Truth Magazine

By Leslie Diestelkamp

It had been just over eleven years since I had visited Nigeria, and this 21st day of January 1985 was to bring to me a rather king and frustrating awareness of drastic change. The big cities in which I had lived and worked in former years are now so much larger — indeed, they are huge metropolitan areas now, with expressways and high-rise apartments, etc. The traffic, which we used to think was the world’s worse, is so much more congested now.

But the changes that thrilled me were in the churches. Twenty-five years ago we started from scratch in Lagos and now there are perhaps 33 congregations, some of them quite large. But numerical growth is not the whole story. All across the land-from the eastern border to the western boundary, churches are now very active in evangelizing other areas. They are now contributing large sums each week and are supporting many preachers, both in local work and in new fields. Twenty-five years ago, a congregation of 250 people may have given the equivalent of $10.00. Today they may give a sum equal to $400. Even eleven years ago, when I was last there, such contributions were unheard of, and almost no churches were able to support preachers.

A great middle-class has arisen in Nigeria. In former times there were the rich and the poor-mostly poor. But today there are many who are neither rich nor poor, but who do have some degree of prosperity.

Super-Inflation

Do you complain of inflation here in the U.S.? Just to give you a very few examples which represent almost everything, consider these prices we observed today in Nigeria (in U.S. dollars):

1 box of Ritz-type crackers: $ 4.00

One smallest can Baked Beans: 4.00

Kraft cheese slices (10): 5.50

Small Quaker Oats: 10.00

Tire (for mid-sized car): 500.00

I hope those churches that are supplementing wages for some native preachers will take note of this inflation. And remember, native foods and other necessities are proportionately costly.

Results Of Support

Throughout the years I have advised and recommended some American support for native preachers so that they could devote full-time to gospel work and not have to struggle every day for food and shelter for their families. A few Americans have not agreed with this policy, saying that the native churches should carry their own load. Today’s conditions proved the wisdom of supporting the preachers. Every church of which I am aware that now supports its, preachers and/or others in new fields is one that was nurtured by a preacher supported by Americans. Some churches seem no larger and no stronger than they were many years ago, and usually these are churches that have had to exist without a good, zealous preacher to teach, train and evangelize.

For instance in Lagos, most of the churches have,been started by other older churches and/or by zealous preachers who had time to devote to that kind of work because they were partly supported by American churches. The last church I started in 1961 and that I left in its infancy, is now a congregation of about 250 people (335 the Sunday morning I was there this time) and averages over $250 weekly contribution. They have started one or two new congregations and must do so again because they have outgrown their facilities. They can do this because they have a highly skilled membership, are trained in the Scripture, and are capable of giving up many members without destroying the old church.

Even in outlying areas-towns and small cities-growth and strength are evident in properly nurtured places. One church in a good town-a church that started 12 or 15 years ago-now has an attendance of around 500 and is supporting its own preacher and several others. Let me give you the budget for one church that is an old oneformerly rural but now engulfed in the expanding nearby town-and that had been big but not very active. Now, with proper teaching, they post the following budget (annual in U.S. dollars).

Preaching $6250.00

Poor and needy 1000.00

Bread & Fruit of the vine 607.00

Bibles, sons books, etc 750.00

Meetings, etc 1217.00

Building project 5000.00

Electric 625.00

Gen. expenses 2000.00

Total $17.449.00

Needs

Several worthy preachers need some supplemental support. Some good men need a few good books which they would gladly buy, but governmental restrictions that do not allow their money to be sent out, prevent them from purchasing the books. Such books will have to be sent to them by us. Some churches need song books and communion equipment, and for the same reason as given above, they cannot order them from overseas.

