WHAT IS MAN?

"If a man die, shall he live again?" If so, where will hebe? This age old question intrigues the young, hauntsthose in middle years and plagues the aged. When aloved one slips from time to eternity, it triggers a keeninterest in death and what happens after the dreadedevent. Most people assure the surviving that their loved one has "gone to heaven" and offer as proof the "goodworks" they did while in this life. The sensational magazines and papers give the accounts of those who claimedto have died and entered into the spirit world and then returned to tell about it. They always see their deadbodies as they leave them, and they go through a longdark tunnel toward a bright light at the end, and there they enter into the beautiful place where all their relatives, friends and even pets are waiting for them. How isit that no loved ones are ever missing in these tales?Does no one ever go to hell and return to tell about it?

All we know about our origin, why we are here, and where we are going after we leave this life, is revealed tous in the word of God. There is no way any of us couldeven know there is a heaven and hell except the fact thatthe Bible reveals it. The word of God is the only source of light to tell us what is on the other side of death.

What Is Man?

Man is composed of a body, soul and spirit. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1Thessalonians 5:23). Man has a body and spirit, and is a living

soul. The Genesis account of creation describes the bringing together of these three parts of man. "And theLord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7). The physical body ofman is composed of the dust of the ground. It shall returnto the dust from which it came. "In the sweat of thy faceshalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dustshalt thou return" (Genesis 3:19). "Therefore the LordGod sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till theground from whence he was taken" (Genesis 3:23). "Allgo unto one place; all are of the dust, and all return todust again" (Ecclesiastes 3:20). "If a man die, shall helive again" (Job 14:14). "But man dieth, and wastethaway: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?"(Job 14:10) "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life,of all that was in the dry land, died" (Genesis 7:22).

The verb translated formed is used in the Old Testament of a potter molding the clay (Isaiah 29:16 and Jeremiah 18:4). Not only does the word of God teach thatthe end of the body is the dust from which it came, butour life long experience teaches us that fact. Who of ushas not followed the physical remains of a loved one orfriend to the city of the silent dead and there inter thatbody back to the earth? We need not search further forthe destiny of the body at death; we know it goes to the grave.

After creating the body from the ground, God "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life..." (Genesis2:7). That is the part of man that is created in thelikeness of God. The word "spirit" is from "pneuma,"which primarily denotes the wind. It also means "breath." In John 3:8 Jesus used the term to signify theinvisible nature of the spirit of man. W. E. Vine says itmeans: ". . .(c) the immaterial, invisible part of man,Luke 8:55; Acts 7:59; 1 Cor. 5:5; Jas. 2:26... "That is whatGod breathed into the nostrils of man that gave him life.

Paul's lesson to the heathen on Mar's hill in Athens pointed out that all men are of one blood, and "in him welive, and move, and have our being." Then he concludedthat we are the "offspring of God;" consequently, weought not to think that the Godhead is like to materialsubstance (Acts 17: 26-29). Furthermore, God is the Father of spirits (Hebrew 12:9).

Somewhere in the body the spirit of man dwells untildeath separates the spirit from the body. "For as thebody without the spirit is dead. . ." (James 2:26). "IDaniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body"(Daniel 7:15). "The burden of the word of the Lord forIsrael, saith the Lord, which... formeth the spirit of manwithin him" (Zechariah 12:1). The spirit of man is eternal, it will never become non-existent. That spirit isdestined to be a conscious being somewhere forever. Oneof the most frightening thoughts man could have is thathe is a conscious being somewhere for eternity.

Adam was also "made a living soul" (Genesis 2:7)."And so it is written, The first man Adam was made aliving soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit"(1 Corinthians 15:45). "The first man is of the earth,earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven" (1 Corinthians 15:47). Soul is translated from the Hebrew nephesh and means a living person, the life of the bodywith the spirit, the animal life resulting from fusing ofbody and spirit.

The word "soul" is used in the Scriptures to refer to: 1)the whole person, 2) the animal life—the body and soultogether, 3) the spirit of man. The context will determinewhich of these meaning is applicable.

FOREIGN WORKERS

IN A FINANCIAL CRUNCH

For several months now, the American dollar hasweakened against the currency of many other countriesin the world. This has been good for trade since it makesAmerican made products more competitive on the worldmarket. But it has had a devastating effect on peopleliving in those countries whose income is in American currency which must be exchanged for the local currency. Brethren in Europe, Africa and South Americahave been hard hit. This has especially been true in Italy where those dependent on American income have lostabout 35% of their buying power.

I know of a few congregations which have taken thisinto account and raised the support of these men to offsetthis erosion of their income. Others either do not undenstand the problem or, if they do, are unconcerned. Add tothis the fact that the cost of living (housing, food, gasoline and services) is much higher in some other countriesthan here, and you have the stage set for economicdisaster for some of these families, some of whom arehalf-way around the world, and whose support is often tenuous.

We could document this with a number of specificcases of which we have personal knowledge, but I wantto tell you about one in particular: Randy Reese, Sr. wholabors in Ashiya Shi, Japan. Randy is married to thedaughter of Bob Nichols, long-time worker in Japan.Randy and his wife, Linda, have been there for a numberof years now and presently labor with two small congregations made up largely of babes in Christ. He carries aheavy load of Bible classes, including one to combat the encroachments of the Crossroads Movement in Japan.Studies both publicly and privately result in conversionsperiodically. The Reeses are well adjusted to the Japanese language and culture. That takes time and experience. If they were to have to come home it would takeanother family (assuming they could raise adequatewages) a long time to come to the point they could begin to equal the suitability of the Reeses for this work.

Over the last months, they have lost up to 52% of theirbuying power due to the decline of the dollar against the Japanese yen. Last winter I made an appeal to 202 congregations on behalf of the Reeses to help themrelieve an immense financial dilemma. They receivedsome "one time" help from several churches which theyused to catch up some back debts generated by this veryemergency. Also, one church agreed to supply them $300 a month support (they need to raise $1500 monthlysupport, in addition to what they have). But that wasoffset by the fact that a church which had been sending$300 a month, terminated their support.

Let me fill you in on some hard facts of life which thesefolks are facing. They have four children which areenrolled in a Japanese school. It costs $200 a month tosend these four children to school. Japanese parents face the same costs, but many companies pay this for theiremployees as a fringe benefit. The Reeses have no such help. When I spoke by telephone with brother Reese a few weeks ago, they were then behind 4 months on theirrent. The landlord was being kind and working withthem, but that has to be caught up and kept current. Iasked brother Reese to supply me with a list of the costof some basic food and other supplies and he has done that. Look it over and see what it would do to your family budget, just to eat or operate a car.

Gasoline is $4.50 a gallon. Car inspection is mandatory and costs $329 a year. School fees are $200 permonth ($50 per child, and they have four children inschool).

Take a good look at these food costs" MEAT — beef isonly for the rich (steak $21 up). Hamburger (70% beefand 30% pork) is $4.08 a pound. Bacon — $7.26 a pound.Pork chops (1/4 inch thick) — $6.51 a pound. Chicken legs (size of quail legs)—$2.63 a pound. FISH—Salmon—$11.45 lb.; Yellow Tail — $9.29 lb.; Mackerel —10.07 lb.; Shrimp —$13.81 lb. DAIRY PRODUCTS — Milk —$5.44agallon; Cheese—$11.74alb. STAPLES—Flour—(5 lb. bag) $2.90; Oatmeal — (1 lb. box) $3.76; Coffee(1 lb. can) — $8.96; Crisco (1 lb. can) $3.58; Sugar (5 lb.bag) —$3.70; Rice (251b. bag) —$18.51 up; Tea(100 bagbox) — $9.86; Canned Peaches (13 oz. can) — $3.01.FRUITS AND VEGETABLES — Apples (1 med.) — $2.07; Cantaloupe — $8.89 each; Carrots (3 med.) — .97;Watermelon (size of a soccer ball) — $21.58 up; Grapefruit— $3.58 each; Green Peppers (each the size of anegg) — .70.

