Truth Magazine

By John Haley, Jr. M.D.

On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that unborn humans were not legal “persons.” The out shoot of this decision was the inevitable philosophy that an unborn child is the property of the owner (mother) and, at her request, the pregnancy can be terminated at any time until birth. Since that time, the term “abortion on demand” has become common place and so-called “abortion clinics” have flourished. Against this background of more liberal thinking concerning abortion, many Christians have felt the need to step back and take a more careful look into the subject. The result? Much debate and many questions!

One very practical question which has resulted, especially in the minds of young couples who are interested in a safe, convenient, and above all scriptural method of birth control is the question regarding the mode of action of the I.U.D. What about the I.U.D.? How does it work? Does its use violate my convictions on abortion? Before we attempt to answer these questions, let’s make sure we all understand the terms we are using.

The I.U.D. (intra-uterine device) is a small plastic or metal device that is inserted into the cavity of the uterus via the vagina for the purpose of birth control. Ancient Egyptian camel drivers, over 2500 years ago, inserted apricot seeds into the uterine cavity of their beasts of burden before a long journey to prevent pregnancy; and so the method is not at all new.

Modern devices used in humans are approximately 97% effective. Complications of the device are few, side effects are usually minimal, and this method of birth control probably heads the list in terms of convenience. It is only natural, then, that many Christian couples for years have chosen this as the most acceptable or expedient method of preventing pregnancy. But on closer observation, is it indeed an acceptable or expedient method?

The answer to this, of course, hinges (at least in the minds of those who believe abortion is sinful) on whether or not the I.U.D. is a contraceptive or an abortive agent. By contraceptive agent, we mean that which prevents conception or fertilization of the ovum or egg. By abortive agent, we mean that which prevents the conceptus (that which has been conceived), or the fertilized ovum, from continuing in its normal growth process.* After consulting with several specialists in this area and reading several reports, it is clear that there is no scientific proof into which of these categories the I.U.D. falls. It has generally been assumed that the I.U.D. acts as an abortive agent. Various theories have been proposed. One such theory is that the I.U.D. stimulates the production of certain cells which destroy the fertilized ovum before implantation. Another theory is that by its mechanical presence, it either prevents implantation of the tiny embryo or shortly after implantation dislodges it. There are other theories but they can be summarized by saying that by some mechanism the I.U.D. creates an “unfavorable environment” for the reproductive process of the fertilized ovum to continue in a normal manner, thus aborting the conceptus.

A few papers have theorized that the cells stimulated by the I.U.D. may destroy the sperm prior to union with the egg or that it stimulates the egg to pass through the fallopian tube so rapidly that fertilization does not take place. If this be its mode of action, it then becomes a contraceptive rather than an abortive agent.

In summary, I think it would be fair to state that from a scientific standpoint, although not proven, most authorities look upon the I. U.D. as abortificient in its action. From a moral standpoint, then, the Christian must take this information, along with any other available to him, carefully put it all together and determine whether or not in his own mind the use of the I.U.D. is a matter of faith or doubt (Rom. 14:23).1 hope this article will aid in making this judgment.

*We use the term abortion in its normal scientific sense, i.e., “The premature expulsion from the uterus of the products of conception,” conception, of course, occurring at the time of impregnation of the ovum by the sperm (Darland’s Medical Dictionary).

I point this out because some use the term abortion to refer to termination of the pregnancy only during the earlier portion of pregnancy and the term “miscarriage” to the latter portion of pregnancy. It should be understood that these terms are arbitrary and the critical issue with regard to the moral implications hinges on the question “when does the embryo or fetus receive its eternal spirit from God?” Is it at conception, at birth, or at some point between? This fundamental question is beyond the realm of science and falls squarely in the realm of theology. Obviously, we have not dealt with it and use this occasion to challenge the editor to do so in the near future.