Conclusion

It was a real joy to be associated with my son Karl in this great work. Though I prefer to preach (than to listen), in this case and especially because of my chronic voice trouble, I was happy to sit and listen to Karl preach with such force and respond to their good questions with such clarity, at the same time demonstrating more patience than I can usually have. His attitude was indeed a manifestation of love for truth plus a genuine love for people. Karl preached about twice as much as I did, which is about the way we planned it. He told the people there that he had been commissioned by my family to keep me well (I think he meant that he should “bring me back alive”), and he did a good job of that. I told the people there that “I shall see your face no more” (see Acts 20:25), but I hope Karl can return in 2 or 3 years to carry forward the influence we have there.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 11, p. 334
June 6, 1985

By Frank Jamerson

Some contend that a person who has been baptized “because of remission of sins” has obeyed God, even though he did not understand the true purpose of baptism. They often ask, “Did you understand everything about baptism before you were baptized?” Their conclusion is that if you did not know everything about it, and yet obeyed God, then they could obey God without knowing the true purpose of it.

Before answering the basic error in this reasoning, let us ask some other questions. (1) Does a person have to understand the true action of baptism in order to obey God? Suppose one loves God and wants to obey Him, but has been taught that sprinkling is baptism. Is that acceptable? (2) Does a person have to be baptized for any purpose? Suppose he believes that baptism is not essential at all! If he does not have to do it for the right purpose, must he do it for some wrong purpose in order to please God? (3) Let’s go one step further. Suppose a person “loves God” and wants to obey him but does not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Is there some reason that he must believe John 8:24, but does not have to believe Mark 16:16?

The basic thing wrong with the argument is that it does not distinguish between not knowing everything and obeying error. There is a vast difference between these two things. Must one know everything about the Divinity of Christ in order to believe in Him? If so, who can say that he truly believes in Jesus? The man who has been taught that Jesus was just a “good man, but not the Son of God,” has believed error. He has not believed in Christ! There is a difference between “perfect knowledge” of Christ and believing error about Him. The same is true of any other subject. One can obey the truth without knowing everything about it, but if he has been taught error, and obeys it, he has not obeyed truth.

In the apostolic age people were told the purpose of baptism before they were baptized (Acts 2:38; 22:16). There is no record of anyone being told to be sprinkled, or to be baptized because of remission of sins. They did not have to know all the arguments about why immersion was necessary in order to be immersed. They may not have known all the reasons why baptism was essential for salvation, but they were “baptized for the remission of sins.” Yes, one can obey truth without knowing everything about it, but if he has been taught error, and he obeys that, he has not obeyed truth!

We may be able to see the point more clearly by comparing baptism and the Lord’s supper. If a person observes the Lord’s supper because he “loves God,” but he has been taught that water can be used instead of the fruit of the vine (as the Mormons do), has he obeyed God? What if he observes it, using the right elements, but does it for the wrong purpose? (See 1 Cor. 11:23-29!) One who substitutes water for the fruit of the vine is making the same mistake as the one who substitutes sprinkling for immersion. One who observes the Lord’s supper for the wrong purpose is like the one who is baptized for the wrong purpose. Neither is obedience to God.

In the Bible, what did men do who had been baptized for the wrong purpose? In Acts 19:1-7, we read of about twelve men who had been baptized with John’s baptism. When they learned that John’s baptism, which had been in effect at one time, was no longer in effect, they were “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” They did not say, I ‘Well, God knew that we were sincere, so He will credit the right purpose to what we did,” or “you did not know everything about baptism yourself, so the purpose of our baptism is not important. ” They changed, and obeyed the truth!

A person does not have to possess “perfect knowledge” to obey any truth, but there is a vast difference between that and obeying error. You cannot believe error and obey truth!

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 12, pp. 355, 366
June 20, 1985

