Truth Magazine

By Hoyt H. Houchen

Question: How do the accounts of Judas’ death in Matthew 27:5 and Acts 1:18 harmonize?

Reply: There is no conflict between the two accounts. The account in Matthew 27:5 simply states how Judas died. “And he cast down the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, and departed; and went out and hanged himself.” Obviously, the death of Judas resulted from suicide.

The statement by Peter in Acts 1:18 describes what happened after Judas hanged himself. The limb or rope may have given way and he fell down a deep place and was disemboweled on the sharp rocks. There are some rocky terraces in the vicinity of where the event took place. Furthermore, it cannot be determined how long Judas’ body remained suspended before it fell. His body could have been hanging for sufficient time for it to decompose, and thus drop. “Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.”

Neither of the two passages excludes the other. Matthew does not state that Judas, after hanging himself fell and burst asunder; but, he does not deny it. Peter does not mention that Judas hanged himself previous to his fall, but neither does he deny it. So, actually the two passages supplement each other. One writer tells us how Judas died; the other tells us what followed the hanging. Matthew 27:5 and Acts 1:18 harmonize.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 16, p. 485
August 15, 1985

By Aude McKee

Jesus used parables extensively in His teaching. Matthew, Mark and Luke record several of the same parables, and each writer was used by the Holy Spirit to preserve for us some specific parable teaching that the others did not record. Without doubt, His masterful use of this method of teaching is one of the reasons men could truthfully say, “No man ever spake as this man.”

In Luke 11:1, the disciples came to Jesus and asked Him to teach them to pray as John had taught his disciples. Some of us have been “reared in the church,” as we say, and this idea of needing to be taught how to pray seems a little ridiculous. But when we think more about it, we begin to realize that we had to learn how to pray just as much as anyone. I was recently in a meeting with a local church where a brother had handed a note to the preacher in which he said that he felt he needed some instruction so he would be qualified to lead a public prayer.

One way Jesus teaches us how to pray is by parables. On several occasions He told a simple little story that had something to do with the content of our prayers, our attitude, or some other matter of importance. The purpose of this article is to look at those parables that have to do with prayer, and do our best to learn the lessons the Lord had in mind.

Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

One of the petitions most often included in our prayers is that the Lord might forgive our sins. Those who are members of the Lord’s family have the right to approach God as one of His children and call Him Father. But one of the hindrances is our own failure to forgive our fellow man. How could we expect a just God to forgive our trespasses when we refuse to extend the same privilege to those who have wronged us? To impress this truth, Jesus gave the parable found in Matthew 18:21-35. A man was brought before a king, and he owed the king an enormous amount of money — several million dollars, in fact. The man had no ability to pay such a large sum, so the only thing he could do was to beg for mercy. Justice would have demanded he and his wife and children, plus all his earthly possessions be sold and payment be made. But instead of demanding justice, the king extended mercy and through his grace the debt was forgiven.

But at this point the story changes into a sad chain of events. The forgiven servant then went out and found one of his own servants, who owed him a very small sum of money and demanded payment immediately. The man lacked the ability to pay even that small amount, and so he begged for just a little time to arrange his affairs so he could pay his debt. Instead of granting the man the opportunity to work the problem out, he threw him into prison. News of things like this gets around, and the king heard about the treatment his servant had meted out to his fellow servant. The mercy he had extended to him was retracted and he was thrown into the debtor’s prison. In verse 35 Jesus made the application: “So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also to you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.”

A man once said to John Wesley, “I never forgive.” Wesley replied, “Then I hope, sir, that you never sin.” Each of us needs to look deep inside his own heart. We certainly may be able to deceive others, and it may be that we can deceive ourselves, but it is certain we cannot deceive God. God knows if we harbor ill will toward someone, and we can mark it down that “God is not mocked.” Our own sins will remain until we bring ourselves to forgive those who have wronged us! And we can be sure that whatever someone may have done to us, it cannot be compared to the terrible debt of sin we have. I sometimes think that the better known a person becomes, the more likely he is to feel “above the law.” David broke at least five of the ten commandments when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, then only recognized his sin after a year had passed. Those of us who preach the gospel, edit papers, and serve as elders perhaps need the teaching in this parable more than some others. We are not above the law, and we are not so important to the Lord’s cause that we cannot lose our souls!

