Truth Magazine

By Lewis Willis

I saw it five days before New Year’s Eve. I guess it appeared that early so that everyone’s vision and thinking were clear enough to consider the message. It was a full-page warning with large red and blue headlines that appeared in the public interest in the Akron Beacon Journal (12/27/84). The cost for the statement was underwritten by a large number of businesses and civic organizations in the area. Its purpose was to persuade readers of the dangers associated with drinking and driving. it stated Ohio’s laws and penalties if convicted of driving while intoxicated and listed what it takes for various people to become intoxicated.

It seems that almost daily we are hearing of new organizations being founded to combat the sin of alcoholism and the harm that drunks do to innocent people. Radio and television public service announcements try to alert people to the dangers of this serious national problem. It seems to me that it might help if churches would address this matter and speak out against those who engage in this senselessness. For some reason, I doubt that most religious organizations will join the campaign against drunkenness. They promote too many activities within their churches where alcohol is served (often for profit) to ever speak out against it.

I recently saw some figures published by the U.S. Treasury Department back in 1971 reporting that Americans consumed 381 million gallons of liquor that year. That was an increase of only 11 million gallons over 1970! If our friends and neighbors continued to increase their consumption by that amount each year, today Americans are consuming 535 million gallons of liquor each year! Back then there were 6 1/2 million confirmed alcoholicsm this country. The latest figure I saw is that there are about 10 million today. This evil is systematically destroying this country in which we live.

As more and more people are victimized by this device of the devil, many more people are becoming casual or social drinkers, en route to the pits of alcoholism. As most everything that happens around us ultimately affects the church, it should not come as a shock that some church members are social drinkers. And, the church has remained largely silent about the sin! As homosexuals have climbed out of their closets within our society, social drinkers within the church are gaining more courage and are trying to climb out of the closets to help lead each generation farther away from God. In my files I have an editorial from Truth Magazine (Vol. 7, No. 18) reporting on the 1973 “Preacher’s Workshop” at Abilene Christians College in, which a trustee of the liberal magazine Mission openly defended social drinking. In private discussions, our brethren are more inclined to try to defend the practice of social drinking than they used to be.

Most religions consistently condemn drunkenness. The testimony of the Scriptures is too great to be denied. Many passages could be cited: 1 Corinthians 5:11; 6: 10; 11:21; 1 Thessalonians 5:7; Romans 13:13; Luke 21:34 – all condemn drunkenness. Perhaps the clearest condemnation of all is found in Galatians 5:21ff, where Paul listed drunkenness in a catalog of sins he called the “works of the flesh.” He said those who do such things “shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” With this information, we have confidently condemned, drunkenness. However, I am persuaded we have overlooked an important passage. Some have said those passages condemn excessive drinking – not the social drink. The other passage to be considered is Ephesians 5:18 – “and be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. An interesting word is used by Paul in this passage. It is the Greek word methuskesthe, 2nd person plural, present, imperative, passive form of the root word methusko. Thayer, Robinson and Bagster consistently define the word “to make drunk, to get drunk, or to grow drunk (an inceptive verb, marking the process of . . . ), to become intoxicated” (p. 341). The clear import of the definition of the term is that we are not to engage ourselves in the process which will make us drunk.

Like other things, drunken comes in stages or by degrees. An honest person will have to admit that drunkenness comes by degree and is the result of the accumulation of alcohol in one’s body. Some parallels would be growing weak, becoming tired or getting sleepy. One is not just suddenly weak, tired or sleepy. He has been engaged in that process that causes him to become weak, etc. In like manner, a man is not just suddenly drunk. He becomes drunk when he has engaged in the process that makes a person drunk, And, it is the process which is condemned by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:18.

How much liquor starts the process? The answer is the veryfirst drop. That means that the social drinker has sinned with his casual drink. Most State and Federal agencies are going on public record in affirming as much. The American Medical Association has been publishing for a number of years a documentary entitled, “Physician’s Guide For Determining Driver Limitation.” State Troopers distribute it readily. The copy I have was given to me by a Texas State Trooper several years ago when I was researching this subject., The AMA said, “Laboratory studies show, for example, thatjudgment, visual perception and tolerance, to glare begin to be impaired at blood alcohol levels as low as .035 percent and that definite impairment of muscular performance and reaction time exists at levels of .05 percent. These imparied functions are indicative of persent drunkenness.” In other words, when a person starts drinking he loses his ability to think, see and move in reaction to the things going on about him and this is why he ends up killing so many people when he is trying to drive. The state says you are legally drunk at 10 percent or high.

