Truth Magazine

By Wayne S. Walker

Permit me to tell you the true story of a lady of my acquaintance who is, or was, a member of the Lord’s body. I know she was a member of the church because I baptized her into Christ the very first Sunday I preached for a congregation with which I formerly worked. Both of her parents and her brother had obeyed the gospel before her, continue to be faithful Christians, and are still good friends of mine. When she responded to the invitation, she had already married a man who was not a child of God and had a couple of children, but this did not seem to interfere with her being regular in her attendance.

After I left the church, she decided to identify with another congregation closer to her home for convenience sake. She even asked that I write a letter to the brethren informing them that she had been baptized and was a member in good standing for the congregation where she had been worshiping. Health problems of her own and those of her children made attendance difficult on occasion. But the last time I talked with her she seemed to be very happy where she was. And the brethren there spoke well of her.

However, I recently had opportunity to speak one night for that congregation in a lecture-type meeting. When I asked the local evangelist how my friend was doing, I was quite shocked when he responded that she was now going to a Catholic church! Several brethren had been to visit her. When the preacher talked to her, he pointed out that she had not been raised to believe that way. Her reply was, “That is what I believe now.” Members of her own family have even pleaded with her but apparently it has all been to no avail. At this writing, the church is contemplating disciplinary action against her.

Why would a seemingly faithful Christian with years of background “in the church” do such a thing? I do not know enough about all the details of the situation to answer that question with any degree of assurance. But I do know that her mother-in-law was a strong Catholic and her husband was raised as a Catholic. Sometimes the pressure just becomes so strong that it seems easier to give up than to continue fighting. That may have happened in this case and her faith was not strong enough to resist. Someday she may, like the prodigal son, come to herself, repent of her error, and be restored to the Lord. But by that time, her now small children may grow up, marry Catholics themselves, remain in error for the rest of their lives, and be lost eternally. Such will be a source of great grief to her.

May I take this as an opportunity to encourage every young person who is a Christian to marry a child of God. Experience testifies to the wisdom of this course of action. Either marry someone who is already a faithful member of the Lord’s church or else make sure that your prospective mate obeys the gospel before you agree to wed. Not long ago a man wrote to Ann Landers saying that he had married a smoker whom he thought he could persuade to quit. After nineteen years of marriage, she smokes more than ever. Ann replied, “If something bothers you during courtship, it will become unbearable after marriage. ” What you cannot do before the wedding you are unlikely to accomplish afterwards.

The same is true in religion. “If you marry a child of the devil, you are bound to have trouble with your father-in-law. ” Or, as the example cited shows, you may end up losing your own faith as a result. You may retort, “Oh, that will never happen to me.” It has happened to others who undoubtedly said the same thing. “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). Please, do not take a chance with the souls of your possible children, your spouse, and yourself. Make sure that your home is united in Christ. This is the best way to avoid innumerable problems and the only way to have the hope of being together in eternity.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 22, p. 687
November 21, 1985

By Larry Ray Halfey

Our Lord never doubted or denied the Old Testament “the scripture,” said He, “cannot be broken” (Jn. 10:35). His appeal to Moses and the prophets was constant and consistent with His confidence in them. Our Savior leaned on “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” during His debate with the devil. “It is written” was His answer to “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (Matt. 4:4 & Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:7 & Deut. 6:16; Matt. 4:10 & Deut. 6:13). For Jesus, “What is written in the law?” was the answer of God.

Anyone, therefore, who claims to be a Christian but who questions the authenticity, veracity and integrity of the Old Testament is challenging the knowledge and faith of the Lord. To do so is to cast a pall of doubt over the Lord’s Godhood. Since the Lord Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God, the anointed Savior and appointed Judge of the world, the Old Testament is the very word of God. You cannot claim Jesus as your inviolate Lord without acclaiming the Old Testament as the infallible word. “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words” (Jn. 5:46, 47).

References to Old Testament Events

Jesus specifically alluded to several Old Testament events and characters. He fully accepted their reality and historicity. A few are listed below.

(1) Solomon’s wealth – Matt. 6:28, 29; 12:42; 1 Kings 3:13; 10: 1-23.

(2) Solomon & Queen of Sheba – Matt. 12:42; 1 Kings 10.

