Truth Magazine

By Ron Halbrook

Some things ought not change in our world of change. Those who walk in a steady pattern encourage the rest of us by making us realize that we can do the same. Christians who “rejoice evermore” and who “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:16-17) are likely to have children who follow that example. When we see Christians who long for God’s Word like the baby longs for its mother’s milk, when we see that they search “the scriptures daily,” it inspires others among us to form the same healthy habit (1 Pet. 2:2; Acts 17:11). These are patterns that ought not to change with the times and we should thank Christians who help us to learn such lessons.

Forsake Not Assembling

Aged people may think their influence for good passed with the years. Not so! The constant faith and cheerful greetings of bedfast saints are lessons emblazoned in our memory, bearing fruit to this day. We have preached in several places where some aged believer attended every service – in pain, perhaps led by the hand because of fading sight, in a wheelchair, standing through part of the service because of back ailments, or coming and going by a short shuffle of the feet because of waning strength in the legs. One severely afflicted young man we knew attended all of the services – on a stretcher. The example of steadfastness in public worship reflects, first of all, a steadfast faith in the Lord, but it is also a means by which we “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Acts 2:42; Heb. 10:24-25). This unchanging pattern encourages others of us to emulate the example.

Hospitality Shown

Aged widows sometimes apologize that they are unable to do more, but one such lady writes letters to her family and neighbors encouraging them to study the Bible – and includes tracts to stimulate the exercise. Such ladies do more than they know. Widows and other Christians we know have encouraged us to learn 1 Peter 4:9 by their practicing it over and over. It says, “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.” What a bright spot in this dark world we see because Christians express the warmth and love of hospitality. We pause from life’s busy work to say, “Thank you for this encouragement.”

Wedding Anniversaries Encourage

“What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt. 19:6). The marriage bond ought not to be broken. Every wedding anniversary is a reminder of this great truth – something has been preserved for another year, something that ought to be unchanging. A fiftieth anniversary impresses the lesson in a striking way because the pitfalls and difficulties to be faced during half a century are naturally many and varied. We wish to thank publicly brother and sister Yater Tant for the encouragement they have given to many of us by marking that very post on 17 September 1981:

Warmest congratulations on your fiftieth wedding anniversary!

I just learned about it, so the greeting is belated. But what a wonderful milestone !that’s milestone, not millstone – as some regard longevity in marriage these days!! It is a major achievement in your own life, but it is also an inspiration to the lives of many others.

One of the high spots in my life was my association with Henry S. Ficklin, a gospel preacher who lived to the age of (I believe) 92 years. Just knowing him provided “fuel” to keep me going, to determine to keep on and on and on in the Lord’s service. Knowing aged widows whose lives are limited in many ways is just such an inspiration, too, though they often feel their influence doesn’t count for much anymore. The message that comes through is this: If these aged saints were able to continue in loving and faithful service to the Master decade after decade in the face of life’s trials and tribulations, then so can I.

That is the same message which comes to me from knowing people like yourself who have preserved the marriage bond decade after decade in the face of life’s trials and tribulations.

May God grant that you will have many more years together, so that the message may become indelibly etched on the hearts of preachers and other Christians in my generation – beginning with me.

Having celebrated our fourteenth anniversary with my own wife on 26 December, it might be well to say that her endurance record encourages me, too. If she can “stick it out” – her, the weaker vessel – then surely I can! May God help us both to realize that the marriage bond ought never to be broken no matter how much the world around us changes.

All of us may be discouraged from time to time in the duties and relationships of this life and in our service to the Lord. This fact makes us realize how important are all the consolations and encouragements given by the Lord -including those given to us through our fellow servants. We should enter the closet and thank God in secret prayer. We can thank Him in public prayers. How else can we thank Him? Let us learn to say more often to each one who helps us along the way, “Thank you for the encouragement!” There are many I need to thank. I hope some whom I have forgotten to thank will read these lines: “Thank you for every encouragement.”

Guardian of Truth XXVI: 6, pp. 87-88
February 11, 1982

By O. C. Birdwell, Jr.

In a series of articles we are looking at the seven characteristics, commonly called “graces,” which Peter commands to be added to our faith (2 Pet. 1:5-9). Knowledge is the second one given and the one for this week’s study.

The word “knowledge” is from gnosis which means, “primarily a seeking to know, an enquiry, investigation, denotes, in the N.T. knowledge, especially of spiritual truth . . . ” (W.E. Vine). In this quotation from Vine, let us underline and place a special emphasis on his words, in the New Testament knowledge is especially of spiritual truth. Let us remember that we are not instructed to add just any kind of knowledge to our faith.

