Truth Magazine

By Dusty Owens

In Genesis 3:4 we read, “And the serpent said to the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die.'” The serpent was the devil and the woman was Eve. The devil had just reversed what God had told Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:16-17 “. . .for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Adam and Eve gave in to the reasoning of Satan and died as God said they would!

From the beginning Satan has been an adversary of man and, therefore, of God. The word “adversary” I means “opponent” or “enemy.” It was often used in a legal sense to mean “an accuser.” The Greek word diabolos, from which we get “devil,” means “accuser” or “slanderer.” Satan does everything in his power to bring people under his influence and away from a proper relationship with God. Peter warned, “Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).

Satan is devious and cunning. He has many tricks in his bag and can even present himself in such a way as to fool even the elect. Paul, like Peter, warned Christians “that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor. 2:11). Later, Paul pointed out that Satan will use men as his agents to teach false doctrines. “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light” (11:13-15). Don’t expect Satan to work on you in some mysterious way; he will always use human agency!

Satan will try to reverse the moral principles of Jesus’ teaching. Witness the lowering of the moral standards in the past 20 years. Those things that used to be considered shameful are now practiced openly as “alternate lifestyles.” The devil has convinced many to “live it up, you only go around once” and “I’m doing my thing my way.” Read Romans 1:18-32 and Galatians 5:19-24.

Satan has also convinced religious people that it is not necessary to do everything Jesus commanded that infant church to do. Men through the centuries have taken the liberty to change the nature and the frequency of the Lord’s Supper, the process of rebirth, the worship service, the mission of the church, the mode and purpose of baptism, and we could go on.

God has stated His will quite clearly in the gospel of His Son. We have no authority to tamper with it, to change it, or to reverse anything that God has revealed for us to obey (Gal. 1: 8-9; 2 Jn. 9-11). Remember what Satan did to Eve in the Garden of Eden?

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 24, p. 751
December 20, 1984

By Bob Saffett

The word “oneness” is defined as “the quality or state or fact of being one, as a. singleness, b. integrity, wholeness, c. harmony, d. sameness, identity, e. unity, union ” (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, p. 801). Although the word ” oneness” is not found in the Bible, the concept of the “oneness of the church” is. This can be seen in the claims of the Bible as to the “singleness” of the church and the “unity” that is to be in the church.

First, let us look at the “oneness” of the church in regard to its number. The apostle Paul, in writing to the church at Ephesus, said, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph. 4.4-6). He had said earlier in that same letter, “And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in aIP’ (Eph. 1:22-23). From these verses we can safely conclude that there is but one church or body, just as there is but one Lord and one God and Father, and one Spirit.

As we read through the pages of the New Testament, we read of only one church. That there would be but one church is a fact which was clearly established before the church even came into existence. After Peter had made the statement that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God, ” Jesus answered Him saying, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it” (Mt. 16:16-18). Notice that Jesus said that He would build His “church,” not His “churches”! Those who claim otherwise do so without the backing of the Scriptures.

Second, there is the “oneness” of the church in regards to its unity within the body. Recently, there has been a number of appeals for unity among the churches of Christ. That would indeed be a wonderful thing? As the psalmist expressed it, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” (Psa. 133: 1). This should be the desire of each and every child of God, for it is also the desire of our Lord: “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me. and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us,* that the world may believe that thou didst send Me” (Jn. 17:20-21). But how must this unity be obtained?

This is the problem with many of the appeals for unity. The means often suggested whereby this unity may be attained are contrary to the teachings of the Bible. The denominational world believes that unity can be achieved in spite of the many doctrinal differences which exist among them. Many of our own brethren are now beginning to think in this same way and suggesting that we can have unity in spite of our doctrinal differences I Some have even gone so far as to extend this appeal for unity on these grounds to some of the denominational bodies!

There is only one basis upon which we can appeal for unity. Upon hearing of the divisions that existed in Corinth, the apostle Paul said, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). Divisions will continue as long as we are unable to agree on these differences and “speak the same things” (KJV)! It is impossible for us to be what the Lord would have us to be and unite ourselves with those who teach and practice things which are contrary to the Word of God. Paul also wrote to the Corinthians: “Do not be bound together with unbelievers, for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?” (2 Cor. 6:14-15). Unless it is achieved in this manner, there is no real unity!

This, then, is our plea: Let there be but one body, and let that body be one! And let us strive to accomplish this through Bible ways!

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 24, p. 747
December 20, 1984

By Luther Martin

In the beginning, the race of man had but one language or speech. Thus, without any “language barrier” mankind was able to plan and work together to accomplish goals that were either good or evil, but evil prevailed.

Genesis 11I tells of a man’s desire to build a tower that would reach to heaven. The builders concluded that they would “make a name for themselves,” by so-doing. Both the Assyrian and Babylonian people were noted for their “ziggurats,” which was a terraced tower in the form of a pyramid. It may be that the Tower of Babel was one of these. In any event, because of their desire to construct for themselves a monument, a project that was purely built to foster their own pride and self-importance, the God of heaven determined to prevent this project from being completed. God did this by “confusing their speech. ” They could no longer communicate among themselves, and this was the beginning of the languages or tongues of men.

