not uncommon to equate the "mind of Christ" withcompassion, meekness, tenderness and forgiveness. And these were clearly seen in his character. Who could forget histender compassion for the woman taken in adultery whose accusers fled the scene? Or his commendation of the woman who brought the cruse of expensive perfume which Judassaid was a "waste"? How could we forget his tears at the grave of his good friend, Lazarus? Or his fervent "Father forgiven them, for they know not what they do" on behalf ofthose who had him crucified? Indeed, he left us an example,that ye (we) should followhis steps"(1 Pet.2: 21).

While Jesus was compassionate with the sinner snaredby Satan's trap, he was militantly outspoken about sin, thecause of it and about those who made human traditions equal to the law ofGod.He sawfalse teachersasservantsofthe Devil and branded their doctrine as soul condemningerror. He came to seek and save the lost and false teachers were themselves lost and the cause of others being ledastray. To fail to see this is to miss vital truth and to gain aone-sided conceptofthe "mind of Christ. "

It is thought by many, including a growing number ofChristians, that it is not nice to reprove error and rebukesin. We must "think positive", never condemn, always build but never tear down. Editors and writers in religiousjournals who dare to examine false doctrine and who namethose who promote such error can expect to hear from whiners who don't think it is shows "love" to write in this vein. Sermons along this line will get complaints fromthose who wring their hands and think the preacher does nothave the "spirit of Christ. "

Consider the following examples of what Jesus said. Howbetter to discover the "spirit of Christ" than from the wordsof Christ himself?

In Matthew 13: 14-15, Jesus quoted the prophecy ofIsaiah and applied it to some of his own day when he said"In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, Byhearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; andseeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lestat anytimetheyshould seewith their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and Ishould heal them. "

In the parable of the tares in the same chapter, Jesusplainly said that the "enemy" who sowed tares in men's hearts was the devil (v. 39).

Behold the spirit of Christ in Matthew 15 regarding thefalse teachers of his day.

To the scribes and Pharisees he said: "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of Godby your tradition"? (15: 3). "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth mewith their lips; but their heart is far from me. But invain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines thecommandments of men" (15: 7-9). "Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?But he answered and said, Every plant, which myheavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.Let them alone; they be blind leaders of the blind. Andif the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch"

(15: 12-14). When Jesus said "Leave them alone" he was not tellingthem to ignore their error. He certainly did not ignore it.He was charging them not to support it in any way. No passage better shows the Lord's attitude toward false

religious teachers than Matthew 23. Hear him:"But do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not"

(23: 3).

"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for yeneither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that areentering to go in" (23: 13).

"and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shallreceive the greater damnation" (23: 14).

"ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and whenhe is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell thanyourselves" (23: 15).

The condemnations were severe. The circumstances merited what he said. Had Jesus been in the good graces ofthese religious leaders they would not have clamored for hisblood. He had no fellowship with them and they wanted nopart of him.

Throughout the land there is a need for more militant evangelism. Error struts brazenly without being challenged. The airwaves are filled with the voices of those who are preaching another gospel and who therefore stand under the curse of God. Multitudes are led astray by theseteachers. In almost every community denominations and sects are thriving on error. In those places where those who profess to be simply Christians are found in largenumbers, the religious world scarcely knows of their presence. Our liberal-minded brethren have anational radio and television program. And what do they talkabout? "The Problem of Aging. " "Depression. " "How toCope With Being Alone. " Where are the definitive sermonswhich draw the line between truth and error, between thechurch of the Lord and the churches of men, between Biblesalvation and false systems of men? Among those who claimto be more conservative, why is it that we now have ageneration on our hands which cannot abide preaching which has some teeth in it. We do need teeth in our preaching to take a bite out of sin and denominational error.

The prophets of old spoke plainly. So did our Lord and sodid his apostles. It was out of love for lost souls that theyplaced truth ahead of popularity. They did not lick a fingerand hold it up to see which way thewind wasblowing. Theydid not wait to find out which position would be more popular. They were not reeds shaken by the wind. They werenot men-pleasers nor time-servers. They were servants of theLord and accountable to him who shall judge the hearts and labors of all men.

My brethren, let's put Bible preaching back in the pulpits. Let's show the difference between the truth and error both doctrinally and morally in terms everyone can understand. Let's call on honest souls to forsake the ways ofthe devil and flee to the Rock of Ages for safety. And let's challenge the purveyors of religious error to defend theircause by the word of God, or else, failing that, give it up forthe salvation of their own souls as well as the souls of those who are influenced by them. That is also the "spirit of Christ. "

COMMON SENSE ECONOMICS

Paul Harvey recently reported that the Haggar factoryin Oklahoma City is closing down after manufacturingslacks for 11 years. Another Haggar factory in McKinney,Texas is also closing its doors. The reason? They cannotfind enough people willing to work for $6. 50 an hour. TheOklahoma City factory employed 200 people, only a third of what they needed and wanted.

"In Omaha, " Mr. Harvey reports, "employees at BurgerKing are offering bounties of up to $50 if they can recruitanother worker willing to work. " They have 200 unfilled jobs.

All of this while one in five Americans is receivingwelfare. $107. 5 billion of our money was spent last year byfederal, state and local governments on welfare. Most ofthat went to grease the wheels of "the bureaucracy which administrates welfare. "

I do not claim to be an economist. Many who claim to beleave room for doubts. We would probably be about as well off to let the economists predict the weather and the weathermen predict the economy. I think I do have some common sense, however, and that is something many economists do not seem to have.

You see, I understand why taxes have increased until anestimated 42% of the average working man's salary is spentfor federal, state, and local revenues. I see why the nationaldeficit has climbed until we're over one trillion dollars in the red. Most of our leaders do not perceive what theproblem is, butitis not reallydifficult.

Let us imagine a family which continued to grow uncontrollably. First there's just "Molly and me and baby makes three. " But then there's two, three, four; later six, eight, twelve youngsters. Then grandchildren start appearing while the kids are still at home; some withhusbands or wives, some without. Then let us suppose afew aunts and uncles move in. And let us imagine thatvery few of these add anything to the family ante. All they know how to do is spend and waste.

It doesn't take a college education to know that that home has problems. And that's what we're looking atwhen we look at the federal government. The bureaucracyhas grown until its estimated that one in eight to one in sixworkers is employed by the federal government. When oneconsiders the wasteful habits of our big

brother's family, it's hard to imagine a more unfaithfulsteward. He is a prodigal in the truest sense of the term.

Couple that with the millions on welfare who are able towork and will not, and the problem becomes obvious. MiltonFreidman (one economistwho seemsto have somecommonsense) said in his best selling book, "Free to Choose" "The Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare, established in1953 to consolidate the scattered welfare programs, beganwith the budget of $2 billion, less than 5% of expenditureson national defense. 25 years later, in 1978, its budget was$160 billion 1 1/2 times as much as the total spending on theArmy, Navy, and Air Force. It had the 3rd largest budgetin the world, exceeded only by the entire budget of the U. S.Government and the Soviet Union.

I do not begrudge for a moment the assistance which isgiven to people truly in need. But unfortunately thewelfare system is founded on a premise which is contraryto God's word and is thus detrimental to our society. Paul said, "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat" (2 Thess. 3: 10).

FALSE RELIGION IS NOT BREAD

(In a previous article, entitled "Not Bread", based upon Isaiah's question, 55: 1-2, "Wherefore do ye spend money forthat which is not bread?", I pointed out that Humanism,Materialism, and Sensuality are not life-giving bread. Inthis article, as promised, I discuss "False Religion"—H. P. )

The popular feeling in our day is that religion—anyreligion—is bread of life. The one who believes and declaresthere is one God, one faith, one body, one Lord, and onehope (Eph. 4: 4-6) is regarded as a narrow-minded bigot.