Brethren, it is painful for these brethren working inother countries to have to ask for additional support.They almost feel like beggars. There is a continuingproblem maintaining a level of adequate monthly support. Understandable circumstances cause some churches to have to discontinue, or at least reduce, the support they send out. Every time that happens suchmen have to scramble to find a replacement. And thatdoes not begin to allow for the kind of situation we havebeen describing here — the fluctuations of world monetary markets over which these men have absolutely no control. Yes, it is true that there havebeen times in the past when the dollar was verystrong in international exchange and that, for a time,did benefit such men. But when such devaluations occur as we are now seeing, the effects are devastating tothese families living abroad whose very survival depends on commitments from several churches inthe states.

I know what it means to live in another country anddepend on the punctuality (or lack of it, in some cases) ofbrethren in the states. I know what it is like to suddenly,without notice, lose a sizeable amount of monthly income and wonder how to survive until it could be replaced. I know the same thing happens to men laboringin hard fields in this country but the problem can getpretty urgent when you have an ocean between you andhelp for survival.

I have been reluctant to make appeals for financialsupport in specific cases through this paper. I do notalways know those who make such appeals nor have theopportunity to verify the needs or the worthiness ofthose who may be appealing. But I can say that I havenot seen a time in my life when there were more worthyneeds from men I do know to be faithful servants of the Lord laboring in financially deprived circumstances,than right now. Elders of churches in the Louisville areatell me the same regarding appeals they regularly receive from men both in this country and abroad, andelders in churches over the country where we visitconfirm the same thing. I have chosen to write about theneeds of brother Reese as one case in point. It is a criticalneed. That does not mean there are not others for there are. It would be impossible to give this much space to allof them. That is not the purpose of this magazine. But Ihope that by highlighting this special case, those supporting brother Reese will not only continue to do so, andeven increase their amount, if possible, but that othersmight consider helping to keep this worthy man in oneof the most difficult fields of labor in the world. I also hope that attention to this case will cause Christians togive more generously and elders to have greater abilityto respond favorably to good men and their families whoare willing to take the gospel into needy places throughout America and around the world. Always, brethren should be careful to check references on men they do notpersonally know. If any readers would like to helpbrother Reese, or would inquire further into the matteryou may address him as follows: Randy S. Reese, ST.,

P.O. Box 14, Ashiya Shi, Japan 659.

Brethren supporting men in other countries would do well to inquire periodically about inflation rates and thevalue of the U.S. dollar against the currency of thatcountry. "They which preach the gospel should live of thegospel" (1 Cor. 9:14) — including the ability to offsetinflation and the shifting of currency values.

"FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE... "

— IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK

"Relationship " is the most important word in theworld—for several reasons. The first obvious one is that there is nothing that satisfies the deepest cravings of the human creature as much as a relationship with thedivine Creator. As the bird was made for the air and fish to the sea, people were created to have fellowship withGod. Another reason is that evangelism flows most effectively out of relationships—people loving people enoughto share the good news of Jesus Christ with those withwhom they have a rapport, a relationship on the personal level.

One of the greatest mistakes Christians make is thatwhen it comes to teaching people concerning the need toteach others and lead the lost to Christ (i.e., the need forpersonal evangelism) all too often the only things emphasized are the methods, concepts, procedures andtechniques. That's tragic. And . . that's not to say thatthose things are not important, but it is to say that thereis something more important in the process of converting a soul than the knowledge of how to turn a projectoror flip a chart.

We must get back to the business of emphasizingpersonal evangelism that is exactly that —PERSONAL! It is personal because it flows out of a relationship thatis personal. When we go out into the world and begin to build relationships with our fellow man we become awalking, talking, moving picture of what Christianityeither is or isn't. People with whom we have relationships (our family, friends, neighbors and associates) can see us for what we really are. And what we are — in thehome, in our business dealings, in our neighborhood,among our friends and relatives — may determinewhether or not they accept the Gospel message. Andwhy? Because they know if we have hypocritical tendencies or if we are genuinely sincere. They know if we arephony or the real thing. What I'm saying is this: IF YOUARE NOT A FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF METHOD, TECHNIQUE OR PROCEDURE YOU USE — YOU WILL FAIL! Your daily lifestyle reveals the kind of person you really are andwhether or not the message of Jesus Christ has doneanything for you.

House to House the New Testament Way

I've always read Acts 5:42 and 20:20 with the notionthat the Gospel went from "house to house" down the streets and through the subdivisions of metropolitanJerusalem and Ephesus like a nice neat little door to door census taker. I'm not so sure anymore. (For example, in 1 Tim. 5:13,1 read that certain ones went from"house to house" bearing tales of gossip. Do you think they went from door to door canvassing total strangers,or do you perceive that they first sought out those whomthey knew, and whom they knew would be ready to hearthe latest tales from a turbo tongue?) Just how did theGospel go from "house to house?"1) John l:40-42. Here is the case of Andrew. Verse 41 says that Andrew "found first his own brother.. . " and "brought him to Jesus" (verse 42). Andrew went andfound one with whom he had an established relationship(a relative) and out of that relationship evangelismflowed. 2) John 1:43-45. Phillip went and found one with whomhe had an established relationship (a friend) and out ofthat relationship evangelism flowed.3) John 4:28-30. The Samaritan woman who had conversed with Jesus at the well returned to her village andfound those with whom she had an established relationship (her neighbors) and out of that relationship evangelism flowed.4) Acts 10:24. Cornelius had invited his "relatives and friends" to hear Peter preach the Gospel. Their reactionto his invitation was not—"Cornelius, you mean you are religious?" The truth is that Cornelius had already established relationships with these people and theyknew of his sincerity and moral uprightness, they knew of his generosity and God-fearing disposition. As a resultof those established relationships evangelism flowedonce again.5) Mark 5:10. Jesus healed a man. This individual out of deep gratitude implored the Lord that he might beallowed to accompany Jesus. Verse 19 states: "He did not let him, but He said to him," Go home to YOUR PEOPLEand report to THEM what great things the Lord has donefor you..." (emphasis mine). Get the point?

What I am saying is that the people most likely to beinfluenced with the Gospel are people with whom wealready have an influence! (That does make sense,right?) So often the only person we want to reach withthe Gospel is the fellow we have never met and do notknow. (I have yet to figure that out!) For example, wewant to mail Person X a tract. We want to preach toPerson X on the radio. We want to knock on the door of Person X— and there is absolutely nothing wrong withany of that! But why are we so eager to talk to Person X?Because with Person X I put absolutely NOTHING onthe line! Person X doesn't know if my life is consistentwith my message. Person X doesn't know if I'm really sincere. I can talk to Person X and be on my way and say:"There, I've done some personal work today"—and there is nothing personal about it!

PERSONAL evangelism occurs when we build a relationship with someone in the office, on the street, in theP.T.A., a visitor to our services, and invite them into ourhome and heart — invite them to see how we cope withworry . . . invite them to see how we handle reversal, frustration and disappointment. . . invite them to seehow we treat those who mistreat us... invite them to see how we respond to criticism, how we handle sickness,how we deal with death. WE INVITE THEM TO SEE JESUS LIVING IN US! Friend, that's New Testament "personal" evangelism. Don't tell me it doesn't happen. I've seen it happen time and again. It's happening allover this country — across back yards, in factory cafeterias, in school lunchrooms — AND IT CAN HAPPENWITH YOU if you display a consistent example ofChristianity in your daily life and then let evangelismflow from "house to house" as you seize the opportunitiesthat God places in your path.

If we can't tell people with whom we have relationships about the Lord... If we can't talk to them without the reply — "You mean you're a Christian?" — than we are hypocritical and phony people. Do you know howmost people are converted? Most come to be Christiansbecause a friend, a relative, a co-worker whom theyknew, trusted and respected took the time to share theirfaith, open their Bible and lead them to obey the Lord.The following words by James Rowe should touch us all

When in the better land before the Bar we stand,How deeply grieved our souls will be;If any lost one there should cry in deep despair,"You never mentioned Him to me,"

"You never mentioned Him to me,You helped me not the light to see;You met me day by day and knew I was astray,You never mentioned Him to me."