One’s initial faith must be predicated upon knowledge.

Paul said, “So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). Hearing the right thing (the word of Christ) brings about the knowledge essential for faith in Jesus as the Son of God. Yet, there is further knowledge which must be added to one’s faith. This knowledge may come after one becomes a child of God and relates to the growth and development of the Christian. It is this further knowledge which Peter enjoins upon us in 2 Peter 1:5 to which we are directing our attention at this time.

Knowledge that is added to our faith also comes from hearing. The Great Commission was, “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: . . . ” (Matt. 28:19, 20). Baptized people are to be taught to observe what Jesus commanded. After about 3,000 were baptized on the day of Pentecost, the account says that they “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching . . .” (Acts 2:41, 42). We, presently, have inspired teaching by the apostles and other New Testament writers. It is contained in the book we call the Bible. This written teaching which instructs us is what the early disciples heard presented orally. We read, hear read, study, and apply the Scriptures. Paul said, “Study to show thyself approved unto God . . .” (2 Tim. 2:15). Knowledge is added to our faith through such study.

Knowledge that is to be added to our faith is knowledge of spiritual truth. The Bible is the only source book. Let commentaries, workbooks, study guides, film strips, etc., serve only as aids. The Bible alone should be the text. It alone is authoritative.

This knowledge is essential in teaching others. Paul wrote, “And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). Here so briefly and simply given, are qualifications for a preacher. One must be faithful, with a knowledge of inspired Scripture, and with the ability to teach. If one is faithful with adequate knowledge, the ability to teach may be much more readily attained. Special “teacher training classes” often overlook the most important element – Bible knowledge. Generally the best teacher training classes are not in the use of aids or in the employment of gimmicks, but in a textual study of books of the Bible, Proper Bible Division, Old Testament Studies, The Life of Christ, The Journeys and Teachings of Paul, The Scheme of Redemption, and other such Biblical themes. Too many want a quick dose of “teach me to teach,” as though such can be given with a hypodermic needle. Knowledge comes by reading, discussion, meditation, and application. Include in this listing fervent prayer, and one might even obtain wisdom along with his knowledge.

Guardian of Truth XXVI: 6, pp. 86-87
February 11, 1982

By Earl E. Robertson

The Church Of The Lord (2)

Having been born again, born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5), one becomes a new creature in Christ. Paul said, “Put on the new man. . . ” (Eph. 4:24). The infinitive “put on” demands action! The adjective “new” is used in the nominative case and, therefore, names the kind or character of man demanded in the new creature. Only those born of water and Spirit enter the kingdom or church of the Lord. With this new relationship established with the Lord comes responsibilities. From this figure of a birth then comes growth. The growth of a Christian is dependent upon the word of God and one’s attitude toward it. Peter says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Pet. 2:2). “Thereby” shows one’s development stems from and is circumscribed by the word of God. Spiritual growth in righteousness is not, therefore, by the creeds and manuals of men, but by the living and inerrant word of the living God.

God’s word “is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16, 17). A child of God might as well forget about growing to maturity in the Lord, if he neglects to study the Scriptures. Herein lies one of the sad plights in the Lord’s church today. Not many are willing to study faithfully and diligently; rather, many are satisfied to let others do the studying for them. The growing Christian is the one who delights in a constant meditation on the law of his Maker (Psa. 1:1). God’s people, Israel, were destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6); where there is no vision the people perish (Prov. 29:18). Israel was instructed, “Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read” (Isa. 34:16); surely, God’s people today cannot have less expected of them! (cf. 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Tim. 4:13). The church is the support of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15), but if His people do not know the truth, the task will not be faithfully and successfully accomplished. Without proper understanding obedience is impossible (cf. Acts 8:30, 31; Eph. 5:17). It is in this area that error is taught and supported; unrighteousness and ungodliness are tolerated and supported; churches lose their identity with the Lord and sinners stay lost.