Religion comes from a word that literally means "to bindback", involving man being bound back to God. "Othersderive 'religio' from 'relegere' to gather, to collect, makingthe primary meaning a collection, and then more specificallya collection of religious formulas. 1. A system of rules ofconduct and laws of action based upon the recognition of,belief in, and reverence for a super human power of supreme authority. 2. Specifically, a particular kind of faithand practice entertained and propagated by its devotees; asthe Christian or the Jewish religion. 3. The essential observances and practices of a religious people or of a sect. 4.Spiritual purity,

as distinguished from intellectual and social

characteristics. "—Copied from Webster's New Twentieth

Century Dictionary.

According to these definitions many varied beliefs and

practices may be called "religion". Only definition No. 1,

quoted above, concerning those who believe in a supreme

being and the Bible, would involve true religion.

Everything else would be of human origin (human wisdom)

and, therefore, false.

False Religion

False religions can be found in nearly every country and

age, carrying the promise of being bread to their

adherents. Wecan readaboutthemin the Bible.

Pharaoh and the people of Egypt looked to their gods to

bless and save them, but were proven completely

impotent before representatives of the God of heaven and

earth.

The followers of Baal and his prophets failed miserably

before Elijah, a prophet of Jehovah, at Mt. Carmel (1 Kings

18: 19-46).

The Bible carries many warnings, denunciations, andpredictions of doom for false prophets and their followers.(Deut. 18: 20, Isa. 9: 15, Jer. 14: 13-5; 28: 15-17; Ezek. 13:1-6; Matt. 7: 15; 2 Pet. 2: 1; 1 Jno. 4: 1)

The numerous gods (religions) of the people at Athenswere declared by Paul to be powerless in contrast to the"Lord of heaven and earth... who giveth to all life, andbreath, and all things... and in whom we live, and move,and have our being" (Acts 17: 22-28).

True Religion

True religion is, and always has been, based upon theexistence of Deity, creator and preserver of all things, and the fact He has spoken. True religion is manifested by thosewho with faith in Him, live and act according to what Hesays. Any other faith and practice is not, and cannot be,"bread of life".

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hathin these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hathappointed heir of all things, by whom also he made theworlds" (Heb.1:1-2). In time past God spake unto Adam,Enoch, Abraham—the fathers or partriarchs—directlyand by prophets. Those who listened and obeyed were thefollowers of true religion at that time. Those who didn't were false and doomed.

With the redemption of all mankind in mind, God choseAbraham and promised that through his seed all nationswould be blessed. Abraham's seed became a separatenation and to them God, through Moses, gave the Law."Now therefore hearken, O Israel unto the statutes andunto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, thatye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LordGod of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto theword which I command you, neither shall ye diminishought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of theLord your God which I command you" (Deut. 4: 1-2).Again and again, Israel was reminded that their happiness,success, and salvation was conditioned upon their faith inGod and faithfulness to his word. Hearing and doing God'swill was

bread of life to them, and was a manifestation of true religion. For them, any other system was false and destructive.

True Religion Today

In the fullness of time, the Law that was a schoolmaster to bring unto Christ (Gal. 3: 24), was fulfilled through thecoming of Christ and his death upon the cross for the sin ofthe world (Col. 2: 14), and the New Covenant (Heb. 8: 8-13)became operative (Heb. 9: 15-17; Luke 24: 46-47; Acts 1: 4-8;

2: 1-42).

The church to which the Lord added the saved (Acts 2:47) is the body of Christ (Col. 1: 18; 1 Cor. 12: 27), kingdomof Christ (Col. 1: 13; Heb. 12: 23, 27), New Covenant orChristianity, which was the subject of prophecy, and themanifestation ofwhathad beena mystery foryears (1Cor.2:6-3). This onlyistrue religion in these last days;the onlybread of life for people today.

Jesus said that He was the bread of God which came down

from heaven and giveth life unto the world (Jno. 6: 33) and

"I am the bread of life; He that cometh to me shall never

hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst (vs.

35). . . "I am the living bread which came down from heaven:

If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the

bread that I give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of

the world (vs. 51).... "Whosoeatethmyflesh, and drinketh

my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the

last day; For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink

indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,

dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living father hath sent

me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, even he

shall live by me" (vs. 54-7).

In these verses, Jesus shows how he is the bread of life.Eating and drinking are figurative terms showing how onepartakes of Him and lives—has eternal life. In the first place, Jesus is the bread of life because of his death on the cross (the sacrifice of his flesh and blood). Eating and drinkingHim is a matter of "Seeing Him, believing on him (vs. 40),hearing and learning, resulting in coming unto Him (vs. 44-45),dwelling in Him (vs. 56), thus living-having life. In this sameway, receiving and doing the Father's will, Jesus lived by Him (vs. 57). When the disciples of the Lord failed to understand the figure of eating and drinking, He said "thewords that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (vs. 63).

Jesus is the only bread of life and those that feed on him are whoever hears and learns His word, believes on Him(Rom. 10: 17), cometh unto Him, and dwelleth in Him. People who thus responded at the preaching of the gospel atPentecost (Acts 2) and thereafter, constituted the Lord's church (body-kingdom) and were called "Christians" (Acts

11: 26; Acts 26: 28; 1 Pet. 4: 16). So, as it has always been,the true bread of life is Deity, hearing, believing, and obeying His Word. No other one, thing, or system can saveand give eternal life. Everything else is "a stone, not bread","fools gold", "nardoo bread", "false religion" that can nevergive life to those feeding thereon.

One of the greatest tragedies at the judgment will be the denial of many who were religiously active, doing manywonderful works, but failing to do "the will of the father inheaven" (Matt. 7: 21-23). They simply laboured for that which is not bread.

Many people are shocked at the thought of the devoteesof religious systems, that do not accept Christ, being lostor dead spiritually. It is impossible to reconcile the revealedwill of the all authoritative God with other systems arisingfrom other sources or beings. We have already shown thatall such is condemned throughout the Bible.

Even faith in Deity and partial submission to His revealed will is not lifegiving bread. Christianity, so called,is fragmented by numerous sects or denominations becauseof the doctrines and commandments of men. Jesus says allsuch is "vain worship" (Matt. 15: 9), and will be "rooted up"(vs. 13), Those who go outside or beyond the teaching ofChrist forfeit a relationship with God (2 Jno.9).

It is always necessary to ask concerning every faith andpractice, "What saith the Scripture?" "Is it from heaven orfrom men?" John warned "Beloved, believe not everyspirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; becausemany false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 Jno. 4:1).

Indeed, there is in the religious world much deceivingbread-that which is called bread, but is lacking in certainspiritual ingredients essential to spiritual life. Devotees spend their lives feeding on this, and feel satisfied, but at thejudgment, learn that they died spiritually long ago, or werenever alive, and will be lost eternally.

GUARDIAN ANGELS

QUESTION: In view of Matt. 18: 10, Acts 12: 15 and Heb.

1: 14 would you say that each Christian has a guardian angel?

ANSWER: First of all, let us quote the Scriptures underconsideration in order to see what they say. "Take heedthat ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say untoyou, That in heaven their angels do always behold the faceof my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 18: 10). "... Thensaid they, it is his angel" (Acts 12: 15). "Are they (angels,WEW) not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister forthem who shall beheirs of salvation" (Heb.1: 14)?