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ROOTS OF MODERN CHARISMA

Richard Ostling of Time says the Charismatic movement is thought to have begun in 1960 among Episcopalians in California. The 1970s saw a rash of charismatics parading as Pentecostals, Neo-Pentecostals, Charismatics, "Jesus Freaks," and such like. While many are "fundamentalist" in doctrine, any belief under theumbrella of "Christianity" may be found among them.But their common bond is belief in a mystical gift of grace(charisma) apart from the word of God, which is attended by special signs. The roots of this movement run deep into the Pentecostal, Holiness, and Methodistmovements that preceded it.

Methodism. John Wesley caused a revolution ineighteenth-century England by teaching Christian perfection as a gift of grace following justification. Thisstood in contrast to Calvin's impossibility of perfection.Regarding the latter, Calvinists claimed the believernever overcomes sin, although guilt is not imputed tohim. This dismal outlook crushed any hope that onecould ever make progress toward perfection. It was against this concept that Wesley and others rebelled.

Wesley said Christ enjoins perfection, it is possible forevery justified person, and it is compatible with "involuntary transgression." He saw it as the gift of God's grace that comes to the believer instantly by an intimateunion with the Holy Spirit, although a long period ofeffort might precede it. Wesley also claimed God givesspecial assurance when the gift is received, but theassurance was not equally clear in all cases. His viewsare debatable on the latter point and murky in that hethought only a few people attain perfection and that it iscompatible with some degree of sin. But his teachingcontributed to the Holiness movement of the nineteenth century.

Holiness. The Holiness movement began after theCivil War as a protest against Methodist departure fromWesley's doctrine of holiness. The protesters argued strongly for holiness as a second work of grace resulting in perfection. They especially stressed the Wesleyanview that the believer may be assured of holiness by a direct spiritual experience. Between 1880 and 1900, the"holiness controversy" severely agitated the Methodists.They became dominated by wealthy men who appliedbusiness methods and refined formality to the church.Many of the poorer members were troubled that "heartfelt religion" was disappearing from Methodism.

The dissidents complained that "the second blessing"

had become little more than a creedal statement without

substance. But the dignified leaders prevailed. "Shoutin'

Methodists" simply did not fit their plan for a more

genteel religion. The holiness advocates felt uncomfort

able among those who had no sympathy for their

convictions and began to withdraw to form independent

bodies where "holiness" could be taught and practiced.

The same sort of cleavage also developed in other de

nominations and contributed to the Holiness movement,

but Methodists gave it its impetus.

Several "holiness" denominations came into beingbefore 1900, including the Church of God (Anderson,Ind.) in 1880 and the Nazarenes in 1894. There were alsosmaller groups, such as the Christian Missionary Alliance and many independent churches of similar persuasion. The members of these churches were mainly thepoorer, less educated, and more emotional people whoexpressed their religious experiences by shouting and moving about noisily in their services.

Pentecostalism: The Pentecostals are largely agroup of churches that began in the early twentiethcentury. They grew out of the Holiness movement andtheir origin is partly traced to the "Latter Rain" revivalsof A.J. Tomlinson, a founder of the Church of God(Cleveland, Tenn.) in about 1903. Some think Pentecostalism sprang from a revival movement in the NegroHoliness Church of Los Angeles in 1906. Both no doubtcontributed to it.

Pentecostal beliefs come mainly from Methodist andBaptist tenets, but no single creed is accepted by allgroups. However, they commonly hold a form of Wesley'sdoctrine that perfection consists of an "infilling with theHoly Spirit," evidenced by "speaking in tongues," likethe apostles on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Other related doctrines are miraculous divine healing, prophecy, andspecial revelations. Uncontrolled emotional behavior often accompanies "Holy Ghost baptism," "speaking intongues," prayer, and other community activities.

I recall attending a 1930s Pentecostal revival in the yard of an old farmhouse in the mountains of NorthwestAlabama. A small but highly vocal crowd was presentand three or four "got the Holy Ghost" after pleading longat a log altar. One of these was a stout woman who fellover and rolled in the dust, literally, when she "got it." A tall woman who did washing for my mother rose straightup from the log, stretched her bony arms towards thestars, and toppled backwards like a felled tree. A teenage girl with eyes glazed in a hypnotic stare danced in acircle until she dropped limp from exhaustion. That wasmy first encounter with Pentecostalism, although I havehad a number since, including Oral Roberts' circus tent revivals of the 1940s. And nothing resembling whatoccurred on Pentecost ever took place.

Charismatics. About the middle of the century,Pentecostalism took on a new look. In 1952 Rex Hum-bard began broadcasting it, followed by Roberts, andothers. Then came television and finally "pentecostalism" could be seen in living color. The programs at firstretained the trappings of old Pentecostalism, but by the1960s a revolution had occurred. No longer confined to

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small buildings by the tracks or tents in a pasture, themovement gained respect in older denominations. Roberts became a Methodist and founded a university.The Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship, formed in1951 by Pentecostals, introduced "Holy Spirit baptism"to the laity of other churches and made Pentecostalismacceptable to a "higher class" of people.

But the Charismatic or Neo-Pentecostal movement is less church related, less emotional, more ostentatiousand slogan oriented ("Honk if You Love Jesus"), andmore cultish in form, it seems to me. Like Virginia Slim,Pentecostalism came a long way from the drab itineranttents to the sparkling glitter of the PTL club, from poorlyeducated preachers to Harvard graduates and presidential candidates, from the unadorned faces of toilwornwomen to lavishly adorned television celebrities. Modern Pentecostals have built huge "ministries." The electronic church came into being, made up of people from allstations and faiths.

But beneath the new glitter of Holy Spirit baptism,speaking in tongues, inner revelations, fervent expressions of love for Jesus, and blurring of doctrinal lines arethe same basic errors that characterized the precedingmovements. Wesley's "second work of grace" resulting inholiness developed into the peculiarities of Charismatics. Whenever any people launch out into the depthof human wisdom and emotion apart from the word ofGod, no matter how refined the teaching and practice becomes, the truth gets trampled and error is hailed as theword of God.

INDIFFERENCE:TRANQUILLIZER OF THETWENTIETH CENTURY CHURCH

"Pssst! Hey, buddy. Want to be a member of a secretorganization? I promise this secret is well protected andyou won't have to worry about being discovered. Thename of this secret order? Pssst, listen closely. It's called the church of Christ."

Indifference is causing the church of our Lord tobecome a secret organization. It can tranquillize, paralyze, hypnotize, and minimize all attempts to evangelize. Did you hear about the brother who was asked: "Isit really true that ignorance and indifference are thegreatest threats to the church today? The fellow responded: "I don't know and I don't care."

Satan uses indifference to deceive us. He makes us think that because we are not suffering severe persecutions that he must be leaving us alone. But he candestroy just as effectively by getting us to care about other things more — the backdoor approach. It is not necessary that we be terribly immoral or false teachers.By treating worship as a ritual, going through a lifelessorthodoxy, we can honor god with our lips while ourhearts are far from him (Mt. 15:8). "My, how tiresome itis" (Mai. 1:13, NASV).

Symptoms

The greatest fear we face is that of facing ourselves — individually and congregationally! Though painful, aself-examination can be a good thing. In too many casesand places the growth of Christianity has been stunted in this last quarter of the twentieth century by theplague of complacency. World population will reach 5billion(!) in the next few months and we are not even"holding our own" in comparison. Some symptoms are:

l. Lack Of Confidence In The Word. We rely too much on pop psychology and have lost sight of the fact that themessage of the cross is a militant gospel. We have swallowed the philosophy of "never trouble trouble untiltrouble troubles you." The "good news" is aggressive.The citadels of error would not be ignoring us if we werenot content to have detente in religion. We are soldiers.Remember? "The weapons of our warfare are not of theflesh, but mighty before God to the casting down ofstrongholds" (2 Cor. 10:4). Has your sword become dulland rusty from lack of use?

Israel was warned of apathy. "Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord God, when I will send a famine onthe land,. Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, Butrather for hearing the words of the Lord. And people will stagger from sea to sea, And from the north even to theeast; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord,But they will not find it.. .Those who say, The calamitywill not overtake or confront us.. ."(Amos8:ll,12;9:10).

