Truth Magazine

By Gordon Pennock

TRUTH MAGAZINE was launched in October 1956, as a cooperative effort of Bryan Vinson, Jr., Leslie Diestelkamp, and the writer. With the help of hundreds of brethren, we never failed to publish an issue each month, although late a few times in the last few months. Those with experience in the field of journalism will appreciate the burden of labor involved. I am personally grateful to my colleagues in this effort, and especially to the scores of brethren who have written articles and words of encouragement, sent in subscriptions, and in many cases made monetary contributions to help with the payment of printing bills. Without their assistance we could not have continued through these years.

But now, a new line-up takes the field. Brethren Cecil Willis of Akron, Ohio and William Wallace of Poteau, Oklahoma constitutes the forward line. They are both sound, well known and untiring preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Both of these men have helped us immeasurably in the past and we, from whose shoulders the greater burden has been taken, will now stand behind them, rendering assistance in every way that might be needful or possible to us. We pray that God will use them mightily in the upholding of “The Truth” in contrast with the philosophies, ways and wisdom of men. We encourage you to encourage them in this good and noble work. You could do so in no better way than by sending a list of subscriptions today. The address will be found on the masthead of this issue.

Truth Magazine VI: 11, pp. 1b
August 1962

By Ronald G. Mosby

The summer season is Satan’s best time for fishing, except he fishes for men rather than for real fish. He’s been using the same bait since Adam and Eve and is still the champion fisherman of all ages. His bait is none other than deceit. The word, deceit, in the original language means: “A bait or contrivance for entrapping.” Thus, when a man slides a big night crawler over a hook or maybe a minnow and drops the baited hook into the water, he, in reality, is deceiving the fish. The fish opens his mouth and bites what appears to be something real good only to find that he’s been hooked! Likewise, when undiscerning children of God embrace some of the beautiful lures that Satan has dangling before their eyes, by and by they are hooked!

Sin is deceptive and has a hardening effect on men. The writer of Hebrews warns: “But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Human beings it seems are naturally prone to rationalize and to kid themselves into believing something is true in spite of the obvious circumstances to the contrary. In this respect we are no smarter than the fish that will grab the bait and run with it believing that he’s getting away with something. However, a little later when their resistance is down and all the fight is out of them, the patient fisherman at the other end of the line can easily take them captive “unto his will.” (II Timothy 2:26.) This is better understood as self-deception.

Paul warns of this when he said in Galatians 6:7: “Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” It’s bad enough to be deceived by Satan to begin with, but when a person starts running with the Devil’s lure thinking he is merely exercising his Christian liberty in Christ, thus deceiving himself, this is worse! A man does this, in essence, when he sins willfully and then tries to justify himself by pointing to some mistakes of others that appear just as bad. If it could be known, I wonder if a fish ever felt comfort when he was thrown in with the other fish that had been hooked with the same bait? Even the selfish rich man didn’t feel any comfort knowing that his brothers would be sharing the same horrors of torment with him. (Luke 16:27, 28.)

I know it’s open season for Satan the year round, but I believe it’s particularly good fishing for him this time of year for the following reasons: (1) Brethren suddenly feel tired after a normal day’s work and miss the Sunday night or Wednesday night assemblies, and they cannot see that every time they miss they are falling prey to the lures of Satan and are bound to get hooked if they keep drifting into his direction. (2) It seems the summer weather has a way of slowing down all work for the Lord and speeding up all efforts in the directions of a vacation and a good time. Vacations have their place, but never for one minute should they cause us to shirk our responsibilities in the Lord. (3) What about personal work, visiting the sick, studying your Bible, and being an example before your brethren and others, in word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity? What about the wearing of clothing (or rather the lack of proper clothing) in places where it is considered immodest, thus bringing reproach upon yourself and the body of Christ?