There is nothing in these passages that gives credence to "guardian angels. " This idea developed out of pagan philosophy and Jewish superstition rather than divine revelation.

McClintock and Strong state: "It was a favorite opinion ofthe Christian fathers that every individual is under care ofa particular angel, who is assigned to him as a guardian....The Jews (excepting the Sadducees) entertained this belief,as do the Moslems. The heathen heldit ina modified form__ There is, however, nothingto support this notion in the Bible" (Cyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 228).

"Their Angels"

Notice in Matthew that Jesus said "their angels are in heaven, beholding the face of the Father, " not on earth acting as personal protectors. The message Jesus was conveying seems to be that if the angels of heaven takespecial interest in and concern for the little ones, surely noChristian should despise, treat with disdain and contempt, even the most obscure disciple who shares in heaven's blessings in the kingdom of God on earth. What peculiarfunctions angels perform in heaven today on behalf of earthly saints are not revealed, except Rev. 8: 3 does indicate that angels are involved in conjunction with ourprayers to God. However, they are servants in the vision ofJohn (burning incense) and not mediators between man and God.

In contrast to this, several espouse the "guardian angel" position. Pulpit Commentary said on Matt. 18: 10, "the angels especially appointed to watch and protect them—their guardian angels" (Matthew, Vol. 2, p. 210). J.

W. McGarvey commented on the verse, "the angelsespecially charged with ministering to them individually. Thefact stated of these angels is that 'they do

always behold the face of the Father in heaven—a factwhich shows the efficiency of their guardianship" (New Testament Commentary, p. 157). Adam Clarke stated, "OurLord here not only alludes to, but, in my opinion, establishesthe notion received by most all nations, viz. That every person has a guardian angel" (Clarke's Commentary, Vol. 5,

p. 183). Others could be cited to show the prevalence of thisview.

Although many noteworthy men subscribe to the "guardian angel" view, in my estimation they presume theposition rather than establishing it from the Scriptures. AsClarke said, it was his opinion.

"His Angel"

It appears in Acts 12: 15 that we have stated a superstition that was widespread among the Jews. After Peterwas miraculously released from prison by an angel (vv. 710) he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark,where many were gathered for prayer. Rhoda, respondingto Peter's knocking at the door of the gate, recognized hisvoice and rushed back in with gladness, proclaiming thatPeter stood at the gate. They replied, "It is his angel. "

Hackett wrote, "Itwas a commonbelief among the Jews,says Lightfoot, that every individual has a guardian angel,and that this angel may assume a visible appearanceresembling that of the person whose destiny is committedto him. This idea appears here not as a doctrine of the Scriptures, but as a popular opinion, which is neither affirmed nor denied" (Commentary on Acts, p. 200). Thisinterpretation is more plausible to me than any of the otherpositions postulated. Barnes wrote, "There is no evidencethat they were inspired in these opinions, nor are their notions countenanced by the Scriptures" (Acts, p. 193).

"Ministering Spirits"

As to Hebrews 1: 14 we are not told how angels minister forthe benefit of the elect. Conybeare and Howson translate thetext, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth toexecute (His) service, for the sake of those who shall inherit salvation?" This is a general statement, contextuallyshowing the inferiority of angels to Jesus, and nothing isstated about the service rendered by these angels on behalfof God for those inheriting salvation. To read "guardianship" into the verse is, again, beingpresumptuous.The verse says, "ministering FOR, " not "TOthe saints. " This is significant.

Angels have had various roles as set forth in the Bible.In the Old Testament angels were used for various andsundry reasons. An angel ordered Abraham to refrain fromsacrificing Isaac (Gen. 22: 11), protected Jacob (Gen. 48:16), escorted the Israelites through the wilderness (Ex. 23:20-23), fed Elijah in the desert (I Kgs. 19: 5) inflicteddisaster on the Assyrian army (2 Kgs. 19: 35), and severalother things that could be listed.

In the New Testament an angel(s) announces the birth ofthe Lord (Lk. 2: 8), strengthens Jesus (Matt. 4: 11), rollsaway the stone at His tomb (Matt. 28: 2), releases apostlesfrom prison (Acts 5: 19), directs Philip (Acts 8: 26), andappears to Paul in a dream (Acts 27: 23).

Angels rejoice over one sinner that repents (Lk. 15: 10), desire to look into God's way of saving man through the gospel (1 Pet. 1: 12), behold the manifold wisdom ofGod demonstrated in the church (Eph. 3: 10), carried Lazarusto Abraham's bosom (Lk. 16: 22) (Would not this indicatethat angels accompany all the redeemed after death totheir dwelling place to await the resurrection?), will comewith Jesus when He returns (Matt. 25: 31), will separatethe righteous from the wicked (Matt. 13: 41, 45) and willhear Jesus confess or deny those who confess or deny Himbefore men (Lk. 12:8-9).

From Genesis through Revelation angels have been actively involved in the service of God and the affairs of men.Their work continues as God executes His purposes, and itwill persist through the consummation of man'redemption, and for eternity. Let us be cautious that we donot take verses where angels appeared on earth and workedin a miraculous way and try to apply those instances to possible angelic interventions today in the lives of God'people. Miraculous operations have been suspended!

A LETTER FROM ITALY

As I write this, Pope John Paul II is on another of hiss

famous world tours, this time to Latin America. I received the following letter yesterday, dated January 16,1985, from brother Vincenzo Ruggiero of Salerno, Italy. Weare glad to know that this paper is being read in many s parts of the world, and of course we think it should beread by everyone.

As you read the letter, please remember that much of it isa translation into English from another language, and thewording is not alwaysas wewrite in this country.

Dear brother Britnell,

I read often your articles in Searching the Scripturesand I know you like to have news about the Pope, useful forarticles. Recently on the daily paper "La Repubblica" ofJanuary 15, 1985 there was published an article of Domenico Del Rio whose title is "How much travel this Pope" and the sub-title "And the great actor cried aloud:Peace in the world. " I suppose the translation would beinteresting for your articles. I shall write one in Italian forour paper, "Sentieri diritti. "

The beginning is this: "What is the difference betweenGod and Wojityla? That God is in every place and Wojitylahas already been there. " The witty remark, a little irreverent, which gets about into the roman curia (Holy See) describes the most remarkable and characterizingaspect of the Pontificate of Giovanni Paolo II, and with thetravels and image that the Pontiff gives of himself to the world.

"I could define him a charismatic man, " says EmilePoulat, historian, author of books of analysis on churchproblems, "however he knows too well the usage of mass-media. He is the Pope-Show, like Reagan, who is actor.There are two great actors in the world: Wojityla andReagan. (That's a matter of opinion, E. B. ) Cernienko isn't an actor; he works in twilight. For the pope, travels arean instrument to govern the Church. Charles the Great sentto the Empire lands his 'missi dominica' (master's servant). Today Wojityla does by himself his own 'missus dominicus'.

"I ask myself if it isn't the time to think to a different style of these papal travels, " says the jesuite Garcia Perezdirectorof the cultural centreof Madrid. "Itwould be necessary that were less triumphal and with possibilities of greater results. It is true, people rush to seethe pope, but these travelsseemto melike a powerful wind,which arrives, moves a little and then disap

pears, letting everything like before. One of the most glamorous papal travels has been that in the United States.Crowds,stadiumsof people, wentinto raptures for Wojityla.Well then I have heard this remark by an American: 'We like the singer, but not the song. ' He wanted to say that in the United States they were impressed more by the Pontiff'spersonality than by hismessage."