By Jimmy Tuten

Someone has said, “We have become keepers of the aquarium instead of fishers of men.” Most brethren seem content to “keep house” or to “hold our own.” We know that evangelism (the Greek term euangelizo means to proclaim glad tidings, euangelion is the good news we proclaim, euangelistes is the messenger who delivers good news and evangelism is the act of teaching men the gospel and bringing them to Christ) is the most pressing need of the church of the eighties. In particular, what is commonly referred to as “personal evangelism” is almost a thing of the past. Each day of delay in taking the gospel to the world, beginning at home, is to make the task of world evangelism bigger. The population of the nations of the world is mushrooming. If we neglect evangelism (personal evangelism is an important part of the over-all task), and omit it, all else is of little consequence. If we are unquestionably sound in doctrine but save no souls, what does it matter? If we erect notable edifices for assemblies and have outstanding lectureships and special classes, but fail to evangelize, it is all in vain. No matter how scriptural our worship is and the amount of edification derived from it; though our sermons are beautiful, scriptural and true, if we are not personally involved in the collective (1 Tim. 3:15) and individual (Rom. 1: 14) obligation of bearing the good news of salvation by winning souls to Christ, we fail. Most of the growth most congregations experience at the present comes from those who transfer from other congregations. Should we grow by gathering members from sister congregations and those who move in from afar, but not reach out in the name of the Lord to our neighbors who stand condemned in the judgment? No other accomplishment, however noble, will compensate for failure in this crucial area. If we have a name that we five, and a sparkling reputation, but do not seek the lost, we are sinners.

When zeal for the lost is omitted, serious consequences befall the church. The function of evangelism is vital and essential to the survival of the church. The decline or stagnation of God’s people in an exploding world population means a drastic reduction of our influence. In view of God’s judgments throughout the Old Testament always coming when there was not enough salt left to preserve, will we hasten the judgment day by reducing our influence? How can a diminishing church salt society with Christian morals and ethical standards? Evil men will wax worse and worse (2 Tim. 3:13). Too, a lessening interest in personal work is the root cause of most of our present problems. If we would get busy in saving the lost and think less of our reputations, we will not have time to scrutinize in a rupturing manner those who are working at evangelism, whether preachers, journalistic editors, or whosoever. The bottom line is that when a congregation ceases to be committed to saving the lost, she will ultimately cease to be faithful in other areas and will reach a state where she has nothing worth propagating. We are talking about the very pulse and heartbeat of the church. Where it stops, we are dead!

Why then do brethren not do personal work?

They Do Not Know

It is axiomatic that we cannot teach what we do not know. Far too many today cannot relate to others in an understandable way the simple plan of salvation with scriptural references. Just as God’s people of old were destroyed because of a lack of knowledge (Hos. 4:6), the brotherhood is on the brink, of chaos. If we ourselves do not fully grasp from a biblical standpoint who we are and what we are, how can we teach the uniqueness of the Lord’s precious body (Eph. 5)? It is no wonder that the church is becoming denominational and some have already gone throughout the community apologizing for sounding sectarian in preaching one church. We cannot continue in what we do not know (1 Tim. 4:16). How can we be a people of the Book when we do not know the Book? Brethren, it is time to get serious about your study of God’s Word. If all you know to do is to load the filmstrip (some can’t do this without tearing it) and plug in the electricity, you are not ready to teach a “home study” or anything else! Ignorance is not bliss and I weep for spiritual Israel, the church.

They Do Not Care

To be a Christian is to be a caring person (Rom. 12:15). Some do not know enough Bible to care about teaching it. Too many are not convinced that people who have never obeyed the gospel and/or not serving Jehovah faithfully in the church are lost. So many are lacking a deep-seated conviction pertaining to basic Bible doctrine. No wonder brethren are now saying, “There are sincere, knowledgeable, and devout Christians scattered among the different denominations” (Rubel Shelly). If we do not really believe that people in the world are lost, why should we care for them? There are more than four billion people in this world and more than 99% of the ones of a responsible age and mind are lost in sin! Less than 1/100th of 1% of the world’s population have embraced the real truth of the gospel. Brethren, don’t you care enough to try to change the situation by working in your circle of influence? God cares enough not to want anyone to perish (2 Pet. 3:9). Shouldn’t you? Jehovah’s sacrifice of His Son was the expression of a desire that all men “be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Don’t you care about the countless individuals out there in the world who worship in vain and teach for doctrines the commandments of men (Matt. 15:9)? And what about our own brethren who are going beyond the doctrine of Christ (2 Jn. 9)? We would not be what we are if someone had not cared for us. Who cares? How tragic! He who lives to himself and dies to himself, to himself and none beside, lives as though Christ never lived, as though He never died.