The Friend At Midnight And Importunate Widow

In Luke 11:5-13 and 18:1-8, the Lord presented twin parables that deal with our faithfulness and persistence in prayer. In the first one, a man had a guest arrive at midnight and he had nothing to feed him. So, having a friend not far away, he went to his house to borrow some food. His friend wasn’t happy about being awakened, so he gruffly told the borrower to be on his way. But he would not be discouraged-he needed that bread badly. He shamelessly continued knocking until his friend got up and granted his request. In the second parable, a widow went to a judge to seek relief from an enemy who was oppressing her. Not only was her situation hopeless in regard to her oppressor since she was a widow without the means of protecting herself, but the judge she had to deal with was about as wicked as a man could get. He was her only hope, so she laid her case before him. For a while he refused to assist her, but she kept coming to see him and begging for help. Finally, though he still had no compassion in his heart and no concern for the poor widow, he gave in and consented to help her.

These parables are much alike because in neither of them is there a comparison made between God and the friend in bed or between God and the wicked judge. The lesson is drawn, not from comparison but from contrast! How unlike God is to those in the world who are hardhearted, unconcerned and unwilling to assist in time of need. In both parables this contrast is emphasized by our Lord. At the same time, we who do the praying are to be like the man seeking for bread in the first parable and like the widow in the second one. In Luke 11:9-10, Jesus pressed the lesson home. “And I say unto you, ‘Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”‘ In verses 11-13, Jesus makes it clear that God is loving and concerned:

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

In the parable in Luke 18, the problem is not obtaining help in time of distress. The widow needed relief from an oppressor. When Jesus drew the lesson from this parable, He said, “Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily” (vv. 7-8). Down through the years God’s people have suffered much at the hands of the enemies of truth, but as Paul told Timothy, “The Lord knoweth them that are His” (2 Tim. 2:19). In times like this, as well as at other times, we need to “cry unto Him day and night,” but keep in mind that God’s timetable may not be just like ours. He may “bear long” with us, and then when the time is right He will act. If we had our way, life would always be a “bed of roses,” but it takes some stormy days in our lives to develop character. How could we possess the sense of dependency we so badly need if the sun shone seven days a week? Paul said, “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:10).

The Pharisee And The Publican

In Luke 18:9-14 is the last parable that concerns prayer that we will notice, and certainly none could rank higher in importance. How easy it is for us to become self-righteous. We have the truth, we are members of the Lord’s church, etc., and by the time we have finished exalting ourselves, God is indebted to us. Jesus spoke this parable “unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others,” and that could include me and you! It is a simply story. Two men, one a Pharisee, the other a publican, went to the temple to pray. As you read the Pharisee’s prayer, you get the feeling that his words were designed for the ears of men instead of God’s. He compared himself to others and came out extremely well. Other men were extortioners, unjust, adulterers, but not him. Certainly he was not as lowdown and wicked as that publican who was praying at the same time. But his righteousness was not altogether negative. This Pharisee fasted twice every week, and he was careful to give a tenth of everything he possessed. No wonder he acknowledged no need, sought no blessing, confessed no sin and sought no mercy. He was self-sufficient in every way! Someone has observed that he had a big eye on himself, a bad eye on the publican, and no eye at all upon God. But the prayer of the publican was altogether different. He was humble, he recognized his sinful condition, and his complete dependence on God is clearly evident. His prayer was for the ears of God alone.

I feel that no point at all can be made on the number of words in each prayer except to observe that it probably takes more words to extol one’s own virtues that to simply confess one’s utter dependency on God. With such an attitude, the virtues will be numerous and the dependency non-existent. In Luke 6:23, Jesus “continued all night in prayer to God,” and the length of that prayer would certainly be as much ane example for us as the one in Luke 18:13. The lesson Jesus is teaching in Luke 18:9-14 is not the length of our prayers, but the attitude of heart when we pray! The man who lives with a scornful attitude toward his fellow man cannot get on his knees with a spirit of humility toward God.