"A papal travel, in order to be apostolic, " says JoseMaria Gonzales Ruiz, theologian of Malaga, Spain, "wouldundress itself of all triumphalism by which it is surrounded.But the popes like these things. I don't think that Wojitylais vainglorious, but he thinks that all that makes the papacya kind of power to contrast other powers. And that formspart of Poland mentality. A pope should introduce himselfaround the world with a more evangelical aspect, withoutpolitical personal marks. I remember when Wojityla metthe poor Ernesto Cardenal to Managua airport, who kneltbefore him, and the pope scolded him, waving his finger onhis head, telling to regulate his position, abandoning hisoffice of minister. But how? You scold the monk Cardenal because he is minister, and you, pope, are chief of State; youarrived like a King, received with military bands and musicand salute of guns, as generally is done with kings and emperors! I am in agreement there mustn't be minister priests in governments of right nor in governments of left.Bishops and priests must not become political leaders. It isknown what leaders are like to the people, every leader isholy... The pope is a good actor and is able to do his part ofholy person— kisses the earth, waves the hands, catcheshold of children—this is a Devil temptation. Christ was persecuted by the mighty ones. The pope is welcomed by themighty ones. In Spain, here, all the socialist governmenthas welcomed the pope in the city of Seragozza. Never Jesuswas welcomed by the Sadducees or by the chief priests norPontius Pilatus went to salute him when he got out fromJerusalem nor Herod Antipas went paying his respects tohim when he went to the other bank of Jordan River. The pope yields to the diabolic temptation. It has been the greattemptation of Jesus: the peoples of earth will applaud you;you will have at your feet all the world's kingdoms... Vaderetro, Satan (Begone, Satan). And on the contrary, I pope, Ihave visited with all the world's kingdoms and they applauded me. But that is what the Devil told Jesus. "

These are the most important pieces translated, but manyothers I have of Josip Turkinovic, Yugoslavia, of MachelDemaison of France, Miguel Lamet of Madrid, and manyother priests.

I think all this material you can use for a good article I shall read when Searching the Scriptures will publish it and when itwill arrive at my home (after some months).

I hope and pray you and family and brethren in Little Rockenjoy good health.

In the daily paper "La Repubblica" of January 16 there isthe news that journalist Domenico Del Rio has been excluded from Papal airplane by which he has to fly fromJanuary 26 to February 6 in order to be in

Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru. Domenico Del Rio was included in the list of journalists accompanying the popeduring his journeys till January 15, but his articles and hisinterviews are offensive for the pope. In this case he isn't different from communists of his Poland. May God's richest blessings be with you always.

Vincenzo Ruggiero

OUR LORD'S INCARNATI0N—(2)HIS VIRGIN BIRTH

Skeptics, materialists, and destructive critics of the Bible have long rejected the incarnation of Jesus. Especially, have they made the virgin birth a focal point ofattack. True, some regard the virgin birth as unimportantaccording to their view of His Sonship. However, from theviewpoint of His being the Son of God in the sense of deity,the virgin birth is the very foundation of His incarnation.Furthermore, the Bible makes the virgin birth an integralpart of the whole scheme of redemption.

It is involved in the curse pronounced upon the serpentwhich curse gives to fallen man his first ray of hope: "Iwill put enmity between thee and the woman, and betweenthy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thoushalt bruise his heel" (Gen. 3: 15). In symbolic languagevictory over Satan is foretold. The seed of woman triumphsby inflictingafatal blow to the head of the serpent while onlybeing bruised in the heel in the process. The expression "seed of woman" involves an idea contrary to all biologicalexperience. We read of the seed of man—Abraham, Isaac,Jacob—but never do we read of the seed of woman exceptin this instance.

Sometime later the prophet Isaiah throws some light onthemeaning of this expression: "Therefore the Lord himselfshall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, andbear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Isa. 7: 14).Thus, the Messiah was to be born of a virgin, which ideaharmonizes with the expression "seed of woman. " From these verses we learn that He was begotten by deity,conceived and born without an earthly father, and His very name means "God with us" (Matt. 1: 23)—hence, His incarnation!

"Almah"

The word "virgin" (KJV) in Isa. 7: 14 is from the Hebrewword "almah" which according to authorities may be translated "young woman. " Hence, forces of opposition sometimes deny that this verse affords evidence of the virginbirth. The translators of the RSV (all Modernists) make this verse read "young woman. " While "almah" is genericenough in meaning to allow the translation "young woman, " most of the timeitwas usedto mean a "young woman" who was a virgin. The context, circumstances, and conditionsdetermined the issue.

In Isa. 7: 14 the context—even the verse itself— demands the idea of "virgin. " Note: "Therefore the Lord himself shallgive you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive.... " The "sign" exists only if the idea of "virgin" is involved. A young woman giving birth to a child was a normal experience.

It is significant that the Septuagint Version, which is aGreek translation of the original Hebrew text, translates"almah" using the Greek word "parthenos, " which has onlyone meaning, namely, "virgin. " Thus, the translators of theGreekOld Testamentunderstood the meaning of"almah" inthis verse to mean "virgin. " Furthermore, this is the version that Jesus and the apostles quoted from in theirday.

But this is not all. When Matthew wrote, using theGreek language, the HolySpiritmoved him to use theword"parthenos" when he quoted Isa. 7: 14 in Matt. 1: 23. Thus,we have the Holy Spirit's own commentary on the meaningof "almah" in Isa. 7: 14. To deny the idea of the virgin birthin thisOld Testamentpassageisto take issue with the HolySpirit.

Paul and the VirginBirth

It is sometimes alleged that Paul never one time mentioned the virgin birth of Jesus in all of his writings; thathis silence shows his lack of faith in it, and that suchsilence minimizes its importance. Such, however, is not true!There are a number of verses from his pen which can beunderstood only in the light of the idea of the virgin birth ofJesus. , For example, consider the following: "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, madeof a woman, made under the law, " (Gal. 4: 4) While theexpression "made of woman" is sometimes translated "born of woman" in modern versions the word "made" is different from the word "born" generally used in reference to thebirth of man, e. g., the birth of John—"born of women"(Matt. 11: 11; Lk. 7: 28). The word "made" in Gal. 4: 4 isthe same word used elsewhere when the idea of divine creation is involved (Cf. Jno. 1: 1, 3, 14; Phil. 2: 5-7; Rom. 1: 3). From this I conclude that the Holy Spirit moved Paul inGal. 4: 4 to use a word that would embrace the idea of divine creation— hence, the virgin birth. Remember, Paul is theauthor of the following verses already cited: Rom. 1: 3; Phil.

2: 5-7. Again, Paul wrote 2 Cor. 5: 19: "To wit, that God wasin Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, " and "God was manifest in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3: 16). These verses canbe understood only in the light of the virgin birth by which Hebecame incarnate.