The Miracle Of Speaking In Foreign Languages

When the Lord’s church was established in the city of Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost (A.D. 33), one of the noted aids that God provided for His spokesmen, was that of accomplishing “oneness of speech.”

They began “to speak with other tongues” (Acts 2:4). “Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because they were each one hearing them speak in his own language. And they began to be amazed and to marvel, saying, ‘Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?” (Acts 2:5-8). Then followed a listing of sixteen or more different dialects and languages represented by the Jews who had gathered at Jerusalem.

It had only been a short time before, that Jesus, before His ascension into heaven, had instructed the apostles to go and make disciples of all the nations. This required the ability to communicate in the many different languages with which the apostles were unfamiliar. Mark 16:20 records: “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.” One of several signs or evidences of their apostleship was the ability to speak in languages that were unknown to them, and to resist assassination by poisoning or the bite of deadly serpents (Mk. 16:17-20).

As the Lord’s church continued to spread, the ability to teach the gospel to people of other languages became very necessary. But once again, man’s pride contributed to his troubles. The Christians in the congregation at Corinth, to whom the apostles had imparted some “spiritual gifts,” took pride in demonstrating their “gift” or imparted-ability, to speak in another language, to interpret other tongues, or in a proud way, demonstrate some other spiritual gift. So, the apostle Paul found it needful to devote a portion of his first letter to the Corinthians, reprimanding them for their abuse of “spiritual gifts.” Incidentally, the total purpose of miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit was to aid the spread of the gospel of Christ, and its acceptance by those who were taught. The miracles and “gifts” were not to unduly prolong anyone’s life, but to insure that the Apostles would live long enough to take the gospel of Christ to the inhabited world, and this they did!

The Gospel To The English

The religion of Christ was introduced into the British Isles very early, anno domini, possibily as early as the second century. There was no Bible as yet, in the Saxon language. Religion was spread totally through the oral proclamation of the gospel. Few people could read and write, and as we have already indicated, there were no Bibles in the Saxon language to read. The mixture of dialects of the Vikings, the Danes, the Picts, the Scots, and the Normans served as continuing barriers that complicated communication between the various parts of the British Isles.

It was not until the middle of the seventh century that any material was prepared in the Anglo-Saxon tongue, and then there were episodes from the Bible set in poetic form, by Bede, who preserved some of these as written by a fellow named Caedmon. There were other poets in this century, who covered parts of England and recited or sang their poems relating biblical stories.

The first actual translation of any part of the Scriptures into Anglo-Saxon was done in the early eighth century by Aldhelin. Then Egbert produced a copy of the four gospels in Anglo-Saxon English.

The First English Bible By Wycliffe

John Wycliffe’s life spanned 1320-1384. He was educated at Oxford. He was a long-tenured and popular faculty member at Oxford. In 1366 he spoke out with approval, when the English Parliament refused to send monies to the Pope in Rome. He thus soon became a popular orator, reformer, and opponent of the Roman Church. By 1380 Wycliffe translated the New Testament into English, and the Old Testament was finished by about 1382. He gathered together a good number of itinerant teachers and preachers who covered England with Wycliffe’s Bible, as well as taught it across the English countryside. These were termed “Loliards” usually by their opponents . . . meaning “one who mumbles.” It is estimated that half of England began to shun the church of Rome and to embrace the teaching of Wycliffe.

Roman Catholic Opposition To The Bible In English

In the year 1408 the “Archbishop of Canterbury,” Arundel by name, decreed that any person be jailed who read Wycliffe’s Bible or his writings in the province of Canterbury. Six years later (1414), it was decreed that all persons who read the Bible in English would lose their lands, cattle, goods, and their lives . . . from their heirs forever. Although Wycliffe’s Bible had to be written by hand, there are still known to be nearly two hundred of them, all written in the first quarter of the fifteenth century.

At this same time, the Papacy in Rome was having its own problems. What was called the “Great Schism” prevailed from 1379 until 1417. During this period, there were occasionally as many as three rival “Popes,” all claiming to be the head of the Roman Church, and each excommunicating the other. There was a series of Popes reigning from Avignon in France. Finally, one faction assembled a “Council” known as the Council of Constance. It was this august body that had Wycliffe’s remains dug up, burned, and his ashes scattered upon the waters of the river Swift. Such was the violence and vehemence of the Roman Catholic Church against the memory of the man who first provided the Bible in the English language to the common people of England. Incidentally, one of the rival popes was named John XXIII (John 23rd). In an effort to erase from history the shame and disgrace of the “Great Schism” as well as their treatment of Wycliffe’s body, another “John 23rd” was elevated to the Papal throne in the mid-twentieth century, and Catholicism now denies that the first Pope John XXIII was ever actually a “Pope.”

Conclusion

The ability to communicate, to teach the Gospel of Christ, is the most important task that is to be shouldered by man. It is God’s plan that faithful men in every generation communicate God’s soul-saving Word to the lost and dying world. Since the invention of printing, the Word of God has been translated and published in some 1,700 different languages and dialects.

Equally important today is the spread of the Gospel of Christ by means of the electronic media, radio and television. But in order for the Gospel to be understood, the study of language and dialects must be pursued diligently. The continuing study of the language of mankind is vital to the continued spread of God’s Word, and thus God’s influence in the world.

Guardian of Truth XXVIII: 24, pp. 745-746
December 20, 1984