Conclusion

We have tried to say that Jesus, in His parables, has taught us three major lessons about prayer. First, it is useless to pray for forgiveness and not be forgiving. No “ifs, ands, or buts” – there are not exceptions. If I refuse to forgive others, my own sins remain. Second, we must be faithful, persistent and constant in prayer. The need is always there. We may not be facing a major crisis every day, but the old song, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” states a truth. Remember, if we ask, seek and knock, the Lord will respond. But we need the wisdom to appreciate that a delayed response may be best for us. If we receive a “no” answer, let’s be as happy and appreciative as if we had gotten exactly what we asked for. Third, when we pray, we must approach God’s throne with a humble and contrite spirit. David expressed the matter perfectly in Psalms 51:17: “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 15, pp. 457-458
August 1, 1985

By Ron Halbrook

(The following is a revision of my remarks to the assembly at the Fry Rd. church of Christ, Katy, TX on 23 April 1985, the day before brother Cogdill’s 78th birthday. We came to express our love for him for helping all of us to love and serve the Lord, just as Paul commended faithful brethren by name in Colossians 4:7-18. Sitting in a wheelchair, pale and wearing a neck brace, all because of injuries received in a fall, brother Cogdill gave and received the refreshments of spiritual fellowship. Below, I excerpt letters written for this occasion; many such letters are preserved in an add-on book for future generations.)

Brother and sister Cogdill have made a deep impression on me and my family in many ways. We became especially close during his meeting of 30 July-5 August 1973 with the Broadmoor Church in Nashville, TN, where we lived. Holding our young Jonathan in his lap, brother Cogdill barked so convincingly that the puzzled boy would get down, circle the chair, and even look under it in search of the dog! The two have been fast friends ever since. The Cogdills have made us feel like a part of their family as they have exemplified Christianity through their hospitality, love, and tenderness toward us.

Steve Wolfgang of Danville, KY, who is working on a biography of Roy Cogdill, spoke for many young preachers when he said, “Roy Cogdill has ever been a end to young preachers.” This is because, Steve observed, Roy began preaching at the age of 17. Knowing well the trials “encountered by many other young men just beginning to preach,” he has blessed young preachers around the world with moral, financial, and spiritual support. Steve “can personally attest to the matchless encouragement of hearing brother Cogdill expound the Scriptures in his able manner. . . “

Militant Gospel Preaching

When I think of Roy E. Cogdill, I think of passages which emphasize the vital importance of a militant proclamation and defense of the gospel. I think of Philippians 1:17, “I am set for the defense of the gospel,” and of 1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.” I see a valiant soldier girding himself to do battle for the right and against all wrong. Yet, his warfare is dominated by love — love for the Lord, for the truth, for the church, and for the lost.

I think of 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” How often brother Cogdill reminded me that “true gospel preaching is both positive and negative!” Contradicting a slogan which is as popular as aspirin, he warned me often that we must not so “accentuate the positive” as to “eliminate the negative.” To Roy Cogdill, Norman Vincent Peale’s over emphasis on “the positive” is appalling and the clarion call of the apostle Paul for balanced instruction is appealing.

1 Peter 4:11 comes to mind: “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God.” Brother Cogdill has impressed young and old alike with the need for positive, divine authority in all that we preach and practice. How often and how well he has taught us that such authority is found in direct statement or command, apostolic example, and necessary implication. We must speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where it is. If we cannot produce “Book, chapter, and verse,” we dare not act or speak.

I think of John’s warning, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son,” and of the warning lest we bid God speed to false teachers (2 Jn. 9:11). When Cogdill protested Bill Banowsky’s violation of this passage, Leroy Garrett took Cogdill to task. But Garrett followed William Barclay and C.H. Dodd in the claim that John himself went too far by penning such a passage (Gospel Guardian, 6 Apr. 1967, pp. 737-38; Restoration Review, Apr. 1967, pp. 76-80; Barclay, Epistles of John; Dodd, Johannine Epistles in Moffatt N. T. Commentary). Garrett denies the inerrancy of the Scripture in fact and application (R.R., Jan. 1982, p. 218). Cogdill emphatically affirms it! That is the difference between compromisers and true gospel preachers.

I think of Jude 3, “that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints,” and of Galatians 1:8-9, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. ” Brother Cogdill is not afraid to rebuke and refute false doctrine even if an angel delivers it in person, because of his love for the gospel of Christ in its purity and simplicity.

As Counselor And Friend

During 1973-74, I wrestled with my convictions and emotions in an effort to speak the truth in love so as to counteract the false teaching of Edward Fudge on grace and unity. In a few minutes one day, my wife and I listed over twenty preachers — mostly young men of our generation and personal acquaintances — who had made shipwreck of their faith because of Ed’s influence. Many others followed. My conscience required me to deal with these problems in the best way I could, but Ed and a few others charged me with personal ambition, lying, and malice. In the face of these charges, I lay awake at nights wondering and worrying about whether my motives and methods were honorable.