The above are just a few of the lures that Satan has out 24 hours a day and he doesn’t sleep and then wait until morning to run his lines but is ever ready and waiting to deceive any who will fall prey to his lures. He is indeed our adversary and walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (I Peter 5:8.) Therefore, we must be sober and vigilant, resisting the devil every hour to avoid falling into his snare. We must abstain from all appearances of evil. We must learn to hunger and thirst after righteousness and to meditate on the law of God both day and night. For we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with powers and principalities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. If we do not remember these things we will be hooked for sure, whether we know it or not or whether we will admit it or not, so let us put a special effort into our service to the Lord during Satan’s best fishing season.

Truth Magazine VI: 11, pp. 14
August 1962

By Richard Weaver

The Church Is a Kingdom

The division and resulting confusion of the religious world today will continue until the leaders of the sects recognize that the church of the Lord is not a democracy whose practices are to be determined by majority vote or by conferences and councils of men. Jesus in the Word has taught us that the church is a kingdom. Read Matthew Chapter 13 that records parables of the kingdom which refer to the church and Matt. 16:18 where He spoke of building his church, then in the very next verse referred to it as the kingdom. See also verse 28 of the same chapter in which Jesus said, “There shall be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.” Moreover, Paul wrote, “God hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” (Col. 1:13.) Jesus himself “is the blessed and only Potentate, The King of kings, and Lord of lords.” (1 Tim. 6:15.)Divine Order of GovernmentThose familiar with secular government know that in a democracy the people rule either directly or through elected representatives. In an aristocracy the ruling class is composed of a few but in a monarchy the king has all power which he may delegate if he chooses. In a democracy there are three separate branches of government: the legislative, to make laws; a system of courts, the judiciary, to interpret the laws and the executive branch composed of officials to enforce these laws. In a monarchy the legislative, judicial and executive powers are ALL vested in the king. So also it is in the divine order of government for the kingdom, the church. Of this divine kingdom Christ is King, ruling over his subjects who are members of his body, the church, and citizens of his kingdom. (I Cor. 12:20,27; Phil 3:20 ASV.)

Jesus Has All Authority

Jesus said unto his disciples, “All power (or authority the American Standard Version says) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Inspired by the Spirit Paul wrote, “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.” (I Cor. 15:24.) Hence, Jesus now has “ALL RULE AND ALL AUTHORITY AND POWER.”

We must listen, therefore, to Jesus in all matters religious rather than to the ideas of human, fallible man who has no authority whatever since Christ has it all. Jesus further stated to his disciples, after having declared that he had all authority, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Spirit–ASV): Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matt. 28:19-20.) Jesus in giving this worldwide commission stipulated the conditions of the apostles’ preaching, namely, they were to observe all things commanded them by him, and not by any man or group of men in conventions or synods.

Cause of Division

The reason so much religious confusion exists is because too many people take what some preacher says rather than listening to what Jesus and the apostles plainly teach in the scriptures. Following the transfiguration of our Lord, God spoke from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” Let us listen to authorized teaching from the Son of God, who pleased well the Father and who has been given all authority in Christianity.

Protestantism apologizes for its divisions on the ground, “We can not all understand the Bible alike.” This is not true for when we understand anything, we must of necessity all understand it alike. Many people, however, misunderstand the Bible! What we need is more study and belief of just what the Bible says!

The underlying cause of division in the religious world is a lack of recognition of AUTHORITY. Groups of men convene to determine the practices of their denomination and forget or disregard the divine standard of authority, the teaching of Christ and the apostles contained in the New Testament. It should, though, ever be remembered that Jesus said for us to observe all things whatsoever he has taught. He has all authority! (Matt. 28:18; I Cor. 15:24.) Also, hear the words of Peter preached on Solomon’s porch, “For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; (Moses was speaking of Jesus) him shal1 ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” (Acts 3:22-23.)

Innovations

Many members of denominations will admit that the Lord authorizes a certain act in a specific way but they say, “I don’t think it’s wrong to do it another way.” They then disregard divine authority and set themselves up as the end of all wisdom.

Pope Stephen II in 1311 introduced sprinkling as a substitute for scriptural immersion. The New Testament teaches that baptism is a burial (Col. 2:12; Rom. 6:3-5), a going down into, and coming up out of the water. (Acts 8:38-39; Mt. 3:16, 17.) Whether you accept sprinkling or immersion for Bible baptism is an index to whom or what you recognize as authoritative!

