THE TWO A'S OF BIBLE UNITY

The dichotomy of Bible unity is found in two basic ideas—AUTHORITY and ATTITUDE. Without these all labor for unity is futile. When I was a lad I had the opportunity to hear many sermons on unity but very fewon how it was achieved. Kind friend, the prayer of Jesus inJohn 17, and the plea of Paul in First Corinthians 1 stillreads the same. We need to get back to the basics of Bibleunity and thatis where the two A'scome in for consideration.

There can be no serendipity when it comes to Bible unitybut rather an assiduous effort on the part of all to acceptBible authority and then have a proper attitude toward thatauthority. I have always been somewhat ambivalent toward these unity meetings. Within the last year or soseveral unity conferences have been conducted around thecountry. One was conducted here in Conway around thefirst of the year and another was conducted in south Missouri last year. I have read the speeches of one of thesemeetings and it is the same old story. All the speakers bemoan the fact that division exists, but offered no solution. They regret the disease but offer no cure! I wouldlike just one time to hear some of these men give the SOLUTION to the problem. I don't need to be reminded that we have the disease, I have known that for years.What the world needs to know is the cure. I fear that when one is brave enough to tell people what it will take to haveunity he will not win a popularity contest. Friend, sometimes the medicine we must take for a cure is not pleasant. That cure lies in

two words: Authority and Attitude. These points may beoutlined under three headings: (1) We must all agree theBible is our only standard of authority. (2) That it can beunderstood by all responsible people. (3) That when weunderstand it we will understand it alike. If you leave out number one, you are in trouble with the progressiverevelation boys. If you leave out number two you are introuble with the modernist. If you leave out number three you will have all kinds of trouble with the sectarians who yell, "interpretation. "

Please permit me to be as explicit as possible in demonstrating the above principles. Two men come togethertrying to establish a dialogue for Bible unity. One believesthe Bible to be the only standard of authority. The other believes the Bible as a standard but also believes the Book of Mormon as astandard of authority. When they get downto the basics of their problem they both find out it is AUTHORITY. Why? Because one man gave book,chapter and verse and the other offset his arguments bygoing to the Book of Mormon. Both men left in a state offrustration, and continued to believe and teach as they had before because of AUTHORITY. Now, what good did it dofor these two men to have their unity conference?

Example two is when two men come together to discussunity and one believes in the Bible as the inerrant word ofGod and his colleague believes in what he calls "an experience of grace. " That is, he claims that every once inawhilehehasa talkwith the Lord. When thetwo get down to discussing their differences man number one gives Mark

16: 15, 16 to prove that baptism is essential to salvation.Man number two says he understands the Lord did saythat one must believe and be baptized to be saved but hecannot accept it. When man number one asks him why, hereplies that the Lord had spoken to him while he wasbreaking land in the south forty and told him that baptismhad nothing to do with salvation and he had been saved atthe point of faith. Both men leave in a state of vexation,but remain divided over AUTHORITY. How much did their unity conference accomplish?

Our next example has to do with ATTITUDE. Two people get together to discuss their differences over the planof salvation. Man numberone gives the familiar

Acts 2: 38: "Repent and be baptized everyone of you in thename of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. " This time both men get bogged down in the field of logomachy. A battle rages over the meaning of a word! Man number one,feels the word "for" means unto and has a prospective meaning. Man number two feels it could have the meaning of "because of" as used sometime in the English. Therefore,he places a retrospective meaning on the word and arguesthat baptism is to be administered after a person is saved. Sowhat can be done to bring about unity? This time it has to do with an honest attitude. Man number one granted that theEnglish word "for" could sometimes mean "because of". However, he pointed out that in this case honesty demands astudy of the context. He pointed out to man number two that the people did not ask "What to do because of something" but rather "what they must do to be saved" (seeActs 2: 37). He also pointed out to his friend that Matt. 26:28 has the identical statement both in the Greek and English. Jesus said his blood was shed "for the remission ofsins. " If Jesus shed his blood "because sins were alreadyremitted" then he died in vain. Even with all this evidence man number two did not capitulate and continued to holdhis view on the word "for. " Much to the chagrin of bothmen they departed divided. This time the problem was adishonest attitude.

One final unity conference. Two brethren get together todiscuss the music question. Man number one, gives Eph. 5:19; Col. 3: 16; Acts 16: 25 and other passages which mention singing. He points out the New Testament saysabsolutely nothing about instrumental music. For that reason he pleads with his friend to give up the instrumentand emulate Paul and Silas as they worshipped God bysinging in Acts 16. Man number two agreed that singingwas authorized but felt that if the Lord had forbidden the instrument he would have said, "Thou shall not have theinstrument. " Man number one pointed out that we must goby what the Bible says and not what it does not say. Hethen gave a corollary between using the instrument and using strawberry shortcake on the Lord's table. He pointedout that if one was authorized so was the other. Man number two had the acumen to understand the corollary but continued to use his instruments.Why? This time it was thesecond A—that is Attitude.

ROY E. COGDILL

Once more the ranks of gospel preachers has been thinned. The

recent death of Roy E. Cogdill reminds us painfully that a whole

generation is passing from the stage of history and we are left

richer for the struggles and sacrifices of valiant men and yet poorer

inthatwecan no longer hear theirvoices nor can we relyon themto

lead the way in future battles for truth.

Roy E. Cogdill was a giant among men. Very few of his calibre areleft on the scene. Blessed with a strong physique, a strong, resonantvoice and adeep senseof conviction and devotion to duty,hestood inthe breach at a critical time in the history of the Lord's people in thiscountry. He trained himself in the legal profession, was admitted tothe bar in Texas and qualified to try cases even before the SupremeCourt of this nation. His legal training gave him an advantage inpreaching and especially in debating with the proponents of error. Hispreaching was distinctive. It was always scripturally based. He wasnot ashamed of the truth. His own courage under fire set a worthyexample for younger men.

In the earlier part of his preaching, his talents were so obvious thathe was in demand from the larger congregations throughout thenation. He was a frequent speaker on various college lecture programs. His writings were widely circulated. His book on THENEW TESTAMENT CHURCH still provides the best of sermon orclass material. That work has been translated into several languagesand used for many years to teach people in many lands. For a numberof years he was the publisher of the GOSPEL GUARDIAN and aregular contributor to its columns. When the issues surrounding thesponsoring church, the private institutions in the budgets of thechurches, and church supported recreation surfaced with all theirrelated practices, Roy Cogdill took a firm stand against such practices. The wrath of the powers of brotherhood influence brokeupon him and others who dared to challenge the scripturality of suchthings. He was among the first to feel the scorn of men of power and influence who did their best to destroy his influence and curtail hisactivities. Meetings were cancelled. Invitations to preach for largechurches dried up. But many were emboldened by his example totake a stand regardless of the cost. A number of younger men,including this writer, received letters from older preachers advisingus that if we did not stop associating with such men and preachingwhat

some of us were preaching, then our influence would be lost and wewould not even have a place to preach. But preach we have, all thesame. And men of the statureof Roy Cogdill gave uscourage.

He was a builder as well as a fighter for truth in crucial times.He not only preached to large audiences but also labored in manyplaces where there were no brotherhood luminaries to notice. Hespent several summers in Ontario, Canada with his first wife, Lorraine, living in a small trailer which they hauled all over the province,preaching for established churches but also helping struggling onesand planting new ones. The conversion of such worthies as Art andLillianCorbett of Jordan, Ontario testifies to the quality of his workand its enduring nature.

Many were helped by his two debates with Guy N. Woods, noweditor of the GOSPEL ADVOCATE. The first of these at Birmingham, Alabama resulted in several gospel preachers gettingtheir eyes opened to the truth and taking a stand, among them, suchgodly men as David Claypool. I was the preacher at Newbern,Tennessee when these two giants met again in a six nights debate. Ihandled the correspondence with both brethren Cogdill and Woodswhich finally led to the discussion taking place. Prior to that debatein 1961, brother Cogdill preached in a meeting at Newbern in Julyof that yearand stayed in ourhome. From that time forwardhewascounted a dear friend of our family. Though a good deal older than wewere, he always had time for us and showed interest in our work.In the years since, our paths have crossed many times.