By the providence of God, brother Codgill became my counselor and friend during this turmoil. He explained that false teachers generate sympathy by playing the martyr, by crying crocodile tears, and by hiding beneath claims of “misunderstanding.” I asked how to deal with false doctrine in a way which would preclude such tactics on the part of a false teacher. “You can’t,” he said. “When you have to spank a baby, there is no right way to do it from the baby’s viewpoint. There arc many ways to skin a cat, but the old cat won’t think any of them is the right way to do it!” He also explained that false teachers try to intimidate you by charging you with the very things of which they themselves are guilty, such as misrepresentation and dishonesty. I will always be indebted to brother Cogdill for helping me to understand the nature of our warfare with sin and evil and every false way.

Larry Hafley, one of the finest preachers, debaters, and writers of my generation, tells of first meeting Roy Cogdill in 1968. The fledgling debater, 25 years old, preparing to meet a Pentecostal on Holy Spirit baptism, asked the veteran a few questions.

Kindly and patiently, he set forth the context, meaning and application of each text. I drank it all in, but ventured a few questions and “comebacks” from a Pentecostal perspective. Brother Cogdill deflected each negative point with ease and reset “the truth.” But I persisted, in devil’s advocate style, in attempting to reply to his arguments.

I will never forget it. Brother Cogdill was seated on a sofa, New Testament in hand. When I continued to push the Pentecostal interpretation, brother Cogdill slid from his relaxed position, took a spot on the edge of the couch, looked at me and the passage through his bi-focals, jabbed “the truth” with that meat hook of an index finger, and let me know plainly that “the truth” could not be overthrown. (Unless you have heard brother Cogdill say, “the truth,” you have not heard it said with all its royal might and eloquence.) He was not being arrogant or overbearing. He was simply unsheathing his sword and doing battle.

That day, I sensed the strength of the man and his faith, but above that I was given greater confidence in the authority of truth and righteousness.

Power Of The Printed Page

Brother Cogdill has influenced many young preachers through books and gospel journals. Mike Willis has exerted a great influence for good in editing Truth Magazine and Guardian Of Truth for nearly 10 years. He has drawn upon and emulated brother Cogdill’s depth of conviction in preaching, writing, and debating. In expressing his love and respect for brother Cogdill, what Mike said is representative of what a host of young preachers can say:

Your writings have also been helpful to me. One of the first debates I ever read was the Cogdill-Jackson Debate. As a young gospel preacher, I was exposed to the arguments and dodges of false teachers on the plan of salvation and, more important, how to answer these false teachers through this book. Later when I read the Cogdill- Woods Debate, I learned that false teachers in the church also use some of the same tactics as those outside the church, Your summation speech in that debate was especially helpful to me.

I think that I have preached every sermon in The New Testament Church on many occasions. Walking By Faith has been studied in detail on several occasions. Many of its lessons have been incorporated into sermons which I have preached in various sections of the country.

The influence of your work in gospel journals should not be neglected. As a young boy, The Gospel Guardian was available in our home. Later when I began preaching, I read the material published in Gospel Guardian and Truth Magazine. Your writings and behind-the-scenes advice in these papers were especially helpful to many of us.

Legion are the young Christians and preachers who will benefit from those same books and articles even in generations yet to come.

Realizing the influence of the printed page, I am humbled and honored to be working with brother Cogdill in editing some of his sermons for publication. A volume entitled Faith and The Faith is about ready. I have given copies of his published books to my children, knowing that this can help them to be faithful Christians, and maybe even encourage my boys to be gospel preachers. The sermons to be published pleadfor the gospel of Christ in its original purity and simplicity.

Never were such sermons more needed! It is a well documented fact that much of American religion was awash in “optimistic inspirational literature” and superficial preaching by 1960 (Ahlstrom, A Religious History of the American People, p. 1031). Historian Donald Meyer has traced the rise of religion “as therapy, as cult of reassurance, as psychology of peace and positive thinking” in The Positive Thinkers (p. xii). The popularity of Robert Schuller, current “apostle of possibility thinking” and “of sunny thoughts” (Time, 18 Mar, 1985, p. 70), confirms the analysis of an exhaustive study entitled Ministry in America-our nation is delighted with the marriage of religion to pop psychology. Modern preachers, little concerned with sound doctrine “or otherworldly values based on the teachings of the Bible,” are mesmerized “with psychological jargon, interpersonal relationships and group dynamics” (Time, 29 Sept. 1980, p. 85).