They Will Not Work

There are brethren who know the truth and care a little that millions are going to hell-they just don’t care enough to go to work on the matter! Some will not work because there are too many sluggards in the body of Christ. I know a preacher who has a booklet entitled: “How To Sell Without Working.” It was compiled from the combined experience of 25,000 salesmen over a period of twenty years. There are eight pages in the booklet, and all of them are blank! There is no way to save, souls without working at it. I think of “always abounding in the work of the Lord” ( Cor. 15:58), and I shudder. Brethren, if we know and if we care, let us work at the privilege of saving souls!

They Will Not Persist

There have been times when brethren knew the truth, cared enough for lost souls to go out and work at converting them to Christ. But, they didn’t work long enough! They gave up too soon. What if Peter had given up on the day of Pentecost before exhorting “with many other words” saying, “save yourselves” (Acts 2:40). Would the number who gladly received the Word have been about 3,000? What a golden virtue persistence is. The difference between persistence and stubbornness is that one is a strong will and the other is a strong won’t. Galatians 6:9 says that we should not be weary in well doing, for in due season we will reap, if we faint not. The anchor man on a mile relay team was told by his coach: “Son, if we are going to win this race, you are going to have to start running as fast as you dan and gradually run faster.” There is a difference between persistence and aggravation, perseverance and obnoxiousness, continuance and irritation. We need to learn these differences and not despair just because someone says, “Don’t push me!”

We should not give up simply because someone may appear unreachable. I learned this in South Carolina during my first preaching experience. There was a fine veterinarian who was a Catholic. I had dined with him on several occasions, and on each, I was trying to muster courage to ask him to let me study with him. I was persistent in associating with him until I finally blurted out to him, “I want to study with you!” I almost had a cardiovascular attack when in a split second he said, “I’ve been wondering when you were going to get around to that.” He then picked up his Bible and we studied together, even though the study had to continue on the way to and at a farmyard while he engaged in surgery. Yes, we baptized him. About eight years later there was a sweet, elderly gentleman who attended once at the insistence of his wife whom I had recently baptized. He bragged, in a good-natured way, that he had not been to church anywhere in forty years, and “there ain’t no preacher got to me yet.”‘ I was determined. I studied with him weeks without end. But I couldn’t baptize him. So I cooled it for a few weeks. One evening, I put the fishing waders that I had been using for Everglade fishing in the trunk of my Ford and went to his house with the determination that I would baptize him that night. I did I Since then I have baptized a dozen or more “faithful attenders” that other preachers had given up on. We need to be persistent in the Lord’s great cause.

Conclusion

What it all boils down to is that one cannot take “Go” out of the great commission (Matt. 28). We are like modern day salesmen whose only sales come from those who come to us. Too many time people have to come to us and express their desire to study instead of our going to them to express our desire to study with them. The last words of our Master were get up and go! Read it for yourselves (Matt. 28; Mk. 16). It will serve as a good reminder.

We had better get busy, for the first soul we may save may be our own!

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 11, pp. 332-333
June 6, 1985

By O.C. Birdwell and Mike Willis

On Sunday,. May 12 1985, brother Roy E. Cogdill attended both assemblies of the Fry Road congregation in Houston, Texas. During the afternoon, his four children called and visited with him by telephone. As he left the evening service, brother James Yates, a close personal friend and elder in the Fry Road church, helped him into the car. His last words to brother Yates were, “I love you.” He returned to his home and suffered a heart attack about 11:30 p.m. He died shortly thereafter.

Roy Edward Cogdill was born 24 April 1907 in Hobart Oklahoma. He died on 13 May 1985, being 78 years Q 21 days in age. He is survived by his wife Venita; four children-Martha Nell Davis, Pamela Ann Northcutt, John Mark and Phillip Roy Cogdill; two sisters — Ida Terral and Ethel Randolph; eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

His funeral was conducted Wednesday, IS May 1985, in the building of the Fry Road congregation in Houston, Texas. After a group sang “Others,” the obituary was read by Harold Fite, the local evangelist. This was followed by the singing of “Walk Beside Me,” an old favorite of brother Cogdill. His mother frequently sang it when brother Cogdill was growing up.