There was a side to RoyCogdillthatsomenever got to see.Someonly saw him in moments of stress and controversy. Some remembered that he spoke with great authority and sometimespreached a long time. I never heard him preach but that I learned something from some passage I had not considered before. He did not deal in vague generalities. He was specific and uncompromising. But he had a very tender heart and I saw that side ofhim a numberof times. He loved littlechildrenand theyloved him.When he stayed in our home that first time in Newbern, Tennessee,our Martin was just a baby. In my mind I can still see him nowsitting in the rocking chair with that precious little bundle gentlypressed against his chest, rocking and soothing a baby to sleep. Ihaveseenhimweep overthe cause oftheLord and at the misfortuneof others. Brethren in the Philippine Islands still talk about hisvisit there in 1970 and what many of them remember more thananything else is his great love for the little children.

When word reached him of the death of my wife, he had Nita todial the phone for him and spoke to me with a voice choked withemotion from his own bed of sickness. His words will always meanmuch to me.

He was not without fault. When he was younger he had a temperwhich brought him some criticism. He was emphatic and unyieldingwhen he thought he was right. He did not mind standing his groundand expressing his indignation when he thought truth had beenabused. In later years he came in for some criticism from a number

of brethren because of his appeal for preachers and churches which had received financial help from the AkinFoundation to help him defend the foundation against aneffort to take it over by liberal brethren. He was a personalfriend of the late J. W. and Nellie Akin who came into greatfortune by an oil discovery on their farm in Texas and who left a large amount in a foundation administered by mencommitted to the same convictions which brother Akin shared in his life. Brother Cogdill saw this attempt as agross indignity against the will and convictions of two goodpeople who were no longer here to defend the matter. Somethought he was making a blanket appeal for all churches tocontribute to the foundation, whereas, the foundation wassetup to GIVE money to churches. It was his view thatthesame churches that had a right to receive help from thecontributions of these good people, also had a right tosecure legal counsel to protect what was their ownproperty.

I did not agree with Brother Cogdill in this and discussed it with him on two separate occasions: once in thepresence of H. E. Phillips and the other time a few monthslater in the presence of my older son, Wilson. I told him Ithought what he said was going to be misunderstood and thatmany younger men did not know him and had no knowledgeof what the Akin Foundation was. What I feared did occur,for I have talked with a number of young preachers who interpreted what some had written about it to mean that he was appealing to churches to contribute to a human organization after years of opposing that very thing. I asked him if hecould notwrite a little more and clarify thatpoint. His first impression was that he had spent so mucheffort opposing church support of human institutions thatnobody who took what he wrote at face value would think otherwise. Then, very soon after that, the judge hearing thesuit ordered him and others connected with the suit not to publish anything about the case as long as it was in litigation.

It would be a tragedy of great magnitude for this eventin his old age, which this editor firmly believes was a mistake, but which I also believe was blown way out ofproportion given exactly what he said as opposed to whatsome tried to read into what he said, to cloud his memory and cause younger men who never knew or heard the man andwho have no concept of the terrible struggles for truth andright in which this soldier of Christ engaged, to fail toappreciate his worth to the cause in this generation. SteveWolfgang is working on a biography of the life of Roy E.Cogdill. I hope he can bring it to completion before long sothat my sons and other young men may read of battlesfought and victories won through the unceasing and untiring efforts of this giant of a man. We shall not see hislike soon again. I shall miss him and so will a host of appreciative brethren. Our deepest sympathy is expressedto sister Cogdill and the children.

READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY

It is not every man that gets a good wife. "The contentions of a wife are a continual dropping" (Prov. 19:13). "A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike" (Prov. 27: 15). "It is better todwell in a wilderness, than with a contentious and an angrywoman" (Prov. 21: 19). "It is better to dwell in a corner ofthe housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house"(Prov. 21: 9). Solomon may have known these things byfirst hand experience. He married women who worshipped idols, so it is reasonable to say that he likelymarried some contentious women. These were his mistakes. He should nothave married them.

The man who marries a virtuous women is veryblessed. The number of such women is limited, but it isworth the effort to search for and find such a wife. The fine young man of wisdom should surely prefer this virtue tobeauty of face and figure. Stop and think, young men.Your whole futureis involved.Yourhopeofheaven may beat stake.

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is farabove rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust inher... She will do him good and not evil all the days of herlife... She worketh willingly with her hands... She stretcheth out her hand to the poor... She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness" (Prov. 31: 10f). Is this thekind of wife you want? Then do not be deceived and misledby the product of some makeup artist or by some expensiveperfume.

It is a serious reflection on men that so many are soeasily led by the flatterer. "With her much fair speech shecaused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips sheforced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth tothe slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks...Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea,many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is theway tohell, goingdown to thechambersofdeath" (Prov.7:21f). Do not select such a woman for a bride or forsake a worthy wife for such an ungodly person. One who woulddestroy your marriage will not bring happiness.

If you have already obtained a virtuous woman for a wifeand for a mother for your children, stand up with yourchildren and "call her blessed. " Praise her and tell her: "Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou

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excellest them all". (Prov. 31: 28, 29). Stop right now and go tell her and see how her face brightens up and how shestands taller. If she is often given herproper wordsofpraiseand love she will work even more willingly and do evenmore good. Did you try it? Did it work?

A women is taught to recognize her husband as the headand to be in subjection to him (Eph. 5: 23-33; Col. 3: 18; 1 Peter 3: 1-6). Leaders of the feminist movement and otheratheists deny this. The Lord knows best. Every school,business, government, and home needs some one in chargewith the responsibility of decision making and worthy leadership. The head of anything should be skilled at listening to the advice and counsel from those with whomhe is associated in the common task. Stop and think of thisevident fact in each institution.

Some very, very foolish men think that since the husband is head of the wife she should keep her mouth shut and say no more then "Yes, Sir!" Should a teacher be able to talk tothe principal? Should one in some cabinet post in government be able to speak to the head of state? Should anexcellent salesman be able to talk to the manager? We arenot taught by the Bible to recognize any one as having thepower of life and death as a tyrant over his associates.

There may be thousands of husbands who claim to be Christianswho strike their wives, making bluebruise markson them. This is based on their false understanding of what it means for them to be head of their wives. Christians are taught to obey elders, to honor them, and to esteem them veryhighly (Heb. 13: 7, 17; 1 Tim. 5: 17; 1 Thess. 5: 12, 13). Doesthis mean that elders are free to slap the brethren and knockthem into the wall? Are they free to revile them far beyond the proper reproof and rebuke? This type of behavior would destroy the church. Such treatment of wives will destroy the homes, too. Are there any too blind to see this? There is more of this kind of hot tempered, arrogantbehavior than is generally known. Some wives suppose thatthis is their lot aswives.

Men, you do remember meeting and courting those whobecame your wives. Did you appreciate their pleasant smileand happy dispositions, their abundant energy and willingness to work, as well as outgoing personalitiesamong their associates? Has all this dulled by this time? Whocrushed and destroyed the beauties of these good lives?Much of it melted away when you first slapped them, thushumiliating and destroying their freedom to be their beautiful and useful selves. They need room to "guide thehouse, " functioning freely as neighbors and active membersof the church, showing hospitality to your friends. Yourabuse will prevent their being the helpful companions theycould have been to you.

Read those verses again that teach that wives should submit to their husbands. Does not the context also teach husbands to love their wives, and to honor (respect, shield)them as the weaker vessels, joint heirs of the grace of life, oryour prayers will be hindered? God does not appreciate theprayers of abusive husbands,

evidently. In Christ "there is neither male nor female: forye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3: 28). Husbands, you dohave special responsibilities to your wives and children, but not liberties to discourage and abuse (Col. 3: 18-21). Mentalabuse is parallel to physical abuse.