Worried about shallow preaching which produces a brief emotional glow, brother Cogdill stressed the need for preaching based on Scripture and filled with Scripture. He vividly remembered Foy E. Wallace, Jr., saying, “You don’t build strong churches with 15 minute sugar sticks.” Rather than attempting to ride the coattails of vain and temporal philosophies of men, Roy Cogdill exalts the eternal value and truth of the Word of God in his sermons. Studying his sermons strengthens my faith in the gospel of Christ and fires my heart with determination to preach it “in season and out of season.”

Steadfast To The End

Brother Cogdill has exerted upon young preachers like myself a great influence for good by his resolve to be “steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, ” during the sunset years of life. What tragedy and pathos are captured in Paul’s brief statement that his beloved friend and brother, Demas, “hath forsaken me.” Nothing has been more heartbreaking to brother Cogdill than seeing young men whom he has loved and helped, turn aside into sin. Nothing has been more disappointing to him than seeing older men waver and compromise toward the end of the way.

His devotion to the Lord and to the Word of God can be seen in these statements from the article, “Fifty Years As A Gospel Preacher”:

Personal popularity, the influence of even the closest of friends, personal ambition to be a “big preacher,” financial advantage, nor any other personal consideration has been a determining factor in any stand taken or position occupied, or in any course of action.

I have never rejoiced in making enemies but I have never weighed the preaching of the gospel by the measuring of its impression or result. Preaching it has been my obligation and the results of truth belong to God (Truth Magazine, 11 Jan. 1973, pp. 151-53).

Young preachers need that unswerving devotion to the truth of the gospel. We love brother Cogdill for helping us to love and to sanctify in our hearts the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and the church which He purchased with His own precious blood. Brother Cogdill teaches us to exalt Christ and His kingdom, not self. And, so, I close by quoting Galatians 2:20, which he quoted so often and exemplified so well:

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not 1, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 14, pp. 440-443
July 18, 1985

By Ron Halbrook

The power of the printed page as a medium of gospel preaching can be seen in the religious journalism of Roy E. Cogdill. For almost sixty years, the articles he was constantly writing were read by sinners and saints who were willing to search the Scriptures. Many thousands of people yet continue to study his books and tracts which are still in print, and not a few of us have the joy of finding his articles preserved in journals. We are not to think of men above that which is written (1 Cor. 4:6), but we are to learn from them and to emulate them-in so far as they walk by faith (Heb. 11-12). There are many good things to learn and to emulate in the journalistic endeavors of brother Cogdill.

Preaching In Journals During The 1920s-30s

Roy E. Cogdill was born 24 April 1907 and began preaching 26 November 1922 at Hobart, Oklahoma, as a young man of fifteen. He began writing almost immediately in the Herald of Truth, edited by E.M. Borden from Oklahoma City, and later wrote in the Firm Foundation. Roy Cogdill held many gospel meetings “in the open air, with an ‘acre of people’ in attendance,” and consequently developed throat problems which suspended all public speaking. Foy E. Wallace, Jr. was editing the Gospel Advocate and appointed brother Cogdill to handle Texas subscriptions, which he did from an office in Dallas (Gospel Advocate, 30 Apr. 1931, p. 516). Many subs were raised. From 30 April through 26 November 1931 he wrote the “Texas News and Notes” column.

Religious journalism was, in Cogdill’s view, “simply another effective way of preaching the gospel.” He explained that brethren ought to read gospel papers:

I have always insisted that when people are able to take the daily papers and current magazines, in which they read so much that is not fit to read, they are doing wrong to say they cannot afford our good religious papers (Gospel Advocate, 30 Apr. 1931, p. 517).

His urgent desire to spread the gospel was expressed in these words:

The tendency in the past has been too much toward the establishing of a place of worship and limiting our efforts at preaching the gospel to that particular place. Even in some of our larger towns the gospel has never been preached outside of the building of worship . . . the work has not been given the opportunity it should have and God’s word has not been spread as it should be until every particular part and community of the town has been reached…. When people do not hunt out the church house and come to bear the gospel preached, we are not relieved of our responsibility for their souls; rather, we are bound to take the gospel into their homes (Gospel Advocate, 25 June 1931, p. 773).