1. Riches. "Designer labels" are a must. We are inconstant "need" of more luxurious versions of somethingwe already had while much of the world has barelyenough to keep body and soul intact. What happens tothose who let time slip by, busy buying and getting andthinking of themselves? "Woe to you... who lied on bedsof ivory, stretch out on your couches, eat lambs, . . .calves, . . . who anoint yourselves with the best ointments ..." (Amos 6:3-8).
2. Cares. These often become evident at worshipservices. Irreverence is not usually intended but is a by-product of indifference. We just don't think. Talking,laughing, going in and out of the services in a cavaliermanner, is more like being at a ball game than the houseof God. Habitual sleeping in worship can be a physicalproblem. When it is caused by pursuing riches and pleasures to the point that one is not getting enoughsleep, it is a spiritual problem. Cares of this worldprevent any forethought in preparation for worship.
3. Pleasures. Minds get so cluttered with sports,movies, music, etc., that there is little time or energy forspiritual pursuits. We want our reward now! Being "lovers of pleasure" (2 Tim. 3:4) to the neglect of spiritualmatters is evidence that we are lukewarm, unconcerned,and spiritually numb.
4. Fussing And Wrangling. Little time or effort is putforth to evangelize but there is an abundance of time and boundless energy available to carry on a fuss. It isamazing what strong convictions one can muster forsome relatively insignificant matter and how little careone can have toward evangelizing the 5 billion(!) lostpeople in the world. We can argue eyeball to eyeball forout pet "convictions" while never conducting a homeBible study with a lost soul. This is too absurd for words.How could our thinking get so distorted? We have leftundone the weightier matter.
5. Work Of Many Left To A Few. When a small minority accepts the bulk of responsibility and takescare of most everything that needs tending to, you havea disinterested church.
6. Toleration Of Error And Immorality. A brother falls into sin and hardly anyone bothers to see about him."We know we ought to deal with it, but..." Error is subtlyaggressive. It can cause indifference even by being silent(I Cor. 5). Indifference is contagious and can permeate a congregation almost without being detected.

The Remedy

1."Remember Therefore Whence Thou Art Fallen" (Rev.2:5a). Indifference amounts to falling away, causing one to be lost. If one will look closely at his past life he can see where he went astray. By so doing he can return to the esteem and appreciation for the cause for which he once stood.

2. "Repent And Do The First Works" (Rev. 2:5b). One of the worst ways to treat a person is with indifference.Toward God, it demands repentance. The "first works"refer not to obeying the plan of salvation again but to thegood things one was zealous in before his apostasy.

Sometimes a person who senses he has erred may desire to return but doesn't know how to rekindle that flame of extinguished love. Some think it comes by silentmeditation or by a "supernatural zap" that wakes themup and restores that lost zeal. But the wisdom of ourSavior says it comes by doing "the first works" — doingwhat they did in the first and best days of their new life.Read the Bible as they did then. Pray as they did then.Do good to those in need. Help the distressed and fallen.Try to reach a friend with the gospel. As a member of the physical body can become paralyzed through lack of use,it may also be rehabilitated by practice and doing withit what was formerly done. Remember the ardor, thezeal, and the warmth of love which once characterized us

— a happy memory. This is the way to have a "faith that works through love" (Gal. 5:6).

1. Set Goals! (Phil. 3:13,14). Reassess your purpose forexistence. Check your attitude toward the gospel. Believe it. Live it. Spread it!
2. Evangelize (I Tim. 4:16). This is not a cure-all but it takes care of many problems associated with indifference. Jesus, in his originality, could see the possibility ofa brotherhood beyond nationalistic lines. Likewise, youcan have that "fire in the bones" which Jeremiah, Jesus,Paul and others had when you sense the urgency of thecause. Be fervent, diligent, zealous!

Conclusion

Jesus said, "I know thy works." Don't be tricked into thinking that God is like a man (Ps. 50:21) — that he isindifferent just because we are. Men can argue over how long a church can go before the Lord removes its candlestick, but there is no argument here. The Scriptures arecrystal clear that an indifferent church whose membersdon't repent and do the first works will have its candlestick removed (Rev. 2:5c). Those indifferent in the New Testament were described as "weak", "sickly," "asleep,""fallen," "left their first love," "lukewarm," etc.

Three things need to be remembered. 1. Rememberthat indifference can be overcome — "He that overcometh . . ." (Rev. 2:7b). 2. Remember the reward for overcoming—"I will give to eat of the tree of life" (Rev. 2:7c).

3. Remember that judgment begins at the house of God."He that hath an ear, let him hear..." (Rev. 2:7a).

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PRINCIPLES OF DISCIPLESHIP

Within the 14th chapter of Luke there is quite a range of subjects in discussion. This chapter begins with the record of Jesus healing a man with dropsy. Taking noteof this miraculous event there is an immediate discussion of sabbath day activities as to what is lawful, descending even to the care of livestock. This is followed bytalk about invitations to supper and guests and theexcuses they offered. Climax is reached with a discussion of following Christ and the demand for hating all else along with bearing our cross. Jesus then speaks ofbuilding houses and going to war as the chapter closeswith emphasis being placed on good and bad salt. Whatconceivable connection can these subjects have? Flowwithin context establishes a vivid and practical application in complement to: (1) the mission of Christ, wholesale invitation to accept and follow Him; (2) the fact thatmany will not follow, offering varied excuses; (3) among those who accept Him there is a common attitude. Hereis projected fulfillment of God's eternal purpose, redemption. "For the Son of man is come to seek and to savethat which was lost" (Lk. 19:10). From these variedconsiderations we are able to glean some unvarying principles of true discipleship. These pose a specificchallenge as we suggest our reader consider this 14thchapter of Luke.

Healing of the man with dropsy on the Sabbathprecipitated a discussion with the Jewish leaders. Previously they had challenged the activities of Jesus andhis disciples on the Sabbath as being unlawful. However, this time Jesus seems to beat them to the punch ashe challenges them with the question "Is it lawful to healon the sabbath day?" Their silence seems to give at leastreluctant consent. Jesus then proceeds to place them inposition of thinking more of livestock than men in theiraffliction as he charges they would come to the aid of an ox in the ditch, yet they questioned the healing of a man.

The Pharisees and lawyers epitomized a haughty andarrogant spirit among the Jewish leaders which frequently comes under the indictment of our Lord. Here heuses a simple parable about a wedding and the guestseach choosing the chief rooms, lest a more honorableguest arrive and you have to relinquish it. Take ratherthe lowest room that, on a space available and charactermanifested basis determined by the host, you may finally be asked to the chief room. The parable climaxeswith "For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Lk.14:11). Careful, we must not lose the thrust. Jesus herepunctuates Jewish attitude and the effect of it as theypresume the blessing of the kingdom was for just a fewand that they were that few.

With the next paragraph beginning at verse 12 Jesusmakes a specific application of this thrust in his observations to his host. When you make a dinner, call not justfriends and the like that will in turn be able to reciprocate the invitation, rather invite those who can neverrepay. This provokes one at the table to present aninteresting proposition. "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God" (v. 15). Within the text thisstatement is based upon the preceding two verses. Jesustakes this proposition, which is truth in the essence,expands upon it and illustrates it. In doing so he showswhile the proposition is true not all men are interestedin the blessings that result from eating bread in thekingdom of God. Those invited allow many things to interfere with their acceptance and deprive themselvesof kingdom blessings.

As Jesus illustrates, he pictures those invited to asupper as making various excuses (v. 16 ff.). One had bought a piece of ground, another oxen and still anotherhad married. Each excuse was legitimate and standsrepresentative of what for the moment was more important than the supper to which he had been invited. Inthe illustration the invitation is then extended far and wide with room for others still left. Herein is framed the efforts of God toward redemption, Jew first andthen Gentile. Truly the blessings of the kingdom are for all and blessed is the man that shall eat bread, the bread of life, in the kingdom of God. Let us not miss thisfact in our consideration of excuses and rejection inthis illustration, the choice of kingdom blessings is withthe individual. Each on the basis of what is important willmake the decision to accept and upon that same basiswill maintain the relationship.