For instance, to get there, the state of Ohio presents these statistics. If you weigh 140 pounds and you drink one 12-ounce beer, your ability to think and see is impaired, according to the American Medical Association. If in an hour that 140 pound person drinks two 12-ounce beers, the AMA says that his muscles don’t perform as they normally would and so he cannot react normally to danger. Three beers in an hour brings this person to .08 percent blood alcohol content and four beers in an hour brings him to .11 percent he is drunk and on his way to jail if he is caught by police.

If Paul knew what he was talking about when he forbade engagement in the process of getting drunk, the American Medical Association and State Regulatory Agencies have given us evidence confirming that social drinking is drunkenness. I was just thinkin’, the brother who says a couple of beers makes him feel good is confessing his sinfulness. He is just becoming drunk and does not have the “judgment” to perceive what is happening to himself.

Guardian of Truth XXX: 6, pp. 171, 183
March 20, 1986

By Don Givens

There is much said regarding a “preacher shortage” in our time, and I certainly agree that we need more and more qualified and dedicated gospel preachers. Satan has far too many ministers. Yet there is another shortage of which we hear and discuss too rarely; that is the shortage of qualified, working shepherds over the local flocks.

There is an urgent need, all over America and in other lands where there are congregations of the Lord’s people, for men to become scriptural bishops, pastors, overseers. It is my judgment that many congregations should have elders, but do not have them.

How many young men are busy working, studying, and praying so that in future years they may serve as elders? (Are you encouraging, or discouraging your sons to become elders in their maturity?) We know that to become a good gospel preacher takes time, study, and effort (1 Tim. 4:11-16; 2 Tim. 2:1-7; 4:1-7): have we forgotten that the same is true regarding elders? The best advice I could give to any young man starting out in his spiritual life is: live so that someday you might be an elder in the Lord’s church. That young man will then nurture his spiritual training, enlarge his Bible knowledge, and keep his reputation pure!

The reason many local churches do not have elders even after several years is because the individual men have not been working for several years to qualify themselves. Elders do not “grow on trees” overnight.

Men, as they mature, should desire the work of shepherding the flock, with a proper and godly motive. What can we do to encourage more men to desire this good work (1 Tim. 3:1)? One thing we can do is love, honor, and obey the good elders we do have in scripturally organized congregations (Heb. 13:17). But if you are a member of a congregation which does not have shepherds, then do what you can to arrive at that goal!

If you are a young man, start right now to study, pray, and work hard to fulfill the qualifications later in your lifetime. Keep yourself pure! Remember that your “personal decisions” in dating, marriage, and business ethics will affect thousands of other people during the course of your lifetime!

If you are an older, more mature man, and you have the biblical qualifications, then desire the good work. Why hide your talents? Why rob the church of your leadership? Why bury your talent in the ground?

If you are a female Christian, then become such a temperate and faithful woman that you would be an asset as an elder’s wife (1 Tim. 3:11).

There is a crying need for shepherds in various local flocks all over this land and on foreign fields. I have preached the gospel from Florida to Ontario, Canada to California to Texas, back to Canada, in Washington and now in Hawaii, and the same urgent need stares one in the face in all places: the crying need for shepherds over the local flocks. No wonder the sheep go astray when there are no shepherds to lead them (Acts 20:28)! No wonder the sheep starve when no shepherds are there to feed them (1 Pet. 5:1-5)! No wonder wolves destroy the flock when there are no shepherds there to protect (Acts 20:29-31)!

Brethren, God has a reason for appointing “elders in every church” (Acts 14:23). Do you have a better reason for not having them?

Guardian of Truth XXX: 6, p. 173
March 20, 1986

By Daniel H. King

Watching athletes compete in a contest of physical strength, endurance, skill or speed should impress the observer with many lessons for life. This was assuredly the case for Paul. When he wrote to the Corinthians, he remembered those races and competitions that he had either seen himself or heard about. It was more than just a memory, though. It was an education, a training ground for spiritual success. He admired some aspects of athletic prowess and ventured even to recommend them to Christians: “Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain. And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected” (1 Cor. 9:24-27).

We are brought to appreciate many facets of the athlete by this text. We are also challenged to apply some of the lessons he may teach us:

1. Dedication. The years of training and practice, the many hours or special preparation, the sacrifices made all these things spell out one essential: dedication. Without it they would not have spent the time or made the preparation or sacrifice as they have. The more dedicated they are, the greater their chances for success – and they know it. Seldom are they just “lucky” or “unlucky.” When they win and the more decidedly they win, it is usually to be explained in terms of their dedication. “I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight 1, as not beating the air,” writes the apostle. He has his goal before him. He has made it his aim and he had dedicated himself to attaining it. Nothing can stand in his way. Nothing else is so important. Can the Christian do less than the athlete? With heaven as our goal and an eternal crown as our prize, can we manifest an attitude that is short on dedication and still hope to reach that goal? “They do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. “

2. Self-control. “Every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things,” he further says. Athletes watch their diet and make sure they have sufficient rest. They try to balance proper nutrition and exercise with the right amount of sleep. Likewise, the child of God will try to spend time with the Scriptures in study, time with people in trying to bring them to Christ, time with their families in carrying out their responsibilities there. In short, the Christian will try to balance his responsibilities and control himself and his time. He will not allow his habits to control him: “I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage.”

3. Training and Practice. Pity the poor contestant who has been injured and cannot practice for a prolonged period of time. He gets “rusty” and does not perform well. He needs practice. The Christian who leaves the race and finds himself “out of duty” will soon awaken to a multitude of evils in his life. One needs the association with other Christians and the constant practice that derives from living the godly life on a day-to-day basis. If one does not watch it, he is soon completely out of the race, for good and forever!

4. Few Actually Win the Prize. Most people these days go about their religion as though everyone was somehow guaranteed a win. That is not what Paul says: “Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?” He assumes that, for lack of dedication or practice or whatever, there are some who will not complete the race, or will finish it too late to gain the victory.

How much does heaven mean to us? It is certainly worth the effort. But will we be willing to put forth those energies essential to gaining the prize? “Even so run; that ye may attain!”

Guardian of Truth XXX: 5, p. 147
March 6, 1986

By Fred A. Shewmaker

In 1968 or 1969 my wife and I talked with a lady in her home at Sabina, Ohio. In some way she had connections with the Christian Church. The one at Sabina may have been called: “Church of Christ.” In our discussion mechanical music became a topic that was considered. The lady informed us of the local preacher’s assertion that the Bible does not authorize congregational singing. At the time such an assertion, to my mind, made that preacher a maverick. Now, less than twenty years later, the thing which he asserted appears to be the official doctrine of Independent Christian Churches.

When the lady supplied us with information regarding that assertion, we read Ephesians 5:19: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” To the three of us this verse seemed to authorize each one in an assembly to sing with all others in the same assembly. Now comes Don DeWelt and those associated with him, denying that Ephesians 5:19 authorizes each one in an assembly for worship to sing while all others present are singing.

There is quite an irony in their denial. The irony lies in the fact that they are using the denial in an effort to unite mechanical music and non-mechanical music churches to which they refer as: “heirs of the Restoration Heritage.” This is ironic because as they appeal to a common heritage, they are abandoning the common ground of that heritage. Until recent times both the mechanical music and non-mechanical music peoples have held in common the belief that the word of God in such passages as Ephesians 5:19 authorizes all who come together into an assembly for worship to sing at the same time. Probably only certain preachers, and not the people in mechanical music churches, have abandoned that common ground of the heritage.

Shall we give up group singing in our assemblies, because some are denying that such singing is authorized by the word of God? Matthew 16.19 and 18:18 require having permission from heaven before doing a thing on earth. However, those denying that group singing in worship is authorized are not contending that we should give it up. To the contrary, they are contending unauthorized mechanical music may be used because we all agree that we can engage in group singing, which is according to their contention also is unauthorized.

The real issue is not whether or not mechanical music is authorized by the word of God. This has been made abundantly clear by DeWelt’s argumentation. He agrees that mechanical music is not authorized. That makes the real issue: can we or must we not employ in our worship things that are not authorized by the word of God. Even if DeWelt’s is right about group singing in our worship is authorized by the word of God. Because this is true, there exists a vast difference between those who accept mechanical music and those who reject mechanical music. The difference is in their attitudes regarding the need for biblical authorization for the things which they teach and practice.

DeWelt’s contention regarding the reciprocal nature of Ephesians 5:19 seems to me more an argument of necessity to his position than a requirement of the facts. However, rather than delving into that, there is another train of thought which I wish to pursue.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul wrote, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” In 1 Corinthians 14:15, when dealing with orderliness in an assembly of the church, he also wrote, “I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” Is he not here requiring the Corinthians to follow him as he would follow Christ? If not, what is his point? No doubt every one will admit that in singing any example Jesus set, which Paul could have followed, had to set before the Church was established. Did Jesus set such an example? If He did, what is that example?

Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26 follow the institution of the Lord’s supper by Jesus. He was with His apostles. “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.” The example Jesus left is an example of group singing in an assembly. By command Paul required following him as he followed Christ. We have full authorization to engage in group singing when we assemble to worship.

Guardian of Truth XXX: 6, p. 165
March 20, 1986