Guardian of Truth XXV: 20, p. 313
May 14, 1981

By Johnny Stringer

As we demonstrated in the preceding article, with the one exceptional case of Cornelius, the only Christians to receive miraculous spiritual endowments were the apostles and those on whom the apostles laid their hands. This leads us to conclude that the miraculous endowments would cease after the death of the apostles and those on whom the apostles had laid their hands. God evidently had no intention for these powers to continue after the apostolic age. The reason for this was that they would not be needed beyond that age. In this article, we will see that the supernatural endowments served two primary purposes, neither of which continued to exist beyond the apostolic period.

The first purpose was the revelation of God’s word. In the first century the New Testament had not been written down in its completed form as we have it today; rather, it was in the process of being revealed to men. God’s word, therefore, was given supernaturally to the Christians of that time by the Spirit. The preceding article pointed out that the apostles received revelation in this manner and were enabled to convey infallibly the truth which was revealed to them (John 14:26; 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:12-13; 1 Tim. 4:1). Additionally, some of the spiritual gifts received by other brethren were for that purpose. Among the gifts listed in 1 Cor. 12 were the gifts of prophecy (v. 10) and knowledge (v. 8). Though it may not be possible to determine the exact nature of every one of the gifts listed, the gifts of prophecy and knowledge would surely involve the revelation of truth. The New Testament prophet’s role in this regard is mentioned in 1 Cor. 14:31 and Eph. 3:3-5.

The second primary purpose of the supernatural endowments was the confirmation or verification that the teaching was truly divine. Since the Christians of the first century claimed to be receiving a new revelation from God, it was necessary for them to provide evidence to verify this claim. Hence, they received supernatural powers to heal and perform other such miracles; it is specifically stated that these miracles were signs to confirm that their message was divine (Mk. 16:17-20; Heb. 2:3-4; 2 Cor. 12:12). The gift of tongues was for a sign to unbelievers (1 Cor. 14:22). The fact that one could speak in a language which he had never, studied before would be quite a sign; a reading of Acts’ 2 shows how it amazed the multitude on Pentecost. Similarly, the miracles of Jesus had been for signs to verify His claim that He was the Son of God (John 20:30-31).

Since the supernatural powers were for the purposes of revealing the truth and confirming the revelation that was being made, the need for them was limited to the time in which the truth was being revealed. It is a fact that the truth has now been fully revealed. Since Jesus promised His apostles that they would be guided into all truth (John 16:13), we must conclude that all truth – the complete revelation – was given during the lives of the apostles. Inasmuch as the truth has been fully revealed, we do not now need supernatural powers to serve that purpose. Moreover, since men are not now receiving divine revelation directly from God, there is no new revelation to be confirmed by miracles; the revelation given in the first century was adequately confirmed by those who received it then. Having served their purposes, the supernatural powers have ceased, just as the scaffolding is removed when the building is finished and it is no longer needed.

Sometimes it is argued that miracles are still needed to confirm that the Bible is from God, just as they were needed in the first century for that purpose. This reasoning involves the erroneous assumption that signs have to be repeated for each new generation. It is assumed that miracles which occurred in the first century are not sufficient to convince those who were not then alive to witness them. That this is a false assumption is clear from John 20:30-31, in which John said,

And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

John said that his readers would be convinced, not by personally witnessing miracles, but by reading about the miracles that were done in the first century. We have seen no such miracles as were performed in the first century, but we read the testimony of credible, reliable witnesses, such as John, who did see the miracles; and by reading of the wonderful works to which they testify, we are convinced. John 20:30-31 clearly shows that miracles do not have to be repeated for each new generation. Whether it is the miracles of Jesus or the miracles of His followers, the principle is the same: once a fact has been adequately verified by miracles, it does not have to be re-verified for later generations by more miracles. The fact is that the so-called miracles performed by men today are not of such a nature as to convince unbelievers, anyway, as will be shown in a later article.

If we were receiving new revelations of truth from God, we would need to be able to perform miracles to prove these revelations to be divine. In the first century Christians did have new revelation, and they confirmed it by miracles (Mk. 16:17-20; Heb. 2:2-4). These signs do not have to be repeated for each new generation; rather, each new generation can read of the miracles of the first century and see that the word was confirmed by the abundance of miracles which accompanied it. Thus, Paul’s affirmation that spiritual gifts would cease (1 Cor. 13) has come to pass. Our next article will deal with Paul’s prediction in 1 Cor. 13.