In 658 Pope Vitalianus introduced mechanical instrumental music to accompany the scripturally authorized singing of New Testament worship. These are the New Testament scriptures which authorize singing in acceptable worship to God: Rom. 15:9; I Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; Heb. 2:12; and 13:15 and James 5:13. There is no authority in the New Testament to use mechanical instruments such as the organ, piano, trumpet, etc. in the worship of God.

Jesus said, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Mt. 15:9.) Therefore, in subscribing to those doctrines and practices un-authorized by Christ and hence commanded by men, ones worship is in vain. No man has the right to make religious laws binding upon the church nor has any conference or council of men.

The word of Christ which is to dwell in us richly (Col. 3:16) and by which we are to live and ultimately be judged (John 12:48) is our authority in Christianity. Since we are to be judged by this divine standard, the teaching of the New Testament of Christ, let us diligently study it that our lives and religious practices may conform thereto.

Truth Magazine VI: 9 & 10, pp. 12-13
June and July 1962

By Jerry C. Ray

There are in the New Testament, including repetitions, only about 80 references to demonology. There are many things not said concerning this subject that the natural curiosity of man would desire to know, but which God has not seen fit to reveal. In view of the limited information that we have, we should be careful in the conclusions we draw. For this reason this writer shall not attempt to argue some of the knotty problems surrounding this subject. I shall not even try to explain what the writers intended to express in some of their statements, but shall simply state the passage, and leave the exegesis upon the reader.

As to the origin of evil spirits, there is controversy as to whether the demons are fallen angels (Dr. William Smith, Smith’s Bible Dictionary) or the departed spirits of wicked men. (As a sub-heading under this it might be noted that some argue that demons are the disembodied spirits of a Pre-Adamic world.) To the latter view (departed spirits of wicked men) brother J. W. McGarvey subscribed in these words: “In the Jewish usage of the term it is applied exclusively to the departed spirits of wicked men. This usage was adopted by Jesus and the Apostles, and consequently all that is said of demons in the New Testament agrees with it.” (Commentary on Matthew and Mark, p. 78.) Josephus spoke of demons as “the spirits of the wicked that enter into men that are alive.” (War of the Jews, 7:6:3.)

The writer of the article on “demon” in McClintock & Strong holds to the former view as being more likely and gives the following reasons. He is called the prince of the demons; the demons whom our Lord cast out are collectively called Satan. (Mt. 12:24-29; Lk. 13:16.) The phrase “unclean spirits” which is applied to them (Mt. 10: 1; Mk. 3:11; 6:7) is applied also to fallen angels (Rev. 16: 13; 18: 2), and even in the singular to Satan himself. (Mk. 3:30, cf. v. 22.) From this the writer inferred that the demons are of the same class as Satan himself, and that they must be the same as “the angels of the devil.” (Mt. 25:41; Rev. 12:7, 9.)

The New Testament writers believed in the existence of demons. They speak of their existence (James 2:19; Rev. 9:20), describe their nature (Lk. 4:33; 6:18), and their activity (1 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 16:14), mention their expulsion from human bodies (Lk. 9:42), suggest their organization under Satan (Mt. 12:26; Eph. 6:12), indicate their abode (Lk. 8:31; Rev. 9:11), and point out their final doom. (Mt. 25:41.) Christ likewise indicated the same belief. He commanded his disciples to cast out demons (Mt. 10:1), cast them out Himself (Mt. 15:22, 28), rebuked | them (Mk. 5:8), had complete power over I them (Mt. 12:29), and viewed his conquest l over them as over Satan. (Lk. 10:17-18.)