My father bought two strong young mules when I was alittle boy. He petted, fed, and cared for them. The time cameto "break" them and train them to work. He, with the help of others, went to work. They taught them to move forward when they heard a certain word and to stop whenthey heard another word. They also learned to turn right orleft on command. A whip was used to strike the mules mildly when the word to move was used. I objected becauseI did not want any one to hit those pets. They explained tome that they were not hurting them but they were teachingthem. I understand better now after more years. My dad did not take a whip to the field and constantly beat on themafter they were trained. He was proud of his strong mulesbecause they would act on command and they could pull aheavy load. They were well fed and cared for as long as he hadthem. They did a lot of hard work in helping him provide forthe family and for them.

According to both the Old Testament and the New, myfather had a right to use the rod in training me in obedience(Prov. 13: 14; Heb. 12: 5-13). He was not abusive to me. Hehad no right to be. His love and attention were veryimportant. A wife is not a child to be trained in obedience.She is an adult with equal intelligence and ability to makedecisions with her husband. She should be treated as an adult to be honored and respected, and not as a child to beforced into obedience or as a mule to be broken for the plow.

Love as described in 1 Cor. 13: 4-8 would solve manyhome problems. Try it. You will like it. "Whoso findeth a wifefindeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the Lord?(Prov. 18: 22). Woman was created to be a help meet for theman (Gen. 2: 18). Let each husband and father be aware ofthe happy privilege of having a wife and children. Let thewives be happy to have the protection and guidance of loving husbands and fathers.

NEWEST BOOK BY

HOMER HAILEYHAILEY'S COMMENTSVOL. 1

A collection of articles by this respected author which appeared in various periodicals, includes material of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah and Daniel.

247 page Hardback $12.95ORDER FROM RELIGIOUS SUPPLY CENTER

This is written to encourage Christians to a greater useof tracts in spreading the gospel. It is often a neglected area and doesn't require much talent. That is the veryreason we should use them. Everyone can do it and manyhave been converted this way. Why should we bury thistalent when it is so useful?

Jesus Wants People Attracted, (John 12: 32)

Our Lord knew the power of the printed page. The Bibleis a written document. Tracts help spread the word of the cross. Maybe we need reminding of the words of an unknown writer:

1. The written word knows no fear. It flinches in the face of no man. It preaches the same message to the rich and the poor, the king and the commoner.
2. It never loses its temper... never talks back in anger.
3. It takes nonotesof scoffs, jeers,and insults.
3. It never tires, but works 24 hours a day, even whilewe sleep and rest.
4. It is never discouraged, but will tell its story overand over again.
5. It will speak to one as willingly as to a multitude,and to a multitude as willingly as to one.
6. It always catches a person in just the right mood to bereceptive, for it only speaks as he chooses to listen,
8. Itcan be received, read, and studied inprivate. 9. It speaks without a foreign accent. 10. It never compromises... never changes it message.
7. It continues to speak and make its message plain after audible words have been forgotten and lost.
12. It is immune to all disease.

But there are also some other advantages to the writtenword.

1. It has no passport or visa problems. 2. It travels cheaply.
1. It leaps language barriers and is never influenced byprejudice.
2. It will sail across the ocean, trek across the desert,and trudge down a narrow jungle path.
3. It will go into a crowded city or sparsely settledcountryside... into the mansion or the cottage.
4. It will tell its story in home or shop, in factory or field.
5. It will reach the most secluded village and dwelling;it will go where even the radio cannot reach.

"The pen is mightier than the sword" is a saying which is acknowledged by all for its truth. The pen canconvert the soul while the sword may coerce against one's will. It is equally true that the pen is mightier than the human voice, is more permanent, and often has a strongerinfluence. Of Paul it was said "For his letters, they say, areweighty and strong; but his bodily presence is weak, andhisspeech of no account" (2 Cor. 10: 10).

Daniel Webster once said: "If religious literature is not widely circulated among the masses in this country, I do not know what is to become of us as a nation. And the thought isone to cause solemn reflection on the part of every patriot—Iftruth is not diffused, error will be. If God and His Word arenot known and received, the devil and his work will gain theascendancy. If the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature willIf the power of the gospel is not felt through the length andbreadth of the land, anarchy and misrule, degradation andmisery, corruption and darkness will reign without mitigation or end. "

We have the privilege, the opportunity, and the responsibility to get out the Word by every means possible.We should never underestimate the power of the printedpage (Ec. 11: 6; Isa. 55: 8-11).

Are Your Tracts Attractive?

People do often "judge a book by looking at the cover. "In this day when printing has become so specialized, if wedon't go first class people usually won't read. This is not to say it has to be expensive, but we may be trying to cutcorners where we should not. Most of us want the best tools with which to work on our jobs and we often spendmuch money in getting them. Why shouldn't we want the best for the Lord's work? Anything that is going to go out with the church's name on it—that is going to be a publicrepresentation of the church or of Christians—should notbe shoddy! This may be the only encounter some have withthe gospel. We should do our best and not be an embarrassment to the cause of Christ.

Some Tracts Distract

They may do so in appearance. While tracts are an inexpensive way to spread the gospel, sometimes they aretoo cheaply done and it shows. I have been turned off bythe appearance of printed material. I cannot expect othersto reactdifferently.

Other tracts may distract because they are too long. Imade the mistake of buying some nice looking tracts thatwere of high quality printing but people would not pickthem up. It was too much like reading a book. This can makea difference as to whether people read. In exhausting thesubject we may exhaust the reader.

Do Your Tracts Use Tact?

Some tracts attack unnecessarily. We should not try toarouse prejudice and we are not in the insulting business.Truth can be taught and error defeated without beingoffensive. Since we have no way of knowing who will read,it should be written kindly, giving the reader the benefit ofbeing honest. We should be thank

ful he is reading it. Sometimes we create our own barriers totruth (Col. 4: 6; Mt. 10: 16).

It's A Fact, You Can Give Away A Tract!

But where? Some places require special permission buthere are some ways and places: Laundromats, hotels, jails,prisons, courthouses, hospital waiting rooms, resthomes,your grocery sacker who carriers your groceries to the car,gas station attendant, bank teller, co-workers, friends atschool, bus station, airport, people with whom you do business,etc.Thosewho use credit cardsoften get a numberof "tracts" (ads) along with their monthly bill. Return thefavor when you pay your bill. It requires little time.

Develop A Knack For Using The Tract

Here are some places to keep them handy and ready foruse: over the sunvisor, in the glove compartment, coatpocket, purse, in a book, in a rack (some businesses will letyou display them).

Remember, a tract in the hand is worth two at home-ontop of the refrigerator. So when you need a tract, don't lack. Keep a stack. Let us never underestimate any particular method of evangelism even if it seems insignificant. No method is. Prayer is certainly in order onbehalf of the "tract ministry" as much as it is for preachers,home Bible studies, correspondence courses, or any othereffort to preach the word.

REPENTANCE BEFORE FAITH

QUESTION: Why is it in the New Testament that every time repentance and faith are specifically mentioned together, repentance is always mentioned before faith?

ANSWER: The querist has reference to such passages asthe following: "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom ofGod is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mk. 1:15). "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks,repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord JesusChrist" (Acts 20: 21).

Although the foregoing scriptures have repentance beforefaith, neither one of them is setting forth the sequentialorder of the conditions of salvation under the GospelDispensation. In other words, the passages are not teachingthat an alien sinner must first repent before he is to believe.This concept, espoused and promoted by some, is not taught in the Bible and is contrary to common sense.

The verses under consideration involved the Jews and heathen Greeks who already believed in God. They were toldto repent and believe the gospel or repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. The repentance was toward God and thenfaith in Jesus Christ. The order in their case was (1) faith inGod, (2) repentance toward God and (3) faith in Jesus Christ.

J. W. McGarvey stated on Mk. 1: 15: "Jesus was preaching to people who already believed in the true God,and in the revelation which God had already made, and hisobject at this stage of his ministry, like that of John, was tobring repentance as a preparation for faith in himself and hiskingdom. This accounts for the order in which repentanceand faith are here mentioned. To repent toward the God inwhom they already believed, but whose revealed will they were violating, naturally and properly took precedence over believing in himwhomGodwasabout toreveal........a penitent state ofheart was the best possible preparation for consideringfavorably the claim of Jesus, and for ready faith in him" (The New Testament Commentary, pp. 267-268).