After visiting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he had successful surgery on his throat, he was especially moved to urge brethren not to neglect the centers of great populations in preaching Christ. Since Paul went even to Athens, Corinth, and Rome, it is unthinkable that he would say of “our Northeastern cities . . . ‘Too wicked,’ ‘Too large,’ ‘Too many foreigners.'” We should not hesitate to go anywhere “scattering gospel literature and preaching on streets, in houses, from home to home, and elsewhere,” as we can find the opportunity. He concluded,

My brother, you need not worry about the right effort in spreading the gospel producing the proper results.

Countless millions wait the light whose dawning

Maketh all things new.

Christ also waits; but men are late.

Have we done what we could? Have I? Have you?

These lines ring in my ears over and over again since my visit to this city. Will we do what we can? (Gospel Advocate, 13 Aug. 1931, p. 997)

Foy E. Wallace, Jr. edited the Gospel Advocate during 1930-34, but was forced out on 5 April 1934 by personal financial problems and pressures from some prominent brethren who were displeased at his militant responses to premillennialists. The latter challenge was largely responsible for his publishing the original Gospel Guardian, a monthly which lived from October 1935 through June 1936. Never afraid to be counted when the bulwarks of truth faced attack, brother Cogdill contributed two excellent articles: “The Present Position of Jesus Christ” (Oct., 1935, p. 33) and “The First and Second Coming of Christ” (Feb., 1936, p. 27). Both were reprinted in the Guardian of Truth (15 April 1982, pp. 225, 249 and 1 July 1982, pp. 397-98). When the Gospel Guardian failed to continue because of Wallace’s financial woes, it was merged with Firm Foundation.

The Writer Becomes Printer, Publisher, And Editor

Subsequently, brother Wallace was moved to start the Bible Banner to meet premillennialism, institutionalism and centralization in the work of churches, worldliness, and others forms of compromise which threatened the spiritual health of God’s people. This paper ran as a monthly and sometime quarterly from July 1938 through April 1949. Cogdill’s articles appeared from time to time, including his material on “The Church and Worldliness” (Jan. and Feb. 1949, pp. 1-8 and 11-16 respectively). These articles reappeared in the Guardian of Truth (20 May and 3 June 1982, pp. 290-93, 308-11 and 325, 330).

The only time Roy officially edited a journal was when he started Ancient Landmarks, a subscription monthly devoted to first principles of the gospel. It was published in Houston beginning in March 1946. Roy soon moved to Lufkin and within a couple of years made Yater Tant editor. (Even after starting the Gospel Guardian, they continued publishing Ancient Landmarks as a first principles paper but finally merged the two after several years.) Roy had done some printing in a shed behind his house in Houston, but after moving to Lufkin in 1946, he bought a printing business and financed his religious publishing with commercial work. Beginning in March 1947, Cogdill took on the printing and publishing duties of the Bible Banner, and even many editorial duties although brother Wallace continued in the official capacity of editor.

In 1949 brother Wallace agreed for the Bible Banner to become the Gospel Guardian, with Yater Tant as editor and Roy Cogdill as owner. A weekly paper was needed to counter the growth of liberalism. The Firm Foundation gave permission for the Guardian’s name to be resurrected. The Cogdill Publishing Company owned the Gospel Guardian Company as a religious publishing arrangement until late 1962-early 1963 when Cogdill sold the latter to Tant.

During the 1949-63 period, Cogdill played a vital role both by writing in and by publishing the Guardian, helping thousands of brethren to study the dangers of institutionalism and centralized cooperation in the work of churches. For his help in fighting these issues, more than any other one thing, he is known and loved by brethren throughout America and around the world. The name Roy E. Cogdill stands as a monument to the militant proclamation and defense of the gospel through the papers, especially the Gospel Guardian. The volumes of the Guardian from those years when he was the guiding force are much sought after and highly prized even today. The paper passed through the hands of several editors through 1980, after which it merged with Truth Magazine (1956-80) to become the Guardian of Truth.