Why His Incarnation? While there are a number of verses that answer this question rather pointedly in part, the one passage that mostfully and clearly answers the question is Heb. 2: 9-18.Look at verse nine: "But we see Jesus, who was made alittle lower than the angels for the suffering of death,crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. " This verse not onlyaffirms His incarnation with the objective, namely, thatHe might "taste death" without which there could be noatonement for sin. This death was to be experienced "for every man. " Thus, the doctrine of limited atonement is refuted, and all the rationalism of Calvinian theology cannot set aside the universal atonement here affirmed. What a paradox! He accomplished in death what all the power of angels could not. Yet, in order to do it, He becamelower than the angels, who are not subject to death. Truly,by reason of His incarnation, power was made perfect inweakness. Verse ten amplifies this objective by showing that Hisexperiences in a flesh and blood body perfectly qualifiedHim to be the "captain" or "author" (cf. Heb. 5: 8, 9) of oursalvation. He was made "perfect" not in the sense that Hefinally attained the level of sinless perfection—this He had from the beginning for He never did any sin, neitherwas guile found in His mouth (1 Pet. 2: 22). However, by this experience He perfectly qualified Himself to be ourSaviour. He could never have authored salvation for anyone—become a "propitiation" for sin—without the sacrificial blood of the innocent. His earthly experiencemade this possible. His incarnation was necessary!The remaining verses of this passage set before us otherobjectives of His incarnation which time and space forbiddiscussing fully just here. Notice, however, that by reason ofHis incarnation He was able to destroy the devil and hispower over death (v. 14); deliver us from the fear of death (v.15); and become "a merciful and faithful high priest (v. 17),and is therefore, "able to succour them that are tempted (v.18).Let us maintain faith in the incarnation of our Lord. Let us thank and praise God for the incarnation of His Son. Byreason of it, we cherish in our hearts the hope of immortalglory.

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THE ALIEN AND GOD'S COVENANT

One of the most difficult questions that arises when wecome to a study of the divorce and remarriage issue is statedin the title of this article. And, even though some mightnot be able to see the difficulty involved, many brethren whoteach and write on the subject have made it one of the "majorissues. " What does one's being an alien sinner, or for thatmatter a Christian, have todo with what istaughtinthe New Testament on the marriage and divorce question? Many thinkit has a great deal to do with it.

First of all, some do not believe that one is subject "to thecovenant" unless he is "a part of the covenant or in the covenant. " Thus, it is reasoned by proponents of thisposition, that unless one is a Christian he is not amenableto the New Covenant or New Testament.

Meaning of the Word "Covenant"

The word "covenant" is from the Greek word diatheke and, "primarily signifies a deposition of property by will orotherwise. In its use in the Sept., it is the rendering of aHebrew word meaning a covenant or agreement (from averb signifying to cut or divide, in allusion to a sacrificialcustom in connection with covenant-making, e. g., Gen. 15:10, 'divided' Jere. 34: 18-19). In contradistinction to the English word 'covenant' (lit., a coming together), which signifies a mutual undertaking between two parties or more,each binding himself to fulfill obligations, it does not in itselfcontain the idea of joint obligation, it mostly signifies anobligation undertaken by a single person" (W. E. Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Pages 242,243). In view of what Paul said, the new covenant was established by God, through Christ, that He might"... reconcile theworld untohimself..." (II Cor. 5: 19).

Now then, in view of the above definition by Mr. Vine, thereonly has tobe onepartyinvolved in the making of a covenant.However, the thing set forth in the covenant may or may not involve an agreement by another party. Let me illustrate.In Genesis 9: 8-17, God made a covenant with Noah and withall his seed which should follow after him, that He would never again destroy mankind with a flood. The rainbow wasto be a sign or memorial unto the people, that this would neverhappen again. It should be obvious to everyone that man did not have to agree with what God had said in order forHim to either make or carry out this covenant.

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A Covenant Involving Man

Actually, no covenant of God has to be accepted by manin order for God to make it. It is obvious, however, that somecovenants must be accepted by man IF man is to be therecipient of the blessings that are promised by the one whomakes the covenant.

For example, God made a covenant with Abraham. In Genesis 17: 2-8 God said, "And I will make my covenantbetween me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.And Abraham fell on his face: and God talked with him,saying. As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall becalled Abraham; for a father of many nations have I madethee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will makemy covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee intheir generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a Godunto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give untothee, and to thy seed after three, the land wherein thou art astranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession;and I will be their God. " Now it should be obvious to everyonethat God could make the covenant. However, if Abrahamand his seed were to receive the blessings that were promised,then they would have to meet the conditions set forth by Godin His covenant. The covenant, then, was made by God with Abraham. Even though God made the covenant with Abraham and his seed after him, many of his seed did notreceive the blessing promised because of their disobedience. Nevertheless the covenant was still in existence, and was still applicable to all those who were the seed of Abraham whether they accepted the terms of the covenant or not. The covenant and its terms were announced. God gave man a choice. He could either accept the covenant or reject it. However, and this is very important, the covenant was in existence regardless of man's choice. Those of Abraham's seed were amenable to it. And regardless of whether they were willing to accept the termsof it or even had knowledge of it; God still held them accountable for either obeying it or notobeying it.

God Gave Abraham Laws

In Genesis 26 God told Isaac that He had sworn with an oath to his father Abraham, "And I will make they seed tomultiply as the stars of the heaven, and I will give unto thyseed all these countries: and in thy seed shall all the nationsof the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed myvoice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes,and my laws" (Genesis 26: 4). You will notice that God said He gave Abraham laws.

God Made A New Covenant

In Hebrews 8: 6-10, the Hebrew writer describes a "new"covenant that God said He would make with the house of Israel. The text here is aquotationfromJeremiah 31: 31-34 and states that this "new" covenant would be "... a better covenant, which was established on better promises" (v. 6).

This "new" covenant is referred to in Hebrews 9: 15-17 as a "testament, " which is in harmony with the

definition given for a "covenant" in the first part of thisarticle. Paul said, "And for this cause he is the mediator of anew testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament,they which are called might receive the promise of eternalinheritance. " Thus God has established a new covenant.

With Whom Did God Make The New Covenant?

According to Matthew 28, Mark 16, and Luke 24, afterHis death, burial, and resurrection, Christ, now having allauthority both in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28: 18),instructed His apostles concerning those with whom the covenant should be made. Matthew 28: 19 "Go ye therefore and teach all nations.. . " Mark 16: 15 "... Go yeinto all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. "Luke 24: 47 "And that repentance and remission of sinsshould be preached in his name among all nations,beginning at Jerusalem. " Now, Christ died to establish thecovenant (Hebrews 9: 16-17). And just as God stated thecovenant to Abraham and promised that Abraham's seed would be the recipients of the covenant, God, by the HolySpirit, through the apostles, stated the terms of the covenant to the people on Pentecost (Acts 2: 36-38); and asGod told Abraham, so the apostles told these people, "Forthe promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all themthat are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shallcall" (v. 39). Thus the new covenant was to be with everycreature,all nations, both Jew and Gentile. And,besides that,by approximately 62 A. D. Paul wrote to the Colossiansand said that the gospel (this good news of the coming ofthe Messiah who "... by the grace of God should taste death for every man"—Heb. 2: 9, and by doing this establish Hiscovenant), "... was preached to every creature which isunder heaven... " (Colossians 1: 23).

Thus the new covenant (for every creature, for all nations), was established on the first Pentecost after theresurrection of Jesus Christ. And just as the covenant was made with Abraham, and all his seed were amenable to it,in like manner today all men are amenable to the new covenant regardless of whether they disobey it, refuse it, ornever heard of it. Who can deny that this is the truth? But,you may ask, what does all this have to do with marriage,divorce and remarriage?

Everything! It means that those who are not Christians are amenable to every law on marriage, divorce and remarriage just like those who are Christians. What Jesussaid in Matthew 19: 3-9) (and all the other passages thatwe have studied in previous lessons involving marriage,divorce, and remarriage) is applicable today to all men, everywhere.

ELEMENTS OF DISCIPLINE

Communication—The Key

Earlier we observed that discipline is "the treatment suited to a disciple". If a disciple is a "learner" it follows thatdiscipline involves the learning process, the process bywhich one gains information.