Guardian of Truth XXV: 20, p. 312
May 14, 1981

By William C. Sexton

In 1966, I moved to St. Joseph, Missouri to work with the 10th and Lincoln street church of Christ. Shortly thereafter, I learned that a couple of families had moved to Beatrice, Nebraska. Upon my inquiry, I found that one of them was Bob and Viola Richardson, one son and two daughters. These families tried to worship with the congregation in the city, but found that their views relative to institutionalism, centralized control and social gospelism were too far apart to work together in good conscience. A new work was started, meeting at first in Richardson’s home. Over the years I preached for them several times. I saw them rent a small building across town and, a few years ago, purchase a building at 7th and Bell. Bob was a “rock” in the foundation, so to speak, of the work; he never gave up; he was always pushing onward and upward. They had another boy named Matthew.

Sunday morning he suffered a massive hemagogue, passing away around 1:00 p.m. Monday morning, February 23, I received a call,,brother David Odom telling of his death. Wednesday I was present and participated in the funeral services with David Odom, who works with the congregation, and Leon Odom from Midland, Texas conducting the services.

Brother Leon called him a “rock,” in the foundation, pointing to his contributions to the work and his influence in the community: the building was full of people, indicating his influence over the sixteen years in the community. Brother Leon has held a number of meetings over the years there and has known the family well. He pointed to the need for some one to pick up where Bob has left off and carry on – since neither Bob nor any of us are indispensable!

Hearts were sad to be sure, for the loss of a beloved, dedicated, faithful brother. There were no tears of hopelessness, however: we believe that he lived a faithful life. Of course, we do not know the real spiritual condition of any person’s heart and we do not mean to imply that we do; but he died in hope, and he left an example that we hope his children, wife, and friends will find worthy of reflecting on favorably and trying to live a better life.

Yes, a saint is dead. but we do not “sorrow” as those who “have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13ff). We are pleased to have had the opportunity of knowing and working with him, such a dedicated brother in this life. His passing is just a reminder that we all, too, shall pass and we do not know when. Let us labor then in hope, knowing that our labor is not in vain. Bob will be missed in Beatrice, Nebraska.

Guardian of Truth XXV: 20, p. 306
May 14, 1981

By Jady W. Copeland

Man was created a being with physical, mental, psychological and spiritual needs. He was not created like the lower animals, but in the “image of God” and with the characteristics of God. From the dust of the ground God made the body of Adam (Gen. 2:7) and “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). Thus, He made the body and gave him physical life to animate the body. But also, God made him “in the image of God” (Gen. 1:27) and thus gave him a “spirit” that will never die. Each part of man has “needs” and it is significant that the Bible reveals that God who not only created man, but also had the power, wisdom and willingness to supply every part of man with every need which his creation has. This is not only a tribute to an all-merciful God, but evidence of One who knows all things and is able to supply all things. There is no physical need or appetite that God has not satisfied in the realms of nature. He gave man lungs, but what good would they be without air to complement them? We get hungry, but He provided food to satisfy that hunger. There are literally thousands of illustrations that could be given to show that every physical need that man has, an all-wise God made provisions for satisfying.

The same is true in the mental or psychological realm. God gave man a mind to use for His glory; there is no need we have but that God satisfied for man’s mental health. Likewise, it is true that man has a longing for spiritual worship, service and devotion to a higher being. God provided for this need as He gave us provisions for worship and service to the One who desires, deserves and describes this worship. Let us look briefly into the three areas to see how perfectly and logically God provides for our needs. If He knew our needs and would not provide them, He is not a merciful God. If He knew our needs and could not provide them, He is not all-powerful. If He could but did not know how, He is not an all-wise God.