When Cogdill sold the Gospel Guardian Co. to Tant, Cogdill set up a separate Gospel Guardian Foundation to keep a few books in print. In 1969 the name was changed to Cogdill Foundation and Truth Magazine became a part of this Foundation. From that time until his death, he became a guiding force in Truth as a medium for the militant proclamation and defense of the gospel. So close was his relationship to editor Cecil Willis that they worked handinglove in setting the overall thrust and tone of the paper. The new editor, Mike Willis, continued to seek Cogdill’s counsel. Articles from brother Cogdill’s pen continued to appear in Truth, though with less frequency after his serious illnesses began in 1973.

In December 1980 the Board of Cogdill Foundation accepted with regret his resignation and acquiesed to his advice that the name be changed to Guardian of Truth Foundation (rather than be tied to any one individual). His counsel and encouragement played a continuing role in the paper and other operations of the foundation. He has left an indelible imprint on the lives of many people through his efforts in religious journalism. Through the influence of his past labors and through people reading his articles in future years, he shall yet be “doing the work of an evangelist” in a faithful way – always proclaiming the Savior he loves.

Looking Back Over the Decades

Brother Cogdill has often been involved in controversy, just as Jesus Christ, His apostles, early Christians, and faithful saints have been throughout history (Matt. 10:32-38). Yet he never sought a fight for its own sake nor chased every jackrabbit who jumped up from the bushes. In responding to thrusts of G.C. Brewer, Cogdill once remembered the words of Abraham Lincoln:

If I were to stop to read, much less try to answer all the false accusations and uncomplimentary things said against me, I would not have time for anything else. I decided long ago to do the best I can to do right. If in this I succeed, nothing else matters, and if in this I fail, ten angels swearing I was right would not make any difference (Bible Banner, Sept. 1948, p. 9).

Some brethren disdain all controversy and plead that they are not “temperamentally” suited for it. But our having to fight openly against sin and error to proclaim the truth is a providential means of testing and deepening our faith in God. What Price Billingsly said thirty years ago of Cogdill’s preaching 9pplied to his writing as well, including the controversial:

Best of all, the fitting climax of this impressive total, this man gave indubitable proofs of unwavering fidelity to simple New Testament truth and principle. With no Straining for effect, he appeared lost in deep concern for the truth which he spoke, in whose faithful advocacy his whole being seemed committed (Gospel Advocate, 12 Dec. 1940, p. 1181, emph. added, RH).

After “Fifty Years As A Gospel Preacher,” brother Cogdill made several observations which ought to be inscribed indelibly into the hearts of all Christians, especially of men who devote their lives to the work of an evangelist:

There have been several occasions in my life when the temptation came to turn aside from preaching and get into some profession of business that offered tempting financial reward, but it has never been a problem to make the decision that I would continue to give my full time to preaching the word of the Lord (though he “plains that a time or two he temporarily “made tents” to provide for his family, RH).

I have earnestly tried to preach and contend for what I have believed to be the truth through these years without compromise. As I face the future I pray that it may continue to be so. Nothing has been sadder to me than to witness some stalwart servant of the Lord live to reach such years in which he destroys all for which he ever stood. I pray that I may not do so.

That does not mean that I have not erred in what I have believed and taught. On more than one occasion I have found myself out of harmony with what I have learned to be the truth and been brought to alter my position to bring it in harmony with the truth I learned. I intend to continue to learn and whenever I learn anything that is contrary to what I have believed, I win make whatever change may be demanded by truth. I pray that God may continue to give me the strength to do so. It does mean, though, that my convictions and conscience have not been for sale. Personal popularity, the influence of even the closest of friends, personal ambition to be a “big preacher,” financial advantage, nor any other personal consideration has been a determining factor in any stand taken or position occupied, or in any course of action.

On the other hand, there is the persuasion that in many cases a vastly different course would have been taken had such things entered into the decision. I have never rejoiced in making enemies but I have never weighed the preaching of the gospel by the measuring of its impression or result. Preaching it has been my obligation and the results of truth belong to God (Truth Magazine, 11 Jan. 1973, pp. 151-53).

Just as John expressed joy and thanksgiving to God for brethren who “walk in truth,” we rejoice and thank God for brother Cogdill’s work of preaching Christ in gospel journals and for the lessons we learned from that work.

(This article is a revision of the one which appeared in the Guardian of Truth XXVI, 16 [17 June 1982): 365-68. My original article gave 20 Nov. 1922 as the date of his first sermon, which is the date he always gave. A note on his first sermon outline checked with a calendar shows the true date to be 26 Nov. 1922. R.H.)

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 14, pp. 438, 442-443
July 18, 1985