(3) Jonah, Fish & Nineveh – Matt. 12:39-41; Jonah.

(4) David & Shewbread – Matt. 12:3, 4; 1 Sam. 21:6.

(5) Noah & Flood – Matt. 24:36-39; Gen. 6 & 7.

(6) Lot and Sodom – Lk. 17:28, 29; Gen. 19:24, 25.

(7) Lot’s Wife – Lk. 17:32; Gen. 19:26.

(8) Adam, Eve, Marriage, Creation – Matt. 19:4, 5; Gen. 1:27; 2:24.

(9) Serpent of Brass – Jn. 3:14-16; Num. 21:4f.

(10) Moses & Manna – Jn. 6:32, 49; Ex. 16:15.

(11) Elijah & Drought – Lk. 4:25; 1 Kings 17: 1.

(12) Elijah & Widow – Lk. 4:26; 1 Kings 17:9f.

(13) Elisha & Naarnan – Lk. 4:27; 2 Kings 5.

(14) Abel’s murder – Matt. 23:35; Gen. 4.

(15) Tyre & Sidon – Matt. 11:21; Ezek. 26-28.

(16) Moses & Burning Bush – Lk. 20:37; Ex. 3:1-6.

(17) Abraham, Isaac, Jacob & Prophets – Lk. 13:28; Gen.

(18) Patriarchs, Moses & circumcision – Jn. 7:22; Gen. 17; Lev. 12:3.

Were these people and events actual or imaginary? Were they fact or fantasy? Jesus thought and taught that they were real. Was He wrong? Was He mistaken? Was He deceived? God forbid! However, He was in error if the persons above never existed or if they (having existed) never did what the Lord said they did. One cannot have it both ways. To debunk these Old Testament accounts is to dethrone our Lord, deny His Sonship and destroy all hope for life and immortality. Without Jesus, we will all die in our sins and be lost forever and ever, world without end. So, the skeptic may scorn and scoff, the mocker may murmur and malign, but the word of the Lord endureth forever. The Old Testament is the word of God as Jesus is the Son of God. The empty tomb of Joseph of Arimathea establishes both facts.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 22, p. 681
November 21, 1985

By Bill Hall

“Do all things without murmurings and questions; that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:14, 15).

The Philippian Christians had to serve God in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. They were neither the first nor the last to find themselves under such circumstances. In fact, every person who ever served God did so “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,” and so must we.

Surely no-one would question the perverseness of the generation in which we live. We are surrounded by indecency. Moral filth lines the shelves of the neighborhood store and video shop. Drug scandals rock the sports and entertainment worlds. Christians working in factories are exposed to bad language, filthy stories, and rumors of immorality among their fellow employees. Our children attend schools that are filled with wickedness. We are not overstating the case – this is the world as it really is, a crooked and perverse generation indeed.

We face two possible choices as Christians: (1) try to clean up the society in which we live, so that we and our children can serve God without the pressures and evil influences that presently exist. We would not discourage reasonable effort on the part of individual Christians along these lines, but success in any such efforts will be on a small scale. It matters not how hard we work at it, by and large, the world will still be a corrupt world when we die: evil will still exist on TV and in the movies; pornography will still be a problem; corruption will still exist in government; and schools will still have their ungodly influences. Our purpose as Christians is to call people out of darkness through the gospel and into light. We can do that, but efforts to eradicate darkness will for the most part be futile. Fortunately, we have another choice: (2) make up our minds to serve God faithfully in whatever environment we find ourselves. Ths is the only viable choice for the Christian.

It can be done. Consider Noah’s generation when “every imagination of the thoughts of (man’s) heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5); or Lot’s generation when ten righteous souls could not be found in all of Sodom; or Elijah’s generation when wicked Ahab served as king in the wicked nation of Israel; or Daniel’s generation when as a young man he found himself in a foreign land facing pressures to eat the king’s meats and drink his wines (Dan. 1:8); or the apostles’ generation when Rome ruled the world and the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees dominated the religious scene. What were these men doing in such crooked and perverse circumstances? They were serving God! That’s what they were doing! The point is this: if these could serve God in the midst of the crooked and perverse circumstances in which they found themselves, and if the Philippians could shine “as lights in the world” in the midst of their crooked and perverse generation, so can we. Our eternal destiny is not determined by the environment in which we live, but by our own determination to be what we ought to be in whatever environment we find ourselves. We must lay aside our excuses, both for ourselves and our children, and make up our minds to say with Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15). This we shall do, and with God’s help we shall overcome.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 22, p. 684
November 21, 1985