Commenting on Acts 20: 21, McGarvey wrote: "... if theyare brought to repentance toward God in whom they already believe, they are in a better frame of mindfor hearing the gospel of Christ, and believing in him __This method, however, is very far from supporting the ideathat repentance precedes faith in the sense usually attached tothat proposition; for this would require men to repent toward God before they believe in God, and toward Christ before they believe in Christ—an obvious absurdity" (New Commentary on Acts).

Faith, followed by repentance, is plainly set forth in theScriptures. Reversing the order has the following illogicalconsequences:

1. Godly sorrow worketh or produces repentance (2Cor. 7: 10). What produces godly sorrow if repentancecomes before faith?
2. God's goodness leads to repentance (Rom. 2: 4).What aboutthe personwho does not believe in God or Hisgoodness? Only faith in God's goodness could lead to repentance.
3. There is joy among the angels over a sinner's repentance (Lk. 15: 7). However, no faith displeases God(Heb. 11: 6). Hence, angels would be rejoicing while God isdispleased if repentance precedes faith.
4. Wicked rulers believed (Jn. 12: 41-43), therefore,according to the "repentance before faith" theory, they hadrepented, but refused to confess Christ. Some repentance!
5. Jesus said, "Except ye repent ye shall perish" (Lk. 13:3), but if repentance precedes faith, one cannot perishbecause he has repented, but he cannot be saved becausehe has not believed as salvation requires faith, too (Jn. 8:24; Acts 16: 31).

It becomes obvious that a sinner cannot repent withoutfirst believing. The gospel order is preaching, hearing and faith (Rom. 10: 14-17), with repentance, confession and baptism, of course, manifestations of faith.

AN IMMORAL SYSTEM

Evidence of the immorality of Catholicism continues to

mount. Again, we are not saying that all Catholics are

guilty of immoral practices, but the system certainly

endorses, advocates and practices immorality and even

lawlessness.

Take Mardi Gras as an example. Each spring, justbefore Easter, they meet on the streets and in the motelsand night clubs of New Orleans for a period of drunkenness, revelry and immorality. A newspaper account of the last such celebration said:

"A parade in the New Orleans suburb of Chalmette was

marred by violence late Saturday when a driver ran into

three parade-goers, then was pulled from his car and

beaten by an angry crowd.

"Police coverage was increased to control the crowds atthe parades, and no other incidents were reported. Balls,parades and parties will continue daily until Feb. 19, knownas fat Tuesday, the final day of revelry before the RomanCatholic season of Lent, a solemn time traditionally devotedto fasting and prayer. "

So they go there to drink of the dregs of immorality anddissipation before a season of fasting. When they leave,the streets are strewn with beer cans, whiskey and winebottles, and other refuse of revelry. How inconsistent and hypocriticalcan people be?

The Catholic Church makes, promotes and uses alcoholicbeverages—America's number one drug problem and the greatest curse on earth! I talked with a young man recently who works part-time mowing the lawn and cleaning up in and around a large Catholic Church building in south Louisiana. He reported that after theirparties in the "fellowship" halls the waste barrels would befilled with beer cans and wine bottles and the stench of alcohol was strong. He could not understand why peoplewho claim to be Christians would engage in such things, andeven in their place of worship. Neither can we. The truth is,Christians are not doing that; they are Catholics (and thereis a difference).

But that's nothing. Look at the following news item ofMarch 26, 1985: "Archbishop John Roach, 63, who headsthe St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese and is a former president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops,paid a $445 fine and was ordered to spend 38 hours in jailafter pleading guilty Monday to a charge of drunken driving. "

Isn't that a shame? I suppose he figures that if they canmake it and sell it they can drink it. Why not?

Next, let's consider their gambling. Raising money bybingo—even in places where such is illegal—is so commonamong Catholics that it's a joke. An article and largepicture of "Rev. " Joseph J. Faraone of New York appearedin the newspapers March 19, 1985. The head-line read: "New York priest wins jackpot in lottery, plans to helpdebt-burdened parish. " The article said:

"Rev. Joseph J. Faraone, a Roman Catholic priest, turned a $5 lottery card into a $1. 17 million jackpot-providing some heaven-sent relief for his debt-burdened parish.

" 'For the whole parish, it's like Christmas all over again, ' the priest, 37, said at a news conference Monday as heclaimed his winnings in New York's Lotto game.

"And for the parishioners of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in suburban Yorktown Heights, Father Faraone is aclerical Santa Claus who has promised to give half of hiswinnings—about $22, 000 a year over the next 20 years—to help retire the debt of the new $2 million church.

"That was his aim from the beginning, Father Faraonesaid. He first played the Lotto two years ago, when the parish was struggling to finance its new church.

" 'I realized what a terrible burden and hardship it hadbecome. I thought, wouldn't it be nice if I could arrange forthe state to help pay for the church?' Father Faraone said.

"So twice a week, he purchased a Lotto card from thenearby Forget-Me-Not stationery store. The numbers werealways the same, selected with the aid of a $1 plastic boxin which six beads roll at random into 44 holes.

"No holy water was sprinkled on the box, he said, noblessing was pronounced. 'I'd like to say (the number selection) had to do with the seven sacraments, but it didn't, ' Father Faraone said. "

Does the "Father" not know that what he did was gambling, and that gambling is a sin? It is a violation of the"golden rule" and every other principle of scriptural teachingtouching on the subject. Buying a chance with the hope ofwinning at the expense of others is gambling just as surely asif one used cards or dice, or bet on horse and dog races or anysuch.

His was a deliberate effort to win at gambling so that thestate could help pay for his church building. The state would not be paying for it as much as the other suckerswho bought tickets hoping to win his money. But havingthe state and general public pay for Catholic works is nothing new. Relief, totaling millions of dollars, paid for by thepublic, the government and other organizations, has beendistributed around the world by the Catholic Relief Organization with the Catholic Church getting the credit.

We are amazed thathe did not claim that the Virgin Maryor some other Catholic superstition was responsible for hiswinning. At least he could have claimed to have sprinkled "holy water" on the box. It would have done as much goodthere as on a baby or anything else! We deny that his winning was "heaven-sent" relief. God condemns the whole operation. Can you imagine the

early Christians gambling to finance the work of the church? No, they were told to "provide things honest in thesight of all men" (Rom. 12: 17).

This is another example of the fallacy by which mostpeople live, that the end justifies the means. All kinds of evilpractices have been "justified" by this argument, but it isnot true and never has been "justified" by this argument,but it is not true and never has been. The Bible contains many examples of people who were punished and even putto death by God for trying to justify their lawless deeds bythat principle. When someone accused the apostle Paul ofsaying, "Let us do evil, that good may come" he said it was"slanderously reported" (Romans 3: 8). He also wrote: "And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he notcrowned, except he strive lawfully" (2 Timothy 2: 5). Sothe end does not justify the means, and "Father" Faraonecannot pay for his church by gambling.

There was a bill before the Arkansas Legislature earlierthis year to authorize bingo in the state, and the localCatholic officials were for it. It did not pass, thank God!

The newspaper article said that the winning had theapproval of Msgr. James Lynch, Faraone's superior, who said "He's been a blessing. " Yes, we would guess so. Butdoes all of this have the blessing of the Father in Heaven?Thatshould be their greatest concern.

We wish that our Catholic friends would learn what is moral and what is not; what the scriptures permit andwhat they condemn; start paying their own way, andmake an honest effort to "deny ungodliness and worldly lusts" and "live soberly, righteously and godly in thispresent world" (Titus 2: 12).

REPENTANCE—DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE

As we have already observed in previous lessons, thequestion of divorce and remarriage is a common one in thesociety in which we live. In fact, as we attempt to talk topeople about the gospel, we learn that many of them havealready been divorced and remarried a number of times.What are we to encourage them to do about their situation? May they just remain with the person to whomthey are now "married" (according to the laws of the land)?Are those who are involved in the above situation, living inadultery? If either one or both of them desires to obey thegospel of Christ, can they continue to live together afterthey are baptized? Regarding this subject, these are someof the most difficult questions with which one has to wrestle. They are also the most awesome that I, or anyother gospel preacher, have to face. If we tell people whatGod's Word teaches on this subject, hearts will be broken.If we don't, souls will be lost. So as you can see, there isnot really much of a choice to make. We are in business withthe Lord to save souls.