Jesus finally addresses the question, "Who will comeafter me?" (cf. 25 ff.) The group is indeed elite. Those wholove God supremely, even more than family ties andperceived obligations. The issue of balance is here addressed. True discipleship results from a love of the Lordand his kingdom above everything else. Nothing momentarily or occasionally can be allowed to take precedence. Those who bear all, "his cross," synonymous withadversity and trial for the cause of Christ. This requirescounting the cost, establishing the right attitude towardthe price one must pay to be a disciple of Christ. Then too,there is the recognition of the price of failure or refusalto be a disciple. The list completes by noting that one whois a true disciple is engaged in building and fighting. Hemust know who the enemy is. Only then can the discipleknow when to fight. Building does not result from fighting among ourselves. We fight a common adversary andnot fellow disciples. "Put on the whole armour of Godthat ye may be able to stand against the wiles of thedevil" (Eph. 6:11).

Summed up, discipleship depends upon forsaking allin favor of the kingdom, its responsibilities and its blessings. Allow nothing, or no one, to take the place of,or come between you and me, the professed disciple, andChrist and the kingdom. When such occurs we becomeuseless, just as salt having lost its savour. Consider itwell!

THE OLD JERUSALEM RING

When the Ephraimites tried to say "Shibboleth," theGileadite ring was missing from their pronunciation(Judges 12:6). In the days of Nehemiah, the language ofsome of the children had the ring of Ashdod (Neh. 13:24).It is just as true that when our preaching is characterized by "good words and fair speeches" (Rom. 16:18),originating in "divers and strange doctrines" (Heb. 13:9),that the old Jerusalem ring is absent.

There are those both inside and outside the walls of Zion who would scoff at the idea of an "old Jerusalem ring." Such an attitude separates the Gileadites from theEphraimites; the spiritual Samaritans from those whose roots are in Jerusalem.

Old Testament worship and service was sanctified by the ring of old Jerusalem; Jerusalem of Judea. Jeroboamwas afraid that if his followers returned to Jerusalem,that their ears would be influenced by that old "ring" (1KJ. 12:27). He composed another tune to fill the ears ofhis people.

Old Jerusalem ceased to be the exclusive place ofacceptable worship (Jno. 4:21). But to deny that true worship in the true temple should have a Jerusalem ringto it is to deny the faith once delivered to the saints. OldTestament prophecies as well as the words of Jesushimself establish forever the place Jerusalem played in"repentance and remission of sins" (Isa. 2:3; Lk. 24:47).

Too many religious sounds come from Rome, Boston,Brooklyn, or Salt Lake City. Some of those echoes fromAbilene, Nashville, and Gainesville (Crossroads), can betraced to the orchestras and conductors of sectarianism. Too many have inner ear problem which blocks out theold Jerusalem ring (2 Tim. 4:1-4).

Nothing fires the spirit, convicts and saves a sinner,or causes rejoicing in heaven like the old Jerusalemgospel. It has provoked those with even a trace of poeticinclination to launch into rhyme and song, demonstrated by the number of hymns or spiritual songs composed and sung by thousands. Suffer the offerings of yetanother in whose ears the old Jerusalem ring growssweeter with the years.

The Old Jerusalem Ring

When the light from Calv'ry fell

A new sound began to swell

And spread to every corner of the world;

Many since have learned to sing

Of that old Jerusalem ring

And marched beneath redemption's flag unfurled.

When the ring was fresh and newIn that message clear and true,The words of all the prophets came to pass;Our Morning Star was drawing nearAnd our way became more clear,No longer looking through a darkened glass.

Why are men inclined to stray?Why will they wander far away?Why heed uncertain sounds, some strange new thing?While God's love and time remainMay our hearts be touched againBy the sound of that old-time Jerusalem ring.

But there will come a better day

In a new land far away

Where the old Jerusalem ring is heard no more;

As it fades into the past

And we're safely home at last,

A New Jerusalem ring sounds on that shore.

APPOINTMENT OF ELDERS

QUESTION: In the March, 1987 issue of "The Examiner," the statement was made on page 20: "Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Paul 'appointed elders forthem' (Acts 14:23). What happened here? One thing forcertain is that the language does not say that heappointed men to be elders! That is the idea we read into the passage! The appointing done to elders — those men who were already elders! Can't you see that?These elders were appointed to the work of pastorand shepherding the flock; just exactly the work I responsibility that Paul had while he was there." Wouldyou comment on these statements?

ANSWER: One thing that is crystal clear in Acts

14:23 is that Paul appointed elders. The text does not sayhe appointed elders to be something else, such as pastorsor bishops, but he appointed elders. In the past six yearsor so President Reagan has appointed several federaljudges. He did not appoint judges to be cabinet members,but he appointed men judges, to fill judicial offices.Likewise, Paul appointed men elders, to function aselders, and not elders to serve in some other capacity.

A similar statement is found in 2 Chron. 11:15 about Jeroboam's appointment of priests. The verse states,"And he ordained him priests for the high places, and forthe devils, and for the calves which he had made." Is thisverse stating that Jeroboam appointed priests to besomething else, like viceroys or governors? Certainlynot! Jeroboam appointed men to be priests, to functionas priests, and Paul appointed men to be elders, to functions as elders.

To say, as some do, that "elder" in the New Testamentis just a "senior citizen" is ludicrous. It is true that presbuteras (elder) does sometimes mean an older person only, such as I Tim. 5:1, but the word is also used overand over to denote "title of office, rank, authority." Theword is used synonymously with bishop and pastor.

Thayer defines presbuteras, "a term of rank or office . . . among Christians, those who presided over the assemblies (or churches): Acts 11:30; 14:23; 15:2,4,6,22 . . . That they did not differ at all from the (episkopoi)bishops or overseers... is evident from the fact that thetwo words are used indiscriminately, Acts 20:17,28; Tit.1:5, 7" (Greek-English Lexicon, pp. 535-6). Vincent states "The word is synonymous with episkopoi, overseers or bishops. Who are called elders, in speaking of Jewish communities, are called bishops, in

speaking of Gentile communities" (Word Studies in the New Testament, p. 523)

Kittel says, "Presbuteras in Judaism and Christianity... can be employed both as a designation of age andalso as a title of office" (Theological Diet, of the N. T., Vol. 6, p. 654). Vine states, "of rank or positions of responsibility" (Expository Diet. of N. T. Words, Vol. 2, p. 21).

H. B. Hackett, commenting on Acts 14:23, said, "The term is plural because each church had its college ofelders ... The elders, or presbyters, in the official sense of the term, were appointed in the first churches to watchover their general discipline and welfare. With referenceto that duty they were called, also, episkopoi, i.e. super-intendants, or bishops" (Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, p. 236).

Coneybeare & Howson wrote, "Of the offices concerned with church government, the next in rank of theApostles was the office of Overseers or Elders ... Theseterms are used in the New Testament as equivalent, theformer (episkopos) denoting (as its meaning of overseer implies) the duties, the latter (presbuteras) the rank, of the office" (The Life and Epistles of St. Paul, p. 340).

J. W. McGarvey said, "Luke says, that from Miletus Paul sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church. Here, according to a rule already established, the elders of the church must mean, NOT THE OLDER MEN, BUT THOSE CALLED ELDERS OFFICIALLY" (caps mine,wew) (The Eldership, p. 15) Robert Milligan stated,"the Elders and Bishops were officers of the same rankand order" (Scheme of Redemption, p. 321)

J. B. Lightfoot wrote, "It is a fact now generallyrecognized by theologians of all shades of opinion, that inthe language of the New Testament the same officer in the Church is called indifferently "bishop' (episkopos) and 'elder" or 'presbyter' (presbuteras) " (St. Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, p. 95).

In the Greek, Acts 14:23 reads, "cheirotonesantes de autois kat' ekklesian presbuterous . . . ." Translated, itsays, "And having appointed for them in every churchelders . . . ." Men were appointed elders, not eldersappointed pastors or bishops, as the preceding translation succinctly shows.

Those who have a false doctrine to sustain and a hobby to ride, can always manage to find a Scripture to warp and twist to uphold their position, at least in their own eyes. This is exactly the case of the statement taken from The Examiner.