The seed or root out of whichgrows all discipline, goodor bad, is communication. Webster's Twentieth CenturyDictionary defines this word to be "1. the act of imparting,conferring, or delivering, from one to another; as, the communication of knowledge, opinions, or facts. 2. intercourse by words, letters, or messages; interchange ofthoughts or opinions, by conference or other means. " Thissame work says the verb communicate means "to have orhold intercourse or interchange of thoughts; to give, orgive and receive, information, signals, or messages in anyway,or by talk, gestures, writing,etc. "

A Two-Way Street

Regarding the parent-child relationship, communication is, or should be, a two-way street. It is meaningful to bothparent and child to whatever degree each party is benefited or injured by the other. Too often, I fear, parents seecommunication as a military arrangement wherein the captain tells the troops what to do, when, and where! Thisis not to fault a parent's right or responsibility to "nurture" the child but it is to warn parents that they areunder divine orders not to provoke the child to anger on theone hand or to discouragement on the other. I caution: let the parent who wants wisdom be warned!

Whether it is a word and its sound, a facial expression ofpleasure or displeasure, or a physical touch which soothesor pains, the fact remains that all of these expressions ofmind and emotions are media through which parent andchild communicates approval or disapproval to one another. This is why we say that communication, yes, two-way communication, is the basis of ultimate success orfailure of parental discipline or treatment of the child. Thechild becomes the teacher of the parent if the parent iswilling to learn from the responses of the child to thestimulations imparted by the parent.

We make the same point another way by identifying"stimulation" and "response" as the "cause" and "effect"constituting the disciplinary process. Because of

maturity parents are in better positions than the child toweigh objectively the temporary effect of the stimulation they give the child through word and deed from birth toadulthood. The wise parent learns from observing whattreatment succeeds and fails in the formation of the child's overall personality, i. e., the child's complete self— physically, mentally, socially, morally and spiritually. In many ways—by action and inaction (both are forms of reaction)—the child informs the parent of the education it isreceiving as the objectof parental interestor disinterest.

Parents May Prove Themselves Stupid

Parents who fail to learn about themselves from their child's reaction to their treatment of that child are fools! Even trainers of lower animals learn what is needed to cause these unhuman beings to react to various stimuli. (Is aman no different from a sparrow or a sheep? See Matt. 10:31, 12: 12) True it is that the child matures rapidly but thematuring is not so rapid that observing parents cannotcorrect the misdirection if they will give attention to what ishappening to the child's moral and spiritual character. Allparents know that there are physical defects observable innewly born children which can and must be corrected whilethey are young. Likewise, to neglect character infirmities inthe days of childhood is to bring sorrow, and often shame,to the neglectful parent.

Biblical Abundance

The Bible has too much to say about good and evilinfluences of parents over their children for any Biblebeliever to deny that morality and spirituality cannot betaught effectively by the parent and learned and exemplified by the child. Whether it be by impartation offacts, commands, promises, admonitions, reproof, warnings, correction, punishment or examples of the effects of good and/or evil conduct, these and other parental procedures may quite properly be called "communications" to the child while the child's reaction to such stimulations is its "feedback" from which parents learn thedegree of effectiveness of their efforts.

Regardless of the direction the cause moves in effectuating change over parent or child the interchange and exchange is "communication". This word summarizes all the elements of the disciplinary process. Hopefully, we shalllook at various expressions of this basic concept in futurecolumns. Meanwhile let us not forget that though the parentis in the driver's seat, in discipline the most effective teachers constantly learn from the pupils!

THE "TRY OUT"

Before writing this article I considered a number of titlesfor its heading, but I would probably have said the samethings anyway. It is something on the order of what A. C.Grider said about propositions for a debate—the disputants will generally say what they want to say anyway.

We've heard of the Miss America Pageant, and the various satellite pageants associated with it, or similar to it.I almost called this article the "Preacher Pageant, " butrestrained myself. Still, there are some things which needto be considered, and I think I can say them objectively.I've been preaching long enough that I don't need to establish a reputation for myself by pretending to be anexpert on some thorny problem. And, I have never had aproblem finding enough preaching to keep me busy, so noone can accuse me of the "sour grapes" syndrome. I havepreached part time, full time, been supported by the churchfull time and part time, and have supported myself fulltime and part time, and have experienced about everycombination of the aforementioned conditions. I have rented property, purchased property, lived in housing furnished bythe church, have paid my own moving expenses and havehad those expenses paid by the church. I have no pet causeto champion.

Over the years I have witnessed this preacher-relatedpractice called a "try out, " and at times it takes on some ofthe characteristics of apageant or a phenomenon. A time ortwo I have found myself right in the middle of, as onepreacheraptlyput it, "laying out my wares. "

I can understand that when a preacher is just starting topreach that he may not be well known among the brethren.Also, it is possible that a preacher may be well known in one area, but not in another. Even Saul needed a recommendation at one time in his ministry (Acts 9: 26,27). But this doesn't account for some of the things I've seen and heard.

I've known of congregations having a dozen preachers in the "try out" line, and they expected the firstones in line to wait until all had filed across the pulpit and through the "confirmation hearings" of a business meeting.Needless to say, such a practice may be an extreme example, but it points out the waste of time and money forall concerned. And, the problem is compounded when acongregation doesn't have elders.

At present, good preachers are in demand, and this fact may swing the pendulum the other way, tempting somepreachers to play one congregation against another. Somecongregations seem to think they are entitled to the best preachers in the brotherhood, and one preacher told me that he "had served his apprentice-ship, had a typewriter,some books, and a mimeograph, and was entitled to a largerchurch. " A preacher may not be a powerhouse in thepulpit, a specialist in the study, or a Dale Carnegie in thecommunity, but he can still be a good, solid man for somecongregation.

It would be difficult for a congregation to find a preacherwho would please everyone, or for a preacher to find theperfect congregation. (I always figured a perfect congregation didn't need me anyway). But, it does seemthat a congregation should have some idea of the kind of manthey need, contact such a man from personal knowledge orrecommendation, then go on from there. Otherwise, whilethe preacher is waiting for the decision of the judges, hemust contact some other congregations to protect himselfin case his first "try out" fizzles. Add to this picture the fact that most preachers—congregations need to give a reasonable notice of a change in plans, and at the last minuteyou have congregations trying to get the house readybetween preachers, moving vans jostling each other in thedrive-way, children trying to graduate from one school andenroll in another, while the post office and utility companies are trying to unscramble the mess.

It is strange that brethren are so concerned about "howthey spend the Lord's money" when it comes to paying the preacher they already have, but will pay the expenses ofseveral "try outs, " end up paying moving expenses forsomeone, and even refurnish or remodel the house for a new preacher.

No, we don't need a conference like the sectarians to decide when and where preachers should move. Neither do we need to sign a long-term contract, as one preacher suggested. Nor, does a congregation have to keep a preacher beyond his effectiveness, or take the first man whoapplies for the job. Just a little plain old common sense andcourtesy will solve most situations, and the rest would fitunder some "Believe It Or Not" column in some publication.

Most members of the body of Christ have become familiar with the civil suit in Collinsville, Oklahoma wherea member of the church who had been withdrawn from received a judgment in the aggregate of $390, 000. 00.The theory of recovery pursued by the plaintiff in that caseincluded the concept of invasion of privacy with a request foractual and punitive damages. Since the verdict in the Collinsville case, lawsuits against the church and/orindividual members have been reported in Garden Grove,California; Lafayette, Louisiana, and Del Rio, Texas. As aresult of these activities, brethren everywhere are pondering what they ought to do to prevent the possibilityof a disastrous verdict against the local church where theyare members. Although there is not a simple answer to thatcomplex inquiry, this article will propose certain actionswhich may be taken to alleviate theproblem.