What Is One's Position?

This is a good and pertinent question, and one that needs to be answered. Just what is the position with Godof one who has been divorced and remarried one or more times, hears the gospel anddesires to obey it?

It is my understanding of the Scriptures that all men areamendable to the new covenant of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Refer back to the lesson on "covenant")regardless of whether they are Christians or non-Christians.That being the situation, then unless the person who isdivorced and remarried put away his spouse for fornication,he did not have a scriptural right to do so and according toMatthew 5: 32 and Matthew 19: 9 when he remarries he is living in adultery. Can he then obey the gospel and continue to live in this relationship? NO! "Would you, " someone asks, "baptize this person who is living, and intendsto continue to live, in this relationship"? NO! If I learned ofthis person's condition and also learned that he planned tocontinue living in adultery after he was baptized, I wouldnot immerse him. But let me ask a question. If a worshipperof Buddha wanted to be baptized, would you baptize him even if you learned that he intended to continue worshipping the idol afterhewasbaptized:

The Unpardonable Sin? Are we saying that this is "the unpardonable sin"— thatthere can be no forgiveness for it? Is this a sin that is sodifferent from all other sins that one can not receive forgiveness for it? NO! Then what is the problem?

Repentance

We cannot overlook the fact that in order for one to be a proper subject for baptism, he must repent. "And the timesof this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth allmen every where to repent" (Acts 17: 30). "Now when theyheard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said untoPeter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren,what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, andbe baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ forthe remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of theHoly Ghost" (Acts 2: 37-38).

What Is Meant By The Word "Repent"?

"To change one's mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence one's past sins" (Thayer's Greek-EnglishLexicon, Page 405). "Repentance is the turning from sin"(Hasting's Bible Dictionary, Page 790). These definitions(and many other dictionaries that could be cited) set forthclearly that if one is to repent of his sins, he must desistfrom sin. An excellent illustration of this is found in the book of Jonah. "And God saw their works, that theyturned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil,that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did itnot" (Jonah 3: 10). Thus the Bible usage of the word "repentance" in this passage (as it refers to the people inNineveh) is one "turning from his evil ways. "

In the New Testament we read of John the Baptist tellingthe Pharisees and Sadducees that theycould not be baptizedof his baptism. "He said unto them, O generation of vipers,who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bringforth therefore fruits meet for repentance" (Matthew 3: 7-8).A similar expression "do works meet for repentance" isfound in Acts 26: 20 as it relates to those who are under the new covenant.

"But, " someone says, "doesn't baptism wash awaysins"? Yes, sins for which we are willing to repent (quit). Butto say that one can be "sorry for his sins" and yet remain inthem after baptism (because baptism washes away sins) isto pervert the purpose of baptism. Baptism is not a "marriage ceremony. " No, baptism does not change thenature of a sinful act so that when one commits it after baptism it is no longer sinful. If it is a sin before one isbaptized, it is a sin after one is baptized. ------------

In order to illustrate this, let's notice the subject ofpolygamy. We read in Romans 7: 2 that "... every man is tohave his own wile, and every woman her own husband. "Thus polygamy is sinful. It is a violation of God's covenant for man today whether he is a Christian or non-Christian. Now, if one is practicing polygamy and is desirous of being a Christian may he keep all of his wivesafter he is baptized? After all, baptism washes away sins. "Yes, " one would say, "but baptism doesn't wash away wives. " That is exactly right. II doesn't

wash away the polygamist'swives, and itdoesn't wash away the adulterer's wives. For, you see, if one is married to someone else's wife before he is baptized, he is still married to someone else's wife after he is baptized. Baptism doesn't change a marriage relationship.

"But, " someone says, "here is a couple that wants to bebaptized even though both of them have been married fivetimes. They are getting along just fine and after five years,and two children, they hear the gospel and want to be baptized. Do you mean to tell me that they would be livingin adultery if they were both baptized"? Yes, they would be.As you can see from the chart, 1 have depicted the verysituation spoken of above except for the fact that only oneof these persons desires to be baptized. Now then what istheir situation? Is one living in adultery and the other, who has been baptized, not living in adultery? Surely you can seethis cannot be a scriptural situation anyway we fix it.

"Are you saying then that this family would have to break up and that they can no longer live as husband and wife"? Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. The fact of thematter is, they have never been husband and wife (bound) inthe sight of God. They have only been practicing legalizedadultery as far as God is concerned. "But what about chose poor little children"? one is heard to say. My heart certainly goes out to the children. It seems like they are the ones who suffer the most. But what about the children in the other eight marriages that have broken up (for you willrecall that both had been married four times each before theycontracted this marriage)? Aren't they to be pitied just asmuch? No, my friends, pitying the children won't make it a scriptural marriage. Obeying God's Word is the only thingthat will make people what they ought to be; and one cannotbe what he ought to be without repentance. And as difficult as it is to do, if one wants to go to heaven badlyenough it can be done. In fact, if one find himself living inadultery it must be done!

What About Pentecost?

"But what about the people on Pentecost? They were not told to give up their spouses. " It has been argued, and perhaps rightly so, that those things that God allowedbeforeChrist's Law came into effect werenot sinful,because God allowed them, and therefore would not have to be corrected. In other words, Christ's Law was not retroactive on the people who lived in another dispensation of time.However, that is not the case today. All men are amenableto Christ's Law today as we have abundantly shown in another lesson. So whatever happened on Pentecost to thosepeople who lived under another law would have no affecton what we must do today.

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HOW CAN I HAVE DAILY SECURITY?

Heaven! Life! Eternal day! Dwelling with God! No pain,no evil, no death! I want to go to heaven. God wants meto be with Him in Heaven.

But Satan and his forces of evil are out to keep me fromthat glorious home. I have to struggle against him. It is awar. Yet I can have the hope of receiving God's reward for His faithful. I can have the daily security of being with God.How?

Daily Provoking

If I am going to have daily security of salvation, I amgoing to have to have a daily provoking against sin. Wehave got to learn to hate what God hates (Psa. 139: 21-22;

119: 104, 128). Sin makes the Lord sick (Rev. 3: 16). Seeingand living among the wicked people of Sodom tormented Lot's"righteoussoul fromday today" (2 Pet.2:7-8). Havewe become immune against sin? We need not only to avoidsin, we must also expose it (Eph. 5: 11).

Daily Praying

It was Daniel's "custom since early days" to pray daily (Dan. 6: 10). Anna "served God with fastings and prayersnight and day" in the temple (Lk. 2: 37). Paul prayed"night and day" (1 Thess. 3: 10; 2 Tim. 1: 3). We have dailyneeds, thus we need to pray daily (Lk. 11: 1-4). If I want tohave assurance of salvation each day, I must "always...pray" (Lk. 18: 1), "continue earnestly in prayer" (Col. 4:2),and "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess.5: 17).

Daily Pondering

The psalmist wrote "I rise before the dawning of themorning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word. My eyes areawake through the night watches, That I may meditate onYour word (Psa. 119: 147-148). To have confidence of thecrown of life I need to daily meditate on God's word. TheBereans were commended because they "searched the Scriptures daily" (Ac. 17: 11). A blessing is on the man who delights and meditates in the law of God (Psa. 1: 1-2).Jesus used it to overcome the temptations of the devil, and so can we (Lk. 4: 1-13). Let us "desire the pure milk of theword" (1 Pet. 2: 2).

Daily Perishing

Paul could say "the crown of righteousness" was laid upfor him because he said "I die daily" (1 Cor. 15: 31). Paul indescribing his life said, "I have been crucified

with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;and the lifewhich Inow live in theflesh I liveby faith intheSon of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2: 20). there has to be the daily dying of self to be secure. Jesussaid, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him denyhimself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Lk. 9: 23). As the Israelites offered daily sacrifices, we offer the spiritual sacrifice of self (1Pet. 2: 5; Rom. 12: 1-2).