Those of us who are citizens of the English-speakingworld, are familiar with the history of the Bible in theEnglish language. We have read about or have beentaught concerning the early translators of God's Word into English, and how they were persecuted and evenburned at the stake at the instigation of Roman Catholicauthorities.

John Wickliffe (Wickliffe) only had access to an inaccurate copy of the Latin Vulgate, nevertheless, in 1380 (before the invention of printing in Europe) he translated the New Testament into English. By 1382, theentire Bible was made available in hand-written English. It required fourteen months to make a single copyand these sold for some thirty pounds. Wickliffe died in1384, but thirty years later, Roman Catholic Council ofConstance, had his body removed from his grave andburned.

The first legislation for burning "Heretics". . . asdefined by the Roman Catholic Church, was passedduring the reign of King Henry IV, in 1401. Citizens ofother countries experienced similar persecutions, when they sought to render the Bible into their own nativelanguage.

The People of France

Perhaps the most notorious act of violence in Francewas St. Bartholomew's Massacre, which began on the24th of August, 1572. The Catholic queen, Catharine de Medici and her son, Charles IX, conspired with theRoman Catholic hierarchy to wipe out the French protestants, known as Huguenots. The massacre started inParis with the murder of Admiral Coligni (Coligny). It soon spread throughout Paris and then to other Frenchprovinces. The slaughter continued for several months,with some 70,000 protestants being killed. The Popeordered a medal to be struck, celebrating the event, andhe proclaimed a "jubilee" throughout the Roman Catholic Church.

Twenty-six years later, in 1598, King Henry IV wasinstrumental in getting the Edict of Nantes passed. Thislegislation was designed to assist the Huguenots (andany other 'protestants') in securing equal treatment bythe French Government. The Edict of Nantes remained in effect. . . on the books, so to speak . . . although itsinfluence diminished until protestants were again subjected to annoyances and insults from their popishneighbors. Finally, in 1685, Louis XIV, at the behest ofhis Jesuit confessor, publicly revoked the Edict of Nantes. By this action, all former efforts of affording any religious toleration to protestants, totally came to anend. Within two weeks after the revocation, Frenchprotestant parents were ordered to present their children to the Catholic Church for 'baptism,' or else the parents would become subject to galley-service.

The Bourdeaux New Testament —1686

Within one year after the revocation of the Edict ofNantes, the Huguenots were still reading the Bible and held its teachings in great esteem, contrary to theattitude of the Roman Church. Therefore, a French New Testament was published and attributed to the "Divinesof the University of Louvain," Belgium. However, thisvolume was published in the city of Bourdeaux, France,it was designed to very explicitly teach Roman Catholicdoctrines, and the Catholic Church hoped to counteractor neutralize the religious teachings of the protestantswhich were based upon the New Testament. Now this"Bourdeaux New Testament" was so extreme in its adulteration of God's Word, that even the Catholicsreportedly became ashamed of their effort . . . and consequently, an attempt was made to gather up allcopies of this Testament and destroy it.

In the 1850's, there were only four known copies of the Bourdeaux New Testament in all England: one in thelibrary of the dean and chapter of Durham; a secondowned by the Duke of Devonshire; a third in the Archbishop's library at Lambeth; and a fourth in possession of the Duke of Sussex.

In the 1820's, there were two copies of the BourdeauxTestament in Dublin, Ireland. None have ever been reported in North America.

A Few Examples ofRoman Catholic Scripture Adulteration

1 Timothy 4:1 — "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly,that in the latter times some will separate themselvesfrom the Roman faith ..." "Condemning the sacrament of marriage ..." (verse 3).

Acts 13:2 — "... As they offered to the Lord the sacrifice of the mass, and fasted . .." (The word "mass"is actually no-where in Holy Scripture.)

1 Cor. 3:15 — "... He himself shall be saved; yet so asby the fire of purgatory." (This inserted the word "purgatory" into the Bible.)

1 John 5:17 — "There is some sin which is not mortal,but venial..." (Here, they insert a distinction betweendegrees of sin! Totally UN-Scriptural!)

T. H. Horne's Introduction To The Scriptures —1856

A two volume work by Thomas Hartwell Horne,makes a brief reference to The Bourdeaux New Testament:

"A translation of the New Testament, published bythe Jesuits at Bordeaux in 1686 with the approbationand permission of the ecclesiastical authorities of theplace. Of the willful alterations and falsifications intro-duced into this version, in order to support thepeculiar dogmas of the Roman church, an account waspublished by bishop Kedder in 1690. It is supposed thatnearly the whole of this version was bought up anddestroyed, as

very few copies are known to be in existence." (Vol. II,page 45.)

Home also mentions that copies of the BourdeauxN.T., are located in the Bodleian Library and the ChristChurch College Library at Oxford.

Conclusion

That there WAS a Bourdeaux N.T., there is no question. That it contained grossly falsified passages ofScripture in order to bolster Roman Catholic doctrinehas also been substantiated. I am currently corresponding with a European publishing firm that was established in 1683, hoping to be able to locate a copy of theBourdeaux New Testament.

The above word is often seen in the papers these days,and all too often with regard to teen-age children, peoplewho have stood in the very threshold of life and couldfind nothing worth living for. In their inexperience andlack of knowledge the minuses of life outweighed the pluses; the thorns of life were blinding them to the roses; the failures were more powerful than the successes!

The word "suicide" comes from the Latin sui meaning "of oneself and from cidium — "a slaying." Mr. Webstersays it is "An act of self-destruction by a person of soundmind and capable of measuring his moral responsibilities.

Suicide has become so common in the U. S. today thatsocial organizations have been formed, toll-free phone numbers and "hot lines" have been established and law enforcement officers are on the alert to prevent such fatal, final conclusions. Many people have been able toprevent suicides. This writer, when as a young man driving a T-Model Ford on the way to preach on Sundaymorning talked a girl out of jumping from the Walnut Street bridge into the Tennessee River at Chattanooga,and turned her over to a policeman on patrol. She saidher landlady had stolen all her money and thrown herout of her room with nowhere to go. But why kill herself?We convinced her that to do so would let the woman goscott-free with the money and glad to be rid of her!

Arguments against suicide are not very plentiful inthe minds of most people. What would you say? Manywould say, "Don't do that! You'll go to hell." Let's take a look at the arguments made by Flavius Josephusabout nineteen hundred years ago, when in the Roman-Jewish

War which led to the destruction of Jerusalem in A. D.

70.

Josephus was the Jewish General. Vespasian's armyhad laid waste Galilee and broken the defenses at Jotapata, the city from which Josephus was directingthe war. Vespasian offered to spare his life if he wouldsurrender, because he admired the ingenuity withwhich Josephus had directed the Jewish resistance.However, the other Jewish leaders argued it would bebetter to commit suicide than to surrender, and threatened to kill him if he surrendered. So, Josephus assured them that he had no fear of dying, and reminded them ofthe many times he had risked his life against the Romans. Then he resorted to the following argumentation:

1. ". . .if they (the Romans) admit of mercy and wouldspare their enemy, how much more ought we to havemercy upon ourselves, and to spare ourselves?"
2. "For it is certainly a foolish thing to do that toourselves which we quarrel with them for doing to us."
3. "Now he is equally a coward who will not die when heis obliged to die, and he who will die when he is not obliged so to do."4."But it may be said we must be slaves. And are we thenin a clear state of liberty at present?" 5. "It may also besaid that it is a manly act for one to kill himself. No, certainly, but a most unmanly one." 6."... I should esteem that pilot to be an errant coward, who out of fearof a storm, should sink his ship of his own accord."

7. "Now self-murder is a crime most remote from the common nature of all animals, and an instance of impiety against God our Creator."8."... desire of life is a law engraven in them all; on whichaccount we deem those that openly take it away from usto be our enemies ... And do you not think that God isvery angry when a man does injury to what he hathbestowed on him?"