Man, being a physical being, needs food, water, air and other elements that sustain the body. God told man from the beginning, or soon afterwards, that he would have to work and provide for his food by the “sweat of thy face” (Gen. 3:19). We have a generation of people now that need this lesson more than at any time in the history of our nation. Like the TV advertisement says, we need to obtain our money the “old fashioned way,” by “earning it” (read 2 Thess. 3:10; Eph. 4:28; 1 Thess. 4:11). The “me generation” seems to think that the government, mother and daddy, or someone owes them a living; about the only “four-letter” word they are not familiar with is “work.” But God’s provision for man to make his way is by earning a living; when this is done, everything needed is provided by an all-wise and loving God. God does not promise us that we will be wealthy, but He does promise the Christian that he will be provided for in the material things (Matt. 6:33).

Likewise in the psychological or mental realm of our being (which you may want to put in the physical area as well), God has provided for health. Someone has said that three things are necessary for mental health: (1) Something to do, (2) someone to love, and (3) something to look forward to. This being true, we see God’s wisdom, mercy, and power in providing for mental health. He overlooked nothing.

God gave us plenty of work to keep us busy. We work eight hours per day in providing a living for our families, as noted in the first part of the article. And if we get seven or eight hours of sleep (which makes for health) and take an hour or two for eating our food, that leaves us only seven or eight hours for all the other activities of life. Much of this time is spent merely in the business of living. For the man, the chores around the home (and the same for the woman in the home) keep him busy. For the child, there is the activity that is good and necessary for a healthy person that is done aside from school and related activities. But there is something missing in this budget of our time and that is the spiritual activities that God provides. The Christian has more to do in the matter of teaching others, telling neighbors and friends about the Christ than he will ever get done. The problem is that we often do not sit down and budget our time and give place for such spiritual activity. If we don’t, it is too easy to put it off. We know that our neighbor needs the gospel and we know that “Uncle John” and “Aunt Mary” have never heard the gospel, but we have just “never gotten around to talking to them.” If mental health is partly based on keeping busy, then God thought of that and gave us more to do than we will ever get done. Perhaps that is why he said, “Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15-16).

Secondly to have mental health, we must have someone to love. God fixed that, too. As babes, He gave us parents to love. (I’m afraid the Women’s Liberation Movement has decided that is not necessary, for they largely reject the idea that children need a home.) Yet authorities tell us that the love a child gets early in life and the way he is treated has much to do with his mental health. Then, we have brothers and sisters to love, and a relationship which, if managed properly, teaches us how to get along with others. Then there is God’s provisions for love of husband and wife in the home (read Eph. 5:22-25 and Titus 2:3-4). Again in spite of the Women’s Liberation Movement, God knew what He was doing. And finally we recall the statement of our Lord who said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 22:37-39). Love can be known only by the action it prompts, and if we “demonstrate” our real and genuine love for God and fellow-man, not only will we spend a lot of time in His service (note the previous point), but we are supplying a great need that makes us mentally healthy as well. In fact, life is just one great span of loving someone. The trouble is that too many have mis-placed their affections, and love the world and worldly things instead of properly placing their love on the good, the beautiful and the spiritual things. Jesus said, “If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments.” A life filled with proper love not only satisfies this need, but it causes us to be a great servant of the Lord and causes us to fill a need in the lives of others we are able to help.

Thirdly mental health needs something to look forward to. God did not forget. He provided worship to which the Christian looks forward. As we approach the first day of the week, Christians look forward to fellowship with the saints. More than this, we look forward to heaven. Paul is the classic example of this as he relates in 2 Tim. 4:6-8; Phil. 1:21-24; 3:13-14. This world would become rather dreary at times were it not for the hope of heaven after this life is over. Yes, God has supplied the psychological needs of man in that He has provided love, something to do and something to look forward to.

And most importantly, God supplies our spiritual needs. A poor man who is something less than a great physical specimen can have a good life and, finally, be saved. Someone less than a genius can be a Christian and be very serviceable to his family, his community, his country, and the Lord. But we must be spiritually healthy to be saved. This is not to say we are all equal in service (especially in the eyes of man) but we can all be Christians though we