Fulfilling OurResponsibility

Initially, it is noted that a proper course of conduct doesnot include the decision to stop withdrawing from thosewayward members who need to be disciplined. As faithfulmembers of the Lord's church, we have a God givenresponsibility to comply with the commands set forth inpassages such as 1 Cor. 5.

Shirking ourresponsibility isnotnow nor has it everbeena proper response to adversity.

Consistency

Now more than ever before there is a need for congregations to be consistent with their application of discipline.In the past there have been circumstances where withdrawing fellowship was applied on a hit and miss basiswith no consistency at all. Such a course of conduct is not only inconsistent with sound doctrine, but it could also beused against a local church.

In almost every case that has been filed against variousChurches of Christ, there has been a claim for punitivedamages. Historically, punitive damages have been allowed only in those cases where there has been intentional conduct that has been motivated by malice. Malice has beenlegally defined to include "hatred, ill will or spite". Likemany other matters, malice is seldom, if ever, susceptible ofdirect proof. Rather, there is usually an attempt to provemalice by circumstantial evidence. It could be argued thatthe fact that one particular member is singled out forwithdrawal while others who have been guilty of similarconduct were not circumstantial evidence of ill will directed to the person from whom the congregation has withdrawn.

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In lightof these circumstances, it isimperativethat God's people consistently practice God's plan for discipline.Inconsistency will certainly not be tolerated by the Almightyand may not be toleratedby a civiljury.

Authority and the Use of the Lord's Money

Another threshold question that must be addressed is theissue of what a local congregation may do with the Lord's money in this context of lawsuits against the church. It is notthe purpose of this article to provide an extensive analysis ofthis issue. However, it has been assumed that there is scriptural authority for a local congregation to own a meeting place and the property associated with it. If that istrue (and the author believes that it is) then God expects usto be good stewards. We can not squander the Lord's assets or allow them to be misused. With this concept in mind someof the recommendations set forth herein will be more meaningful.

Insurance

Probably one of the most cost efficient methods for approaching the problem of lawsuits against the church is the procurement of a liability insurance policy which includescoverage for claims of invasion of privacy, libel, slander,defamation, etc. Such policies are available on the market. Two companies which issue such policies are Church Mutual Insurance Company and Lumberman's Mutual. The cost is not expensive. If we have secured insurance policies in thepast in order to protect against the loss of the church building by fire, then there is even a greater need to protectthe Lord's property from a rebellious member and his or her attorney.

In purchasing an insurance policy there are several important considerations. First, the policy must be designedto provide the coverage needed. It is more than just a fireinsurance policy. Advice from an attorney or independentinsurance agent may be necessary to insure that the policy purchased is adequate.

Second, the policy must have a very broad definition ofwho is an insured under the policy. The definition of "insured" should include the church collectively and thoseacting on behalf of the church such as evangelists and elders.In the cases that have been filed to date individuals have been sued as well as the church collectively. Therefore, broadcoverage is essential.

Third, consideration must be given to the possibility ofpurchasing coverage in addition to the basic coverage. Anendorsement is available with some policies which includescounseling malpractice which would involve those situationswhere marital counseling by the elders or the preacherresults in a claim that the situation was mishandled. Also,umbrella coverage may be purchased in addition to the basic coverage which would increase the applicable limits ofliability. Aquestiontoconsider is related to thevalueof thelocal church's property. It would be unwise to believe that a$100, 000. 00 liability insurance policy would be sufficient to protect the assets of a congregation where the fair marketvalue of the church building and preacher's

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home is in excess of $300, 000. 00.

By purchasing an insurance policy, one item that is covered which is extremely important is the cost of defense. That means that the attorney's fees and associated defense costs which includes expert witness fees, depositionexpenses, etc. will all be paid by the insurance company.Without an insurance policy those expenses necessary forprotecting the Lord's property will probably be paid out ofthe church treasury. Those expenses could be substantialand could put a strain on any church's finances.

In The Event There Is No Insurance

Obviously, there are some situations which already exist,where a lawsuit has been filed and there is no insurance. In that event, the case must be defended. It would be improperto simply allow a rebellious member to receive a defaultjudgment and allow the church building to be auctioned onthe Courthouse steps or the Sheriff take the contribution every Sunday in order to satisfy a judgment. Action mustbe taken.

One pitfall that must be avoided is the selection of counsel to represent the church who will do an adequate jobdefending the case. There is probably no way that any ofthese cases may be settled. If we are doing God's will bywithdrawing fellowship from wayward members, then wecan not pay such a member any money simply to settle alawsuit that is filed against the church. Although it isproper to take money from the church to defend a lawsuit inorder to protect the Lord's assets, there is no authority thatwould allow money to be taken out of the treasury to pay asinner for a law-suit. Therefore, since the case will not besettled,a well qualified attorney iscritical.

Perhaps, a member of the local church is an attorney whowill know who to hire. Perhaps, a member of the localchurch because of unrelated matters knows of a good triallawyer. On the other hand, if information is not available inregard to the employment of an attorney, it is recommendedthat an attorney who is a Christian be contacted even inanother city or state so that information may be obtained toaid in the selection process. A bad lawyer is almost as bad as no lawyer.

Conclusion

The popularity of lawsuits against the church will probably pass with time, but in the interim action must betaken to prepare for the possibility of such a suit. It is hopedthat the information set forth in this article will assist in making the necessary preparation. We can not allow the affairs of the world to interfere with God's plan to keep the church pure.(Editor's Note: The author is an attorney of the firm ofMiller & Dougherty of Kansas City, MO, and is one of thedeacons of the Vivion Road church. )

WHEN YOU MOVE—Please allow two months for

change of address notices. We have a cut-off date for

changes each month. Thanks for your help.

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

NEW CONGREGATION IN QUEENS,

NEW YORK CITY RON ROARK, 26 Raker Dr., Poughkeepsie, NY 12603—After much prayerand hard work, a church has been established in the borough of Queens. Thiswork began in January, 1985 and for the first six weeks an average of twelvemet for worship on the Lord's day. New York City is the largest city in theUnited States and is composed of five boroughs, is just under 10 million.Queens has 2. 5 million. To my knowledge, in all of N. Y. C. there is onlyone other English speaking church attempting to follow Jesus without building and/or supporting human institutions and that church is in Brooklyn.

The church is renting a storefront in the city of Flushing (a city inside theborough of Queens). It is located between La Guardia and Kennedy airportsat 36-24 Union St., 2-R, Flushing, NY. Union St. is just one block east ofMain St.. Telephone number at the building is 718-445-1512. We meet onSundays for worship at 3 P. M. with classes at 4: 15 P. M. On Wednesdays wemeet at 7: 30 P. M. for classes. Please pray for these efforts and send us namesof people you know in the area who might be interested in the gospel. There ismuch to do. If you are planning a visit to the city, please visit us. Better yet,why not move up and help us? In addition to my address above, my phonenumber is 914-462-0045. Or you may contact Jim Swann, R. D. 3, RiverRd., Stanhope, NJ 07874.Phone 201-347-9372.

ALABAMA SONG LEADERS SCHOOL JOHN M. KILGORE, 10918 Hazen, Houston, TX 77072—R. J. Stevensassisted by Sewell Hall, James Walker, Dane Shephard, David Pickup andmyself will conduct a song leaders training school in Athens, Alabama, July14-19, 1985. The curriculum will include: music theory, conducting, sightsinging, song service preparation and voice training. All interested men 16 years and older please contact me at the above address for brochure and other details,or phone me at 713-498-8782.