Daily Prodding

In my conflict against Satan I can be helped by the dailyencouragement which can come from my brethren in the Lord. As the Hebrew writer stated, "exhort one anotherdaily, while it is called Today, lest any of you be hardenedthrough the deceitfulness of sin" (Heb. 3: 13). Daily association with evil can corrupt us (cf. 1Cor. 15: 33).

Daily Proclaiming

We can have the assurance of being with Jesus every dayby having His name on our lips each day. The early apostleswere "daily in the temple, and in every house, " and "theydid not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ"(Ac. 5: 42). In Athens Paul "reasoned in the synagogue withthe Jews and with the Gentile worshippers and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there"(Ac. 17: 11). In Corinth he was "reasoning daily in theschool of Tyrannus" (Ac. 19: 9). In Ephesus he "did notcease to warn everyone night and days with tears" (Ac. 20:31). There are lost souls in the world who need to hear thegospel and we need to proclaim it.

Daily Perseverance

Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 4: 16, "Therefore we do not loseheart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet theinward man is being renewed day by day. " We must dailycontinue to grow up and go on to maturity (Eph. 4: 14-15; Heb. 5: 12-6: 3). Faithfulness is required by the Lord (Rev.

2: 10), therefore we must continue to daily overcome temptation and serve Him.

Conclusion

Paul knew there was a crown of righteousness laid up forhim. He knew this fact because he had "fought the goodfight,... finished the race,... (and) kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7-8). The reason many Christians today do not have confidence of their salvation is because they are not livingas Paul lived. They have allowed the glitter of the world, thepassing pleasure of sin, and an apathetic attitude towardspiritual things to rob them of assurance. Let each of us bedetermined to walk daily with Him that we may haveconfidence of being with Him forever in eternity.

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ALMOST A MIRACLE

We witness, in our society, many double standards. Some are obvious to practically everybody. Others are apparent to a few.

One example is seen in the unbalanced handling of thetheory of evolution within ourpublic education system.

On the one hand, it is easily ascertainable to those witheyes to see and ears to hear that the most eminent andacclaimed of evolutionists no longer believe that traditional theory of the natural selection and gradual development of the species. The fossil record, which Darwin claimed would produce the consummating proofof his theory (Origin of the Species, Chapter 10, "On the Imperfection of the Geological Record") has produced nothing but evidence to the contrary.

Based largely upon evidence from the fossils many suchleading evolutionary thinkers as Stephen Jay Gould arenow theorizing that evolution did not occur gradually, buttook giant steps. Such sounds more all the time like Immanuel Velikovski's theory of cataclysmic evolution asset forth in his 1955 book "Earth in Upheaval. "

Francis Crick, co-winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize for thediscovery of DNA proposed at the 1971 Conference onCommunication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CETI),and later in his book, Life Itself: It's Origin and Nature:

"An honest man, armed with all the knowledge available to us now, could only state that in some sense, theorigin of life on earth appears at the moment to bealmost a miracle, so many are the conditions whichwould have to have been satisfied to get it going. "

His conclusions? Well, a few billion years ago an advanced extraterrestrial civilization sent a rocket full of miracles to earth from which evolved the species we knowtoday.

As Peter Leithart suggested in an article in Eternity Magazine, science is correct in looking to the heavens for answers to ultimate questions, but they must gaze, as Abraham did, with a vision of faith that penetratesbeyond the stars. (Eternity, Feb., 185).

Dr. Colin Patterson, one of the world's leading paleontologists, senior scientist at the British Museum of Natural History in London, has serious doubts about evolution. In aspeech before the American Museum of Natural Historyin New York, he asked a single question of the geologistsassembled there. He asked the

same question of the geologists at the Museum of NaturalHistory in Chicago and at the Evolution MorphologySeminar at the University of Chicago. He asked: "Can youtell me anything that you know about evolution, any onething, any one thing that is true? (Patterson, Colin Lecture—"Creationism vs. Evolutionism" American Museum of National History, New York, Nov. 5, 1981,Reported in Impac, ICR, Feb. 1985. ) All he received wassilence.

Yet our young students are still being told that evolution must beaccepted withoutquestion.In the words of many saints of old, "How long, oh Lord?"

ELEMENTS OF SUCCESSFUL DISCIPLINE

CONTINUING STEADFASTLY

The basic thrust of our last installment was the absolute necessity for parents to begin early the disciplinary processof their children. The early beginning, however, is useless ifneglected as the child grows older. Truly the wise man said,"The rod and reproof give wisdom; but a child left to himself causeth shame to his mother" (Prov. 29: 15). Ascertain as an uncultivated field brings forth weeds and briars,so the uncultivated mind of the child produces evil. Satanwill surely occupy the heart unfilled with a knowledgeand respect for Christ through his word. Loving parentswill be ever on guard against the Devil's wiles directedtoward the maturing child and ever alert to every devicethey can employ toward nurturing the child "in the chastening and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6: 1, 2). Parental discipline must continue as long as the child remains within parental responsibility.

That "the toddler is a tiger" is an observation worthy ofcareful thought and constant remembrance because the toddler develops into the determined two-year old and the"terrible two's and trying threes" yield to the "fussy fours"and "fighting fives" as well as the "saucy sixes". This evolution of most children holds before every father and mother a ceaseless challenge to meet every changing stage.Only by careful and prayerful effort will the two-year oldtyrant he brought into captivity! Generally the prayerfulparents' bestdisposition willbe seriously challenged during those early years when the issue is whether the parent willcontrol the

child or the child will control the parent. It is in this period that the issue of control is usually settled for the restof the lifetime of both parents and child.

Face The IssueOf ControlHead-On

During these first few years of a child's life the matter of later confrontations is usually resolved. Parental loss of theearly conflicts makes every later one more difficult to win.Surrender because of physical tiredness, emotional exhaustion or being too busy with other things to see theconflict through victory will return in the child's adolescent years to haunt and plague the parent who wastoo exhausted or too busy to gain the control when winning that encounter in the earlier years would have resolved the battle's outcome in the later years of adolescence.

The most defiant period of a child's life is adolescence. Itappears inevitable, therefore, that the parent who fails inthe effort to get the small child to pick up his toys or clothing has lost the adolescent battle before it begins.What happens in adolescence pretty well summarizes whathas happened in the child's earlier years. As reflected previously, the parent who is not in control from twelveyears onward probably lost the ball game in its earlier stages.

—But Be Alert To Pitfalls

A word of caution should be sounded here because other easily overlooked factors may affect adolescent behavior.Not every child is so well balanced emotionally that heaccepts life's happenings with adult maturity. Emotional upheavals can result from various factors. Close-friends orearly love experiences, fusses, loss by death, or a family's move-away which separates dear friends, friendship betrayed, prolonged physical illness, rejection or overly possessiveness by or loss of a sweet-heart, or other emotional upheavals may produce in the adolescent a serious negativism. A general antagonism, a withdrawal from usual family interests and/or social activities usuallytaken in a youngster's stride, may occur. Sometimes ateenager may feel forgotten be cause of parental attentionheaped upon a newly born baby. The adolescent views thenew arrival as a threat to his own status with his parents.Parents who forget their own earlier life stages are vulnerable to adult frustration as their own children encounter various experiences through which they mustinevitably pass. Failure to remember that they were once young and to recognize the ever-developing mental, physical, social and ethical stages of their child's nature is to bring utter frustration to the child and heartbreak tothemselves. Those parents who join the apostle Paul inremembering that there is a vast difference in speaking,feeling and thinking as a child and as an adult (1 Cor. 13: 11) are on the road to experiencing the rich joys of parenthood. Those are the golden planks in the parentalplatform of successful discipline. Without these, otherwisewell-meaning parents are destined to utter frustration and failure in an area of life where God wants them to be completely successful and happy.