1. "For from him is it that we have received our being,and we ought to leave it to his disposal to take that being away from us."
2. "The bodies of all men are indeed mortal, and are created out of corruptible matter; but the soul is everimmortal, and is a portion of the divinity that inhabitsour bodies."
3. "Besides, if any one destroys or abuses a depositumhe hath received from mere man, he is esteemed a wicked and perfidious person; but then if any one castout of his body this Divine depositum, can we imagine that he who is thereby affronted does not know of it?"
4. "Moreover, our law justly ordains that slaves whichrun away from their master shall be punished, thoughthe masters they run away from may have been wicked masters to them. And shall we endeavor to run awayfrom God, who is the best of all masters, and not thinkourselves guilty of impiety?"
5. "Do not you know that those who depart out of thislife, according to the law of nature... enjoy eternal fame;... while souls of those whose hands have acted madlyagainst themselves are received by the darkest place inHades?... for which reason God hates such doings, and

the crime is punished by our most wise legislator."14."... our laws determine that the bodies of such as kill themselves should be exposed till the sun be set, withoutburial, although at the same time it be allowed by themto be lawful to bury our enemies [sooner]."

1. "The laws of other nations also enjoin such men's hands to be cut off when they are dead, which had been made use of in destroying themselves when alive,..."
2. "It is therefore, my friends, a right thing to reasonjustly, and not add to the calamities which men bringupon us impiety towards our Creator."
3. "However, I heartily wish the Romans may provetreacherous in this matter; for if after their offer of theirright hand for security, I be slain by them, I shall diecheerfully, and carry away with me the sense of theirperfidiousness, as a consolation greater then victoryitself." (Flavius Josephus, Wars of the Jews, III, 8:5)

Josephus did surrender and convinced Vespasian that he was a prophet of God and that Vespasian wouldbecome Emperor, which he soon did.

Greek

Twice in regard to Christians God wrote a wordwhich, since then, has kept the same meaning for morethan nineteen hundred years. Greeks now use this "military term." It is from a noun, PHROUROS, which,then and now, is used for "a guard; sentinel, sentry(Divry)." In the modern language this has several related and compounded forms with various "army" meanings. These include garrison, commander, fortress,watch, and stronghold. The related verb with letterscorresponding to PHROURO (with the "E" now omitted)yet indicates, "to guard, to watch, to keep, to protect."

Figurative

Authorities on how Greek words were used at the time that the New Testament was written point out that inaddition to its literal meaning this verb had figurativeuses. Thayer calls each a metaphor. That is the figure ofspeech in which one thing or action is said to be another.He and other experts state that in Philippians 4: 7 and1 Peter 1:5 saints are said to be "guarded by soldiers, soto speak." In the former, the "peace of God" guards thehearts and thoughts of His children in Christ Jesus. Inthe other it is said that Christians themselves "by thepower of God are guarded through faith unto a salvationready to be revealed in the last time."

Philippians 4:7

In Verse 6 believers are urged to be anxious in nothing. We are told to turn everything over to the Lord byprayer and supplication with thanksgiving. The connection is then made into the thought of our text with,"And." This shows that the promises of Verse 7 dependupon our following Verse 6. We can not have one withoutthe other. Does some Christian say, "I cannot helpworrying?" The answer is, "Oh, yes you can. The goodLord wants you to believe and trust Him. Do what He tells you here."

Verse 8 emphasizes that the promise of protection isnot intended to be for anyone who is altogether passive(inactive). His heart and thoughts are guarded, but the Christian himself must exert the effort to think properly. It is made clear that with the list given he must"think on these things." God helps those who help themselves. Here the peace of God guards the thoughts ofthose who think on the proper things, the true, thehonorable, just, pure, lovely, things of good report, inwhich are virtue and praise. The thinking in the combination is ours; we have it to do. Then, as He promised,God will see that His peace will guard us, not only ourthoughts, but also (including much more) our hearts.Jesus once promised, John 14:27, "Peace I leave withyou, my peace I give unto you." 2 Thess. 3:16, "Now theLord of peace himself give you peace at all times in allways."

1 Peter 1:5

Some thoughts by scholars cast light on Peter's inspired statement. "The term (guarded) thus has a military connotation, and as used here, metaphoricallysuggests a band of soldiers thrown about the faithful to protect and guarantee their safety so long as they remain within the stronghold of faith! (Guy N. Woods,1970)." Thayer states that "guard" here means "by watching and guarding to preserve one for the attainment of something." Others have, "to keep in a state of settlement or security," and "watch over."

Again the context of the thought adds much to it. The present status is in the living hope to which God in great mercy begat us again by the resurrection of Jesus Christfrom the dead. The desired and expected outcome is "theinheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadethnot away, reserved in heaven for you." The statementthat we are guarded by the power of God assures us that we have the best protection. There is none stronger. Andthere could be no greater aim or prospect for the onesguarded than, "(unto) a salvation ready to be revealed inthe last time." It is altogether logical and very thrillingthat the next statement begins, "In it you greatly rejoice. .."

God showed Elisha (2 Kings 6:14-17) His great military protection provided for him. It was done by the vast,fiery vision of His horses and chariots. This greatlyexceeded the corresponding most powerful form of warstrength known in that day. The prophet could confidently say, "They that are with us are more than theythat are with them (the enemies)." Similarly now withHis help God's people are fully prepared for anythingwhich the enemy might "throw at them." Beyond understanding, but great and wonderful, is the peace of God that guards our hearts and thoughts. What blessed assurance it is that we are guarded by the power of God.

POETS CORNER

THE QUIET FAITH

Words and Music by Donald M. Alexander

Soldiers of Jesus are fighting a battle Anddaily we hear trumpets call. The heroes ofspirit are leading the army But the quietfaith is the strongest of all.

Somewhere a brother is helping a brotherWho sometimes will stumble and fall.And speakers so eloquent preach forth the warning.But the quiet faith is the loudest of all.

Somewhere a sister is serving anotherIn ways that are humble and small.The mighty in righteousness wait for grand momentsBut the quiet faith is the largest of all.

The people of God cry aloud for the noblesWho lead us to rebuild faith's wall.The church is made stronger by each faithful worker,And the quiet faith is the noblest of all.

CHORUS:

Lord, help us value the worth of each other And strengthen the hands of the captains of Christ! But letus remember the strength of your people Is seen inthe quiet and faithful of God!

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

DEBATE IN LAKEWOOD, CALIFORNIA JACK HOLT, Rt. 1, Box 409, Logansport, LA 71049 — I will debateEusebio Lacuata August 24, 25, 27 and 28 on the benevolencequestion. All four nights will be in the Lakewood church building where brother Lacuata is one of the elders. I also had a two night discussion on this issue in San Antonio, Texas with Mac Deaver back inFebruary of this year. Those who might desire cassette tapes of thatdebate may write me at the above address. Those who wish to do so may send me four blank tapes or $6 to cover my expenses, but this is not necessary.

DEBATE WITH ATHEIST IN RICHMOND, VA

RONNY MILLINER, 2316 E. Hundred Rd., Chester VA 23831 —On August 20 and 21,1 will meet Sidney G. Morton in a discussion on theinspiration of the Bible. The discussion will be held at John Tyler Community College, just south of the intersection of Hwy. 1 and 10 inChester, Virginia. This school is conveniently located at exit 6W from I-95 just south of Richmond, Virginia. We will begin at 7 P. M. eachevening. After speeches by the disputants, questions will be takenfrom the audience. Come and participate in the discussion of thisimportant topic.

DEBATES IN ARKANSAS KEITH SHARP, Rt. 1, Box 8034, Mena, AR 71953 —July 20,21,23,24 of this year I engaged Thomas L. West of Stamps, Arkansas indebate in the building of the Saratoga church of Christ, Saratoga,Arkansas. On Monday night brother West affirmed "The Scripturesauthorize a local church of Christ to have a kitchen for the purpose ofserving social meals." The second and third nights I affirmed that the "local church is limited in the work it may lawfully support from its own treasury to worship, preaching and teaching the word of God andrelieving needy saints. The last night brother West affirmed the right ofchurches to support from their treasuries benevolent institutions such asSouthern Christian Home and others of like character.