Merrill F. Unger in his book, Biblical Demonology, states concerning the intellectual nature of demons:

“That evil spirits are believed to possess superhuman knowledge, especially foreknowledge, is attested by the widespread practice of seeking oracles from them. If Plato’s etymology of daimon from an adjective signifying “knowing” or “intelligent” is correct, it hints at intelligence as the basic characteristic in the conception of demons. Scripture, moreover, uniformly emphasizes their perspicacity: they know Jesus (Mark 1:24), bow before Him (Mark 5:6), speak of Him as the ‘Son of the Most High God’ (Mark 5:7), realize that there can be no fellowship between light and darkness, between Him and them (Luke 8:28), entreat favor of Him (Luke 8:31), obey Him (Matt. 8:16), withhold knowledge of His incarnation and finished sacrifice: (1 John 4:1-3), prevent and corrupt sound doctrine (1 Tim. 4:1-3), discern between those sealed by God and those unsealed (Rev. 9:4), and comprehend the future, and their own inevitable doom.” (Matt. 8:29.) (Page 66.)

And,

“Coupled with their superhuman intelligence and moral viciousness is an amazing strength. They have power over the human body to cause dumbuess (Matt. 9:32-33), blindness (Matt. 12:22), insanity (Luke 8:26-36), suicidal mania (Mark 9:22), (Urger’s interpretation of this passage I question. JCR) personal injuries (Mark 9:18), and various physical defects and deformities. (Luke 13:11-17.) They are represented as being of various degrees of wickedness. (Matt. 12:45.) Their titanic energy is seen in the supernatural strength they can impart to the human body.” (Luke 8:29.) (Pages 67-68.)

Is there a clear-cut distinction made in the New Testament between mental and bodily illness and demoniacal possession7 Or is the Modernist right when he says demonology was “merely a Jewish hypothesis to account for bodily and mental diseases and for the visible effects on body and will of enslavement of sin.” (John D. Davis, A Dictionary of the Bible.)

I think the Bible does make a distinction. To what has preceded in this series of articles I add the following testimony.

There are about 80 references, including repetitions, to demonology in the New Testament. “In 11 instances the distinction between demon-possession and diseases ordinarily caused is clearly made. (Mt. 4:24; 8:16; 10:8; Mk. 1:32-34; 6:13; 16:17-18; Lk. 4:40-41; 9:1; 13:32; Acts 19:12.) The results of demon-possession are not exclusively mental or nervous. (Mt. 9: 32-33; 12:22. ) They are distinctly and peculiarly mental in two instances only (Gadarenes maniac, Mt. 8:28 and parallels, and Acts 19:13f). Epilepsy is specified in one case only. (Mt. 17:15.) There is a distinction made between diseases caused by demons and the same disease not so caused.” (cf. Mt. 12:22; 15:30.) (Sweet, I.S.B.E., 11, p. 829.)

One of the many interesting questions that comes up in a study of demonology is whether demons exist in this present age, with the powers they had in the first century, and if they do not exist today with these powers, when did this “age” cease. This writer does not feel qualified to answer this question. Many contend that this passed away with the miraculous age of the first century. While unable to answer the above-mentioned question, I do feel safe in saying that if demons are operating in the world today as they did in Biblical times, there is no one with power from God to cast out such demons, since this miraculous power passed away in the first century, with the death of the apostles and those upon who they laid their hands. (1 Cor. 13:8-10, James 1:25, Acts 8: 18.)

There are those who answer the above question affirmatively. In Lard’s Quarterly of 1865, 11, p. 288, L. B. Wilkes sets forth his reasons for believing that demons still influence the affairs and the bodies of beings here on this earth. We refer you to this article for further study of this particular point.

In conclusion I quote from brother J. W. McGarvey: “In what way these wicked spirits gained possession of men; under what condition of mind or body a person was exposed to the possession; what degree of natural consciousness was still retained by the demoniac; and at what periods of history this strange phenomenon began and ended (if it is ended, JCR), are questions which remain as yet unchanged. That the phenomenon was, however, as it is represented on the sacred page, . . . is proved by the manner in which Jesus dealt with the demons,” (Commentary on Matthew and Mark, p. 78.)

I am sure that this will stand as the persuasion of those who believe the Bible to be indeed the word of God.

Truth Magazine VI: 9 & 10, pp. 9-10
June & July 1962