Brother Clinton Hamilton, from Florida, made several personal remarks about brother Cogdill’s fife. He met brother Cogdill while attending Freed-Hirdeman College when brother Cogdill, who was then about 35 years old, spoke on campus. They had remained close friends for 43 years Brother Hamilton related that he had asked his wife Margaret what brother Cogdill’s most outstanding character trait was. She emphasized that he was a cuing person who was tender in his emotions toward people. Brother Hamilton commented that though many have seen him as a man who would not compromise the word of truth, most were unaware of how tender brother Cogdill was.

Brother Hamilton also commented on brother Cogdill’s sermon delivery. His legal background enabled him to logically analyze the Scriptures and deal with the overall problem under discussion. His sermons contained spiritual meat and had power. He recalled especially his sermon on “The Trial of Jesus.”

Brother Cogdill’s sacrificial living was also mentioned., He sacrificed a successful law practice to be a gospel preacher. He gave of his personal possessions for the cause of Christ. He and his family made many sacrifices of time and personal comforts in order that the gospel might be preached. Trying to constrain his emotions, brother Hamilton closed by saying, “It was good that he was here.”

Brother Glenn Tomblin lead the congregation in singing “There Is A God.” Then, brother James Yates paid his final respects to brother Cogdill. He emphasized that brother Cogdill was such a good preacher because of his strong conscience, determination, natural ability, his mastery of the English language, and his faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He commented that brother Cogdill loved and served the brethren, being willing to involve himself in any battle in which brethren had problems which needed to be solved.

He compared brother Cogdill to a lion where the truth of God’s word was at stake and then to a teddy bear when dealing with people. He emphasized that brother Cogdill had presented his life for the service of God. “He was not without his faults. He was a man whose faults were overlooked by those who loved him and exaggerated by those who did not,” brother Yates said. Speaking of their close personal friendship, brother Yates’ voice began to break. He was visibly touched by the loss of a close friend.

The congregation was lead in prayer and in the singing.. of “Precious Memories.” Then brother James W. Adams delivered a lesson based on 2 Timothy 4:1-8. He concentrated on the three figures of speech used in verses 6-8 to describe brother Cogdill:

1. He Fought A Good Fight. The comparison of the Christian to a soldier in battle emphasized the militancy of the gospel. He described brother Cogdill as a soldier ready to do battle for truth and added that neither he nor brother Cogdill made any apologies for being a soldier ready to do battle for truth.

2. He Finished His Course. This emphasized perseverance in serving the Lord. Brother Cogdill was a man who had perseverance of character. If he believed he was right and thought something should be done, he would not quit until it was done.

3. He Kept The Faith. This emphasizes that the gospel is something which has been entrusted to us and we are responsible for passing down to the next generation. Brother Cogdill had no room for one who was not faithful in keeping the faith; he wanted nothing to do with one who had a spirit of compromising the faith which had been entrusted to him by God. He felt that he should be a “keeper of orthodoxy” or “keeper of the faith,” and he was “set for the defense.”

Brother Adams pointed the family to the hope of the gospel-the hope of the resurrection of the body and the glorious entrance into the eternal kingdom where one can forever dwell in the presence of God. He reminded us, “I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me” (2 Sam. 12:23).

After brother Adams concluded his remarks, brother Yates thanked those who came to the funeral, on behalf of the family, for their many kindnesses. As the people viewed the body of brother Cogdill for the last time, the group of singers comforted those in attendance by singing “Sun Of My Soul,” “Blest Be The Tie,” and several other familiar hymns.

Following the Houston service, brother Cogdill’s body was taken to Hobart, Oklahoma, the place of his birth, for interment on Thursday, 16 May 1985. Along with the family, brethren Fite, Yates, and Adams made the trip to Oklahoma for the service.

The Guardian of Truth is making arrangements for a special issue in loving memory and honor of brother Cogdill whose influence for good can be accurately measured only by God. Many of us have benefitted from his books The New Testament Church and Walking By Faith. We owe a debt to brother Cogdill, and many other preachers like him, who have passed down to us the gospel of Christ without addition or deletion. Because of this, we intend a future issue to be in his memory as soon as preparations can be completed.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 11, pp. 328-329
June 6, 1985