EVANGELIZING BY DEBATES

The pioneer preachers of the Restoration movement reestablished New Testament practice by relying on the Word of God alone for authority in religion. Self-supporting and independent, they endured persecution andaffliction to plead for "the ancient order" in America. However, their approach to evangelism, in other ways,was not foreign to their environment. They adopted themethods of their religious neighbors, although theydeveloped some of these to a finer art, and flavored all ofthem with Restoration idealism. This is seen especially intheir use of debates.

Debating, as a means of evangelism, was not exclusivewith the Restorers. Every debate they had was with anopponent equally eager to propagate his religious views.But no people used debating more successfully than the Restoration pioneers. Alexander Campbell led the waywith his five memorable debates. The first of these, withJohn Walker in Mount Pleasant, Ohio, in 1820, had an important and far-reaching influence. The favorable reception of Campbell's views, when the debate was printed and circulated, made him aware of his power toreach and convince the public. Historian J. J. Haley believed the discussion with Walker "was the real beginning of the Reformation under the leadership of Alexander Campbell". (Debates That Made History, p.

35. )

Campbell entered that discussion reluctantly, hesitating for six months while he pondered "whether it were lawfulthus to defend the truth. " At the time he had become much discouraged in his work, as he indicates in the lastissue of The Christian Baptist (July 5, 1830). He said: "An unsuccessful effort by my father (to reform the Presbyterian Church) made me despair of reformation. Igave it up as a hopeless effort; but did not give up speakingin public assemblies upon the great articles of Christianfaith and practice. In the hope, the humble hope, oferecting a single congregation with which I could enjoy the social institutions, I labored. I had notthe remotestideaof being able to do more than this... (but) labored everyLord's day to separate the truth from the traditions of men,and to persuade men to give up their fables for the truth—with but little success I labored. "

Campbell went on to say, regarding the debate withWalker, "It was not until after I discovered the effects ofthat discussion, that I began to hope that something

might be done to rouse this generation from its supinenessand spiritual lethargy". The debate not only had a profound effect on Campbell, it also introduced debating into the arsenal of weapons the Restorers used to plead for apostolic authority. Barton W. Stone never had a formaldebate of this kind and debating was not common amonghis associates until after the Campbell-Walker debate.

While Campbell did not like controversy as well as somelater thoughthedid (he engaged in only fourmoredebates in the remaining forty-six years of his life), he neverthelessmade debating a feature of Restoration evangelism.Furthermore, he set a high standard of debating which, hadit been more closely followed by other Reformers, wouldhave removed some of the alleged evils of debating and,undoubtedly, would have made debating an even moresuccessful tool than it came to be.

Alfred T. DeGroot, referring to "the school-house debate" becoming a "national indoor sport in this era, " wrote: "Scores of debates, published and unpublished, wereheld by the (Indiana) Disciples... Henry R. Prichard was themost noted Indiana debater for the reformers. He engagedin forty public discussions. (One held with) a Methodist atCloverdale in 1866... resulted in ninety-six baptisms, twenty-five being from the opponent's church" (The Disciples of Christ—a History, p. 302. ) There were twenty major debates with denominationalists in Illinois in the twodecades before the Civil War.

"Although the early debates were too bitter, " in the view of Walter Wilson Jennings, "they nevertheless madeconverts to the Reformers in the delivery and also whenprinted. " (The Origin and Early History of the Disciples of Christ, p. 276. ) Perhaps this means of evangelizing washighly effective at the time because it occurred in a societywhere honorable debating was respected in most areas ofpublic life: business, government, education, and religion.It has continued to be effective, although in a more limitedway, down to the present.

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"THE LEGS OF THE LAME"

Solomon said, "The legs of the lame are not equal... "(Prov. 26: 7). Artificial means may be used to alleviate thissituation, but these only tend to emphasize the fact that thelegs are still unequal. So it is with man's spiritual lameness,and his efforts to offset this fact only tend to make himexceedingly lame in the eyes of those whom he tries to deceive.

Some months ago, a group calling themselves a "Church of Christ" conducted a meeting in Waverly, Ohio, andamong others, invited members from the Pike Hill Church ofChrist in Piketon, Ohio, to attend. Since the group in Waverly used the instrument of music (mechanical) intheir worship, the brethren at Pike Hill said they would attend if the instrument was kept silent. It was agreed thaton a certain night no instrument would be played, andseveral members fromPikeHill attended. So far, sogood.

The question which immediately comes to mind is this: ifthe instrument could be kept quiet for one night, why nottwo? Or three? Or four? If this is what stands in the way offellowship and unity, why not get rid of the cause completely? Should not our desire to please the Lord atleast equal our desire to please our brethren? So far, so good.

Meantime, the instrumental group in Waverly moved intonew quarters, and the old building was purchased by somefaithful brethren desiring to start a congregation in Waverly. These brethren invited me to conduct a meetingwith them, which I did May 5-10, 1985. Since the formergroup claimed to be a church of Christ, there was no need tochange the sign on the building, but not only did the brethren and I want the name to be scriptural, we also desired a worship that would harmonize with the name,hence, no mechanical instruments of worship. So far, sogood.

Invitations were sent out,both oraland written, for alltocome and visit with us during the meeting, including thebrethren at Pike Hill. Several visitors from the communitycame, several brethren visited from other congregations,but the same ones from Pike Hill who visited in the same building while it was occupied by the instrumental group,wereconspicuousby their absence! So far,not so good.

This proves something which I have contended for a longtime: there are those among us who have more in common with the instrumental group than they have

with the rest of us. Any man "whose eyes are open" (Num.

24: 3), knows that there are more differences between theinstrumental and non-instrumental groups than just the mechanical instrument of music, e. g., religious holiday observance, unscriptural titles and offices, church-sponsored recreation and entertainment, to name just a few. At least, itused to be this way.

While it is true that some instrumental groups are moreconservative than others, it is just as true that some non-instrumental groups are more liberal than others, to theextent that the instrument of music is the only thing whichstands between some of the more liberal churches of Christ and the "Christian" Church. Verily, the ways of men are unequal (Ezek. 18: 25).

Let me tell you about a book you must read. If you are aparent with children in public schools, you must read thisbook! If you someday will be a parent with children in publicschools, you must read this book! If you have grandchildrenor any children whom you love and who are in public schools, you must read this book! If you are an elder, preacher, orteacher in a congregation that has childrenwho attendpublicschools, you must read this book! If you are concerned aboutwhy so many young people who are raised by Christians end up rejecting the faith, you must read this book!

What does it contain? It is official testimony fromparents and teachers who testified to the U. S. Dept. ofEducation in official hearings held all across the U. S. A. inMarch of 1984. This book thoroughly documents the reasons for the problems that exist in public schools, and one major reason why so many Christian parents have somany problems with their children during their school years.The book proves beyond question that the handful of preachers and parents who have been warning people aboutthe dangers in many public schools,werenot "crying wolf"when there was no wolf.

Jesus said, "It is also written in your law, that thetestimony of two men is true" (John 8: 17). And, "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established" (2 Cor. 13: 1). This book contains the personal, first-hand, eyewitness testimony of 108 parents andteachers about problems in the schools. Clearly the Biblerecognizes this as a valid way of determining the truth withregard to historical facts. If so, then this book unquestionably proves the following to be facts:

(1) Itis a fact that many schools lead our children tobelieve it is morally acceptable to practice premarital sex,extra-martial sex, homosexuality, divorce, and

prostitution and to read pornography.

(2) It is a fact that many schools lead our children to believe it is morally acceptable to practice abortion, mercy-killing, and suicide. (3) It is a fac t that many schools teach our children thatit is morally acceptable to enjoy the "moderate" use of alcohol and drugs. (4) It is a fact that many schools use texts and assigned reading that are full of profanity, sexual suggestiveness, violence, and filth. (5) Itisa fact that many schools encourage our childrento believe in or experiment with the occult, TranscendentalMeditation, Yoga, and Oriental religions. (6) It is a fact that many schools lead our children to believe in evolution and reject creation. (7) It is a fact that many schools use Behavior Modification and other psychological brainwashingtechniques to lead our children to reject the beliefs taughtthem by their parents and by the Bible. (8) It is a fact that many schools use "Values Clarification" and similar values education methods to lead our children to believe in situation ethics. (9) It isa fact that many schools use teaching methods that alienate children from their parents, that teach anti-Biblical concepts about parenting, and that teach anti-Biblical concepts about family roles. (10) It is a fact that many schools lead our children to

accept all the tenets of Secular Humanism, while at the same time discouraging faith in God, Christ, and the Bible!