By Ron Halbrook

Just as emphatically as unity is pleasant, sin and division among people professing to serve God are unpleasant (Psa. 133:1). Yet, heresy and schism serve the providential purpose of keeping distinct the line God has drawn between righteousness and unrighteousness. “For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you” (1 Cor. 11:19). When we continue to speak the truth in love, those who love not the truth will manifest themselves by causing “divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned” – until finally we must mark and avoid them (Eph. 4:15; 2 Thess. 2:10-12; Rom. 16:17-18). Or, they will manifest themselves by initiating a separation so that they can pursue their apostate course without the restraint of truth. “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us” (1 Jn. 2:19). These principles resulted in a major division over institutionalism during the last 30-40 years.

When men transgress the doctrine of Christ, we cannot aid or abet them in their error (2 Jn. 9-11), but we can and should seek ways to turn them or those deluded by them back to the truth. The end does not justify the means (Rom. 3:8). The evil of compromise as a means to “reach” them makes us guilty of not walking “uprightly according to the truth of the gospel” (Gal. 2:14). We may have legitimate opportunities to teach and reach them when, in the passing of time, their departure from truth produces more and more ungodliness (2 Tim. 3:13). As the apostasy of the last 3040 years has proceeded from bad to worse, some in the liberal camp have cried out against the progression of decay and some have come out of error (2 Cor. 6:14-18). Others will persist in both promoting and protesting liberalism without leaving it.

Christians In All the Sects?

Thinking about these matters which are discussed in the Ephraim’s Idols column, Frank Walton (Rt. 1, Box 233A, Charlotte, TN 37036) sent us some clippings and comments. The Christian Chronicle of March 1984 reported, “A Center for Restoration Studies will be established at Abilene Christian University.” One of the purposes will be to project “Restoration heritage into the mainstream of American scholarly discussion.” Brother Walton observes that increasing consciousness of the “mainstream” of American scholarship and religion was characteristic of the ultra-liberal Disciples of Christ in their historical development. He also noted the March 1984 Action article by Reuel Lemmons on “Keepers of Orthodoxy” which protests “the ultimate in sectarian foolishness – the self assumed claim that we are the only Christians (sic).” Lemmons in his latter years at the helm of the Firm Foundation and more recently in Action has promoted the sectarian foolishness that there are Christians in all the sects. His new paper, Image, will reflect the same image of error.

Brother Walton explains,

I was shocked to read bro. Lemmons’ comments. He has gone so far as to say that we really can’t know right from wrong. Being a Christian is at best a fuzzy concept. Soon there will be a split in the institutional camp as groups drift further apart. I believe that we can reach and teach the truth to some of the more conservative element in the institutional camp as they honestly see the fruit of their digression.

It will take great patience, love, kindness and meekness, but with great, fervent faith it can be done. Many in the institutional camp object to what is going on, but we’re not available and making contact with these alienated brethren beginning to see the light. Let’s pray and work hard to do all we can. Time is short.

As to who is a Christian, it is the man who accepts God’s ace for the pardon of alien sins, and accepts it in God’s ordained way, and no one else! Not just the one who hears the gospel, or believes it, or repents of sinful living, or confesses Christ as God’s Son – but the one who proceeds upon those steps to be immersed in water. That immersion must be upon the authority of Christ, not on denominational authority, and for the remission of sins, not for any other reason. Mark 16:16 shows that scriptural baptism is as essential to salvation from alien sins as faith is. Acts 2:38 shows that scriptural baptism is as necessary as repentance – both looking to the object of the remission of sins. One must be baptized with the understanding of baptism that then, and only then, will his sins be washed away by Christ’s blood – then, and not before then, he will be alive in Christ – then he will be added by God to the undenominational body of Christ, and added to nothing else (Acts 22:16; Rom. 6:34, 17-18; 1 Cor. 12:13).