Guardian of Truth XXVI: 6, p. 86
February 11, 1982

By Steve Wolfgang

Baptism And Salvation

In an article discussing the definition of baptism, which appeared in this journal some time ago, we noted that “many who would leave baptism so undefined also deny the necessity of the act for salvation.” Such individuals ignore or pervert passages such as 1 Peter 3:21 (“the like figure whereunto baptism doth also now save us”) or Mark 16:16 (“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved”). We recently heard an illustration of such an effort on a television program regularly featuring Jerry Falwell (of “Moral Majority” fame). A guest speaker on that program made the following argument. “It is true,” said he, “that one should be baptized, but it is not absolutely necessary, because in the phrase ‘He that gets on a plane and is seated shall arrive at his destination’ everyone recognizes that getting on the plane is essential to reaching the destination, but sitting down is not; one will get to the destination whether he sits or not, as long as he gets on the plane. Now, any fool knows you ought to sit down, but it is not necessary” (chuckles from audience).

Those familiar with the past controversy on the role of baptism will recognize this as nothing more than a warmed-over re-hash (though modernized somewhat/ of an “argument” made popular by the Baptist debater Ben Bogard.(1) Bogard was an Arkansan who was perhaps as well-known a half-century ago as Jerry Falwell is today. He used an earlier version (involving a train) to construct the following “parallel:”

He that believeth and is baptized shall he saved

He that gets on the train and sits down shall go to Little Rock

Bogard argued that while there are advantages to sitting down once one is on the train, one will still arrive at the destination whether he sits or not; likewise, while one should be baptized, it is not absolutely necessary since he is saved by faith only regardless of what else he may do.

If one were to dignify such an argument by replying on a serious level, one could simply point out that an analogy (even a good one, which this one is not) does not prove a proposition; it merely illustrates (and then only if valid). If you have no doubts about the validity of this analogy, try that line on the stewardess the next time you fly and see where it gets you.

However, the best answer may be the one used by W. Curtis Porter, a gospel preacher, to reply to Bogard’s illustration. If one diagrams what Bogard, Falwell, and many other denominationalists actually teach (“He that believeth is saved and can be baptized if he chooses”), and parallel that with the inane plane or train illustration, it comes out like this: “He that gets on the train is in Little Rock already and doesn’t need to sit down!”(2)

We conclude this article simply by pointing out that from the very first preaching of the gospel of Christ on the day of Pentecost, people who inquired as to what to do to be saved were told, “Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins.” When one studies the history of the early church and the letters written to those churches by Christ’s apostles, one learns that this was a universal requirement for salvation and for inclusion in the body of the saved, the church. We are simply trying to teach the same thing today. Have you obeyed this fundamental command?

Endnotes

1. Bogard made this argument in some of his later debates (for instance, with N.B. Hardeman in 1938 at Little Rock, pp. 136-7, 156; with Eugene Smith in 1942 at Dallas, Texas, p. 150; and with W. Curtis Porter in 1948 at Damascus, Arkansas, pp. 311-312!. Often, as in the Smith and Hardemen debates, Bogard would save the argument for late in the debate, even introducing it in the last negative speech of the Smith debate, where no reply was possible at the time. In his earlier debates, as with Joe Warlick !a written debate published serially in the Gospel Advocate in 1914!, he argued instead that Mark 16:16 is a spurious passage (pp. 43, 52f., 62f). However, in other debates with denominationalists such as LN. Penick and Aimee Semple McPherson, he freely used Mark 16 as an authoritative passage. This vacillation lead N.B. Hardeman to characterize Bogard’s views on the subject as “off again, on again, gone again, Flanagan” (Hardeman-Board Debate, pp. 146-147).

It is interesting to read Bogard’s account of his encounters with Hardeman, Smith, Porter, Warlick, C.R. Nichol, and other gospel preachers whom he debated, in his biography, The Life and Works of Benjamin Marcus Bogard, by L.D. Forman and Alta Payne (Little Rock, Arkansas: Seminary Press, 1966, 3 volumes). Volume II, pp. 17-135 contain his reminiscences of debates with many of those he styled “Campbellites.”

2. Porter also pointed out that Bogard’s own “parallel” makes even faith non-essential, since he paralleled it with “getting on the train.” Bogard simply reminded him that one does not have to get on a train to go to Little Rock; there are many ways by which one may travel – foot, horseback, wagon, or, to use our modern Baptist’s version, airplane. Thus, even if the “analogy” were valid for the elimination of baptism, it would also eliminate the necessity of faith in order to be saved (Porter-Board Debate, pp. 327-328).

Porter used the same line of reasoning to refute the train argument made by Glenn V. Tingley of the Christian-Missionary Alliance at Birmingham, Alabama, in 1947 (pp. 106, 120-21).

Guardian of Truth XXVI: 6, p. 85
February 11, 1982