Although brother West is an experienced preacher in his mid-forties,he has never debated before. Thus he, (I think wisely) wanted me to agree to a follow-up debate with an experienced debater. Thus, there will beanother debate after this in the building of the church where brother Westpreaches in Stamps, Arkansas. Noel Merideth of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee will represent them at that time. That debate will be September 28, 29 and October 1 and 2,1987. Monday night I will affirm:The Scriptures teach that a local church of Christ may contribute from itstreasury to another local church of Christ only for the purpose of meetingbenevolent needs among the members of the receiving church and only bysending directly to the church where the need exists." Tuesday brother Merideth will affirm: "The Scriptures authorize churches of Christ to contribute from their treasuries to benevolent institutions such as Southern Christian Home and others of like character." Friday I will affirm: The Scriptures teach that a local church of Christ is limited in thebenevolent work it may support from its treasury to the relief of needysaints."

Propositions are just about finalized for an unrelated debate between brother Lewis G. Hale of Oklahoma City, OK and myself to be conducted at Russellville, AR the latter part of November. Harold Turnerwill moderate for me in the first two debates and A. W. Goff will moderate in the third debate.

This August my family and I will move to Lakeland, Florida to workwith the Lakeland Hills Boulevard church where Jady Copeland formerlypreached. My eldest son, Brent, will be preaching this summer for the church in Haileyville, Oklahoma.

THOMAS C. HICKEY, P. O. Box 1148, Hammond, IN 46320—I am concluding seven years of work with the Griffith, Indiana church on June15th. We plan to continue living in Griffith at least until my daughterhas finished high school in 1989. I am available for weekend meetings outof the area, but, for the present time, I prefer not to book longer meetingsoutside of the area. I am available for meetings in the Chicago area withindaily driving distance of my home and for weekend appointments or forpart-time, partial support arrangement with an area congregation.

Lord willing, I hope to begin doing some writing, printing and publishing of religious materials including tracts, booklets, books, study guides and correspondence course materials. I will give priority toarea churches in the printing of meeting announcements, bulletins and such like.

The Griffith church is looking for a sound, mature gospel preacher towork here. I can be reached at (219) 923-5208 at home, or (219) 932-7152 at the office.

GOOD NEWS FROM SOUTH AFRICA

We recently received word that two of the most influential nativepreachers in the Cape Province of South Africa have renounced liberalism and taken a stand for the truth. They are Conrad Steyn andGeorge Harris. These two men have been instrumental in establishingabout 30 congregations in the Cape Province where there were only 3 small churches standing for truth and just 2 full-time preachers who weresound in the faith. For the present brethren Steyn and Harris andseveral members who left with them from the Riverview church in Capetown, are meeting and working with the church where Eric Reedpreaches. They hope to be able to work among churches they helped toestablish and teach them. This represents a major break through in thatlarge province of South Africa. It would be encouraging to both of these men to hear from some of you. Write:

Conrad Steyn

1500 Park Road

Rosebank, Cape

Rep. of South Africa

George Harris

Box 300

Steenburg, Cape

Rep. of South Africa

For more information about these men and their work and the

circumstances which brought about their change, you may write:

Ray VotawP. O. Box 801Springs, TransvaalRep. of South Africa

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EDITORIAL LEFT-OVERS

NOTHING IN A NAME?

We understood that the Baptist Church in Little Hope, Tennesseedecided against calling themselves the "Little Hope Baptist Church." Hmmm.

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LACK OF CONFIDENCE?

I was in a meeting with the good church at Middlebourne, WestVirginia a few years ago and presented a series in day services on thebook of Revelation. On the last morning I was to do an overview ofchapters 20-22. The local preacher, my good friend, Ronny Milliner, ledthe singing that morning and just before I spoke, led "Farther AlongWe'll Know All About It." That tends to make a man cautious.

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A GOOD FRIEND CROSSES OVER

On June 7, my good friend Marvin Scarboro of Orlando, Florida madehis flight to yonders world. He was a faithful Christian and a memberof the South Bumby Ave. church in Orlando. Robert Harkrider and Jack Hobby conducted funeral services before an overflow crowd. Webecame dear friends when we lived in Orlando and worked with the Pine Hills church where Marvin was then treasurer. For many years he personally paid for a list of subscriptions to this paper and many readershave received it through his kindness. The prospects of the world tocome keep getting brighter as those dear to us make their passage to the other side. Our best wishes to his wife, Helen and son, Allen.

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HARRY PICKUP, SR. — ONE OF MY HEROES

I first met Harry Pickup, Sr. when I was 13 years old. He came fromArlington, Virginia to Hopewell, Virginia to conduct a gospel meeting, the first of several during my teen years. He was one of the most interestingpeople I had met. He had been a boxer when a young man and was obviously a man's man. He had been a Baptist before learning the truth. Hewas fascinating to hear as a preacher. While his sermons addressed basic themes, his presentation was different from others. It was fresh and hehad a way of saying something so you would remember it. Sometimes,just before making a statement which he knew would be controversial, hewould say "Now get a good tight grip on your seat."

He did much preaching in eastern North Carolina at Pike Road andNewport. While he was perfectly at ease in a pulpit in a large citycongregation, he was equally at ease in a rural community. He wouldwear bib overalls to the general stores, sit around with the farmers on a rainy day, play checkers with them with soda pop tops, trade stories withthem, and always take advantage of the opportunity to discuss the Bible.One farmer at Newport, North Carolina (who later became one of theelders of the church) told me that "Harry Pickup nearly made me lose mycrop one year. He would come to the field and I would try to get rid of himby telling him I had to do some hoeing. He would ask for a hoe and weedthe row next to mine. Up and down the rows we went and before he wasthrough, he had taught me out of the Freewill Baptist Church."

There was nothing "stuffy" about this man. He loved to pick the mandolin, and was ready to take his turn singing one of the popularballads of the day. He was firmly committed to the truth while beingtotally human. I greatly admired him.

While I was a student at Florida College, he moved to Tampa topreach for the old Howard Avenue church and began to do some publicrelations work for the college. The Pickup home was a haven forcollege students, a home away from home. Sister Pickup and her dearmother, whom we all called "Nannie" just opened their big hearts and

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took us all in. Among other things, they introduced us to the sheerecstasy of chess pies. Once, brother Pickup loaned me his new Ford totake a carload of students with me down to Cortez. Driving throughBradenton, a truck stopped suddenly in front of us, and before Istopped, we had a dent in the front fender. I dreaded to see him whenwe got back. But he was totally unruffled and made it much easier fora frightened college boy who was afraid to tell him and fearful as towhat it would cost to repair it.

He never forgot what it was like to be young and in need of a little encouragement. He arranged the first gospel meeting I ever held. Hewas to go to Newport, North Carolina in the summer of 1950 foranother meeting but for some reason was not able to go. He saw meat school one day and asked me if I would be willing to go, provided thebrethren would agree. I did not know if I knew enough to preach awhole meeting but acted as if I were an old hand at it. He wrote thebrethren and asked them to let me come and they agreed. It was anexperience I will never forget and it resulted in meeting invitations inNew Jersey and Ohio. Older men seldom realize just how much itmeans to young men to be helped. Those my age should never forget

Yes indeed, Harry Pickup, Sr. is definitely one of my heroes. He isnow 84 and in failing health. Sister Pickup at last account is doing

well. It is a joy to number their noble son, Harry Pickup, Jr. among myesteemed friends. He is a prince among preachers. And he ought to be,for his father is a legend in his own time, a worthy example of all that a Christian and a gospel preacher ought to be.

I have other heroes and all of them are not preachers. But we willwrite of them in due time. Of these it is appropriate to say "whose faithfollow."

PREACHER NEEDED KINGSPORT, TENNESSEE — The church in Kingsport is looking for a full-time evangelist to work with them as of September, 1987. The majority of support is supplied by this 30 member congregation in the expanding tri-cities area (Bristol — Kingsport—Johnson City) of upper east Tennessee. Those interestedmay contact: Clifton Piner, 320 Proffitt Lane, Kingsport, TN 37633.

IN THE NEWS THIS MONTH BAPTISMS 328 RESTORATIONS g4 (Taken from bulletins and papers received by the editor)