No, we do not claim that all students in all schools face all these problems. But many students in many schools doface them. And many schools cover it up so parents will notfind out about it. And many students will not tell theirparents because they fear their teachers and peer pressure. Do you kno w what is being taught your child?

What book is this? It is Child Abuse in the Classroom. It is edited by Phyllis Schlafly, but 99 and 9/10 per cent of it isverbatim testimony of witnesses without comment from anyone. I urge you to borrow it from a library, or send $4.95 to: Pere Marquette Press, P. O. Box 495, Alton, IL 62002.Itis also available from religiousbookstores.

This book is the proverbial "bombshell. " It is dynamite! It will motivate you to find out what's going on in yourchild's school and do what you can to make sure it's good for your child. You must read this book! You absolutely, positively must!

When you renew, why not subscribe for a friend?All new subscriptions are $9.

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

WAYNE S. WALKER, 5170 Chippewa Rd., Medina, Ohio 44256— Thechurch which formerly met in Medina, Ohio at 6205 Wadsworth Rd., haschanged locations. The facility we had been renting the past four years hasbeen sold. We are planning to erect a building of our own as soon as possible,but until than, we will be meeting temporarily at 120 N. Elmwood St. Thislocation is not available on Wednesday evenings, at least for the present, so we are having midweek services in other places until more suitable arrangements can be made. Our mailing address remains the same: P. O. Box 313, Medina, Ohio 44258. For more information write or call (216) 723-4509or 725-5614.

NEW CONGREGATION A new congregation is now meeting in Mariposa, California, 40 miles southwest of Yosemite Park on highway 140. Contact W. L, Norton, 3584 Triangle Rd., Mariposa,CA 95338.Phone (209) 966-3181.

OBITUARY—ROBERT E. HENSON Robert E. Henson faithful Christian and gospel preacher, passed away March4, 1985. He was 95 years old. Graveside services were conducted March 6,1985 by Clinton D. Hamilton who is the preacher for the church at Ft.Lauderdale, Florida. Burial was in Memory Gardens, Lake Worth, Florida.He had been in fairly good health until about a week before his death. Hedied of kidney failure.

Brother Henson had lived alone since his beloved wife, Nellie, died in 1969. He is survived by a son, Brodie Henson, two grand-daughters and a grandson. At one time he taught some Bible classes at Freed-Hardeman Collegeand was the county school superintendent in Jackson, Tennessee for15years.Inhisearly dayshe preached the gospel on apart-time basis.

In 1951 he moved to Warner Robins, Georgia to work with the churchprior to the division over liberalism. While there he did not hesitate tostand firmly for the truth against the liberal element and did a lot of warning-type preaching about the issues that were raging in the churches.He left Warner Robins in 1957 and three years later the liberal element prevailed, took the building and the conservative brethren had to get outand start over. His stand for truth on that occasion no doubt contributed to his leaving when he did. After the death of his wife brother Henson returned to hold a meeting at the Westside church in Warner Robins. Hewas 80 years old at the time. He did some very good preaching and it did him good to be back with some of the brethren he had helped to rescue fromliberalism.

He preached for the West Palm Beach church for 8 to 10 years after he leftWarner Robins in 1957. Now that he has fallen asleep in Jesus his life andhis firm stand for truth serve as a monument to his memory.

Submitted by J. Wiley Adams, 103 Ridgeland Dr., Warner Robins, GA31093

DOUG D. BAUER, 53 Meadowvale, Lilyvale Rd., Pinetown, South Africa 3610—My wife and I have now located in Pinetown, South Africa. A congregation was established in the white area and we are doing fine. Since the church began, 9 have been baptized. Five families have moved to otherareas and two families have fallen away. We meet twice on Sundays and Thursdayevenings we have aclass for the men

and also a youth class and song leading class. Later we will have a class on teacher training. My wife, Sheila, teaches a class for women on Tuesdays. We would appreciate having our name added to your bulletinmailing list.

G. KARL FLEM, 4001 N. 9th Ave., Pensacola, Florida 32503— Thanks to those who called and sent cards and letters after the recent death of myfather, GEORGE FLEM. It is good to know he was respected andappreciated for his service to the Lord. The life of a gospel preacher is farfrom easy, but when a man works with the fine congregations and brethrenthat my father did, it is well worth the sacrifice and more.

We have recently returned to Florida after preaching in Ohio for a yearand a half. We are now working with the Northside church in Pensacolawhere Randy Pickup and Sam Hastings had been preaching, Brother Pickuphas moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. The church here has a fine building in asplendid location and seems eager to spread the gospel. If you have friends orrelativesinthis area, pleaselet usknow andwe willcallonthem.

JADY COPELAND, Lakeland, Florida—Because of the interest of the brethren here in helping the work in needy places and the talent within thecongregation in teaching, I am now available to assist small churches inmeeting work. The Lakeland Hills congregation is blessed with talent and a concern for the spreading of the gospel. For further information and arrangements call me at (813) 682-3087.

J. ED NOWLIN, 714 N. Calhoun, Perry, Florida 32347—We have a Rex Rotary, Model 650, Duplicator with silk screen, and an A. B. Dick ElectronicStencilmakerfor sale. When new, the duplicatorcost$650 wholesale, and thestencilmaker cost $1100, retail. We would sell both for $500. Anyoneinterested may write: me at 109 Cedar Road, Perry, FL 31347, or call (904)584-3540.

PREACHERS NEEDED PLYMOUTH, NORTH CAROLINA—We are located in a small eastern town of about 5, 000. The congregation is small with attendance about 30.Partial support would be needed from elsewhere. Jimmy Jenkins has moved to Moss Point, Mississippi after working for us for 7 years. If interested in the work here, please contact either Ken Griffin, 308 MattRansomeDr., Plymouth,NC 27962 (phone 919-793

4193), or Ed Sulc, 106 King Arthur Trail, Washington, NC 27889 (phone919-946-0343).

LAKE BUTLER, FLORIDA—The Danville congregation which meetsabout 3 miles south of Lake Butler on State Road 121 needs a full time preacher. There are 23 members with an average of about 37 in attendance.We can supply $700 a month support plus a house. Other support must be secured elsewhere. If interested contact: Jim Haltman, Rt. 2, Box 791, Lake Butler, FL 32054 (phone 904-496-2589); or Charlie Blackwelder, Rt.2,Box796,Lake Butler, FL 32054 (phone 904-496-3859).

MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE—The Smoky Mountain church in Maryville is seeking a full time preacher. Fred Smith, our previouspreacher, recently retired from full time work. Membership here is about35-40 with good potential for growth. Most, if not all support would haveto come from outside congregations. However, we can provide a list ofcongregations which have supported men here in the past. Those interestedplease write to: Smoky Mountain Church of Christ, c/o Norman Harber,2804 Robert Ave., Maryville, TN 37801.

LOMPOC, CALIFORNIA—The Mission Hills church is looking for a gospel preacher. We are a small congregation of 40 and can supply onlypartial support. We are primarily interested in preachers who are already inCalifornia which would help lower the expense of moving here. Those interested may contact: Lynn Swenson (805-733-4243, or write to: MissionHills Church of Christ, 3332 Via Barba,Lompoc, CA 93436.

PREACHER AVAILABLE MIKE HUGHES, 4507 Voss, Bossier City, Louisiana 71111. I am interested in doing local preaching work wherever I would be needed orpreaching for small congregations within 100 miles of the Shreveport-Bossier City area. I am 33 years old, married and have two children. I can bereached at the above address or call: 318-742-6299. Also, I would like to be added to your bulletin mailing list.

IN THE NEWS THIS MONTH BAPTISMS 287 RESTORATIONS 119 (Takenfrom bulletins and papersreceived by theeditor)