MEL ROSE, 176 B. Street, Brawley, CA 92227—After four pleasant yearswith the church in Hillsboro, Oregon, I have moved to Brawley, California.While in Hillsboro, I still was able to be involved in the Spanish speakingwork, holding meetings in Mexico each year. Since Brawley is only twenty-two miles from the Mexican border, and since the population of the city ispredominantly Spanish speaking, I will be much more active in that workthan before. My primary commitment is to the English work in the Brawleyarea, but the elders will help and encourage me in devoting a portion of mytime to the Spanish work.

Correspondents please take note of my new address.

PHILIPPINE PREACHER DIES PETER B. HUPA, Buug Church of Christ, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines—I am sorry to inform you that LENGHANAN SENDIL of Buug, passed away on January 17 in the Provincial Hospital at PagadianCity. We had two successive night services for family and friends and onJanuary 20, final services were conducted in the Buug meeting house. Ramon

G. Carino delivered a comforting message and was assisted in the servicesby brethren Bedia, V. Lumantam and F. Mandao. Brother Sendil preachedthe gospel for 18 years and led many to Christ. I will continue in the work ofthe Lord here along with the elders and deacons. His death has alreadyresulted in the restoration of some family members. His death is a great losstothe work in thisarea.

PREACHER NEEDED FALLBROOK, CALIFORNIA—The church in Fallbrook needs a gospelpreacher.We are a small congregation in a community of25,000,sixty miles north of San Diego. Liberalism is strong in this area and we will need a manwell grounded on that among other things. Camp Pendleton, a Marine base,is located nearby. We can only supply $300 a month, so obviously we needsomeone who can raise additional support. Those interested may contactRoger Borst at 619-723-8808; Jim Freeman at 619-728-7870 or writeto P. O. Box 692, Fallbrook, CA 92028.

PREACHER AVAILABLE

R. T. (TED) MITCHEL, P. O.Box61029,Fairbanks, Alaska 99706-1029— After nearly five years with the Chena Small Tracts Rd. church in Fairbanks,Alaska, I have given my resignation, effective May 31, 1985 and desire torelocate with a congregation in the "lower 48" states. Due to personalbusiness, I will not be available until after mid-August. I am 32 years old,married and have no children. I have been a Christian for 10 years. Fairbanksis my first full-time preaching experience but I had quite a bit of experienceprior to moving here. An integral part of my work with a congregation isan adult Bible class curriculum that I developed with the help of twoChristians with degrees in education. Much of my preaching is coordinated withthis curriculum. Until May 31, 1 can be reached at the above address orby calling 907-455-6312 (home) or 907-79-6170 (church building). After May31, you may write me:c/o W.F. Mitchel,P.O. Box 52, Bremen,IN 46506.

EDITORIAL LEFT-OVERS

FLORIDA COLLEGE AND EDUCATING YOUR CHILDREN

In these days when educational approaches often desensitize our childrenand grandchildren to spiritual values and godly principles, when secularhumanism so dominates the atmosphere in which they are daily schooled,there is more than ever a need for schools like FLORIDA COLLEGE. It is not perfect. But it has a lot going for it which would help your childrenbuild a solid bridge between high school years and the last two or more yearsof college work.

What does it have going for it? For one thing, all of the administration andfaculty are Christians. The study of the Bible is encouraged and opportunities are given to include that along with training in secular subjects. Effort is made to provide a moral climate in which study, dating,drama, music, sports and other things may be pursued without losing sightof reverence for God and his word. I am amazed that many parents do notsee the value of these things and that more young people are not encouragedto take advantage of such opportunities. Private education is one of the besthedges against humanism available to us.

I attended Florida College and greatly benefited from my experiencesthere. It was there thatI met Bobbieandthat weplannedforalife together.We sent our two sons there and both were richly rewarded. Over the yearswe have encouraged a number of young people to go there and have watchedthem become successful in various endeavors in life. Many young peoplehave been helped a great deal by their experiences in faithful churches inTampa area while students. We urged our sons to worship under the preachingof H. E. Phillips and both were richly rewarded through the influences of thatgreat man and his family. Scores of others have been similarly helped, notonly where brother Phillips has preached but in other area churches and byother good families interested in young people.

The school has many critics. At times, I have been one of them. Ask theadministrators. Ask various teachers. Ask the board. I have tried to be a responsible critic and have addressed such efforts to those in position to dosomething about them. I shall continue to do that. But my wife and I thoughtit was the best alternative we could find to start our sons on a collegeeducation. Wehave watched many of ourfriends agonizeoverthe educationalexperiences of their children. I do not believe, and am not arguing here, thatthere are no other alternatives in educating young people. But it is a sensiblealternative."Butdon't theyhave rules"? We gave our boysan option. "Spendyour first two years of college work there and we will help you all we canfinancially. If you want to go elsewhere, then you will have to find the money. "Do you think that was too hard? Do you think they hate us for it? Askthem. They are of age.

Nobody asked me to write this. Nobody at the college knows about it. They will learn of it when they read it in the paper. Ithink they needa helping handat a critical time for them. It is also a critical time for YOU and for YOUR CHILD when it comes time to leave homeand go off somewheretocollege. Doyourself andyour childa favor and look intoit. Itmight helpa lot of things.

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TO THE WRITING BRETHREN

We have on hand a considerable backlog (180 articles) of material fromvarious writers. Most of this material is good, reflecting careful study andcapable writing. Some of it has been on hand for a long time. Perhaps a wordof explanation is in order. SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES has about a dozen men who have been asked to contribute articles under assigned headings. This is designed to create balance in subject matter and to assure that the bulk of material appearing here will be supplied by menfamiliar to our readers and known for their faithfulness in life and work and ability as students of the Bible and writers. Many of our older readers havecometo lookupon these men as "family".Newer readerssooncome to feel thesame way and look for material from their favorites. Since these men havebeen asked to do this work, we give preference in the space available to theirwritings. That means that material other than theirs must appear as spaceis available and as the material is suitable. We try to avoid as much overlapping in subject matter as possible.

Also, the length of an article may well determine how soon it can be used. I have some excellent material I have not been able to carry yet because it istoo long. Three and a half pages double-spaced will fill one page of copy in thepaper. Articles which run to five or more pages are going to have a toughtime finding space anytime soon. An average issue of STS will carry ten oreleven articles along with a news column and contracted ad space. That is notto say that we never carry longer articles, for readers of the paper know that isnot the case. But conciseness is one quality of good writing. Instead of writingfive sentences to say the same thing, using in each sentence a different synonym, why not decide which word says it best, use that one in a well-worded sentence and be done with it?

On occasion, we have gone to the trouble and expense of having an articleset in type only to see it appear in another paper before we could get it in print.We ask writers not to send to us any article which has been submitted toanother paper. We prefer that our readers have material which was prepared only for this paper. That does not apply to news items which needas wide coverage as possible.

Also, we ask writers not to engage in personality attacks on those withwhose views they disagree. We are not opposed to error being exposed, noreven to identifying the proponents of error by name. But we do expect writersto exercise restraint, write with dignity, practice the "golden rule" and not grind personal axes inthese columns.

We appreciate the desire of writing brethren to have their material appearin this paper. If we have material from you which you sent sometime agoand youwish tosubmitit tosome other paperwhich might be able touse itsooner, then please let us know and it will be returned to you. Writing ishard work and I don't blame anyone for wanting to see his work used assoon as possible.

IN THE NEWS THIS MONTHBAPTISMS 163RESTORATIONS 56(Takenfrom bulletins and papersreceived by theeditor)