If a man is baptized “to obey God” or for some similar generic reason, or if he is doing it to “join the church of his choice” or some similar sectarian purpose, he is not a Christian. Here, on the purpose of baptism, is where Rubel Shelly in I Just Want to be a Christian and Lemmons in the journals are compromising the conditions of pardon in an effort to broaden the horizons of grace and unity. They have no more right to sacrifice immersion as the procedure of Bible baptism than to sacrifice its purpose. Thomas and Alexander Campbell tried to make some room for the “pious unimmersed” as being Christians among the sects. Do Lemmons and Shelly embrace “the ultimate in sectarian foolishness – the self assumed claim that the immersed are the only Christians???” Another way these men broaden the lines of unity is by claiming God’s grace asper 1 John 1:7 covers “Christians among the sects” who sin by involvement with sectarian names, worship, and organization. Such “sectarian foolishness” makes John contradict himself in 2 John 9-11.

Brother Walton is right about “a split in the institutional camp.” There is a large number of well known preachers in the institutional camp who will not go with Lemmons and Shelly. We should do all we can in the good spirit suggested by brother Walton to persuade such brethren to see that their present woes are the result of their institutional theories which undermine the Bible as a perfect and final pattern of true Christianity.

Moderate vs. Mainstream Movement

Occasionally, someone wonders if the pains of the progressive cancer of liberalism will result in a general movement among those moderately infected toward repentance and reapproachment with faithful brethren. History says, “no. ” The moderates today are not a bit more upset than were the moderates 100 years ago. The December 1869 Prospectus of The Apostolic Times promised “the propagation and defense of the Gospel as it came pure from the lips of Christ and of the Apostles” without “even the semblance of a compromise. ” No more powerful and popular men could have been grouped together as Editors: Moses E. Lard, Robert Graham, Winthrop H. Hopson Lanceford B. Wilkes, and John W. McGarvey. Within two years there were about 5,000 subscribers.

But by 1885 the momentum was lost and another effort was made under the name The Gospel Guide. With sadness, David Lipscomb observed in 1889,

Bro. McGarvey retires from the Guide, as exegetical editor. This takes the last of the conservative element from the Guide. The Times was started specifically by Hopson, Lard, McGarvey, Wilkes and Graham, to steer a middle course, between the latitudinarianism course of the [Christian] Standard and the course of the [Gospel Advocate in adhering firmly to the scripture precedents in work as well as worship. They supported the societies, but opposed the organ. They would depart from apostolic precept and example in the work and order of the church so far as the pastor distinct from the eldership is concerned, but would in the worship so far as the organ is concerned adhere to the scriptures. The position is an illogical one, and cannot be maintained. When we take the liberty to set aside the Divine order as developed in the precepts and examples of the inspired men, in one point, we license and invite others to do it in any and all other points they wish.

This end shows the impossibility of compromising principles. No paper ever started among us with such an array of popular talent as did the Times. . . . Their labor, the paper they built up has been turned to destroy that which they brought to their work, they have acted simply as a rear-guard to protect the army they aimed to oppose (“Resignation,” Gospel Advocate, 17 July 1889, p. 459).

Today papers such as The Spiritual Sword published by the Getwell Church of Christ in Memphis, TN, Ira Rice’s Contending for the Faith, and The Restorer edited by Gary Workman are filling a role much like that of The Apostolic Times. Some fine principles are stated and needed protests uttered, but these brethren are tangled up in hopeless contradictions of their own teaching. They approve some church sponsored social activities and disapprove others, accept some institutional schemes and attack others. They are the rear-guard of the institutional camp. They help to keep people in that camp who otherwise might be shocked enough to leave.

The ultra-liberalism which became pronounced in the 1880s-90s resulted in the formation of the North American Christian Convention during 1926-27 as a forum for the moderates, and formal division occurred with the liberals’ Restructure movement in 1968. Our moderates today speak more and more of “a growing chasm in our beloved brotherhood” (Contending for the Faith, Feb. 1985, p. 13) and “the threat of yet another division” (Gospel Advocate, 16 May 1985, p. 299). When and how remain to be seen. Meanwhile, let us labor to save as many as we can.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 22, pp. 685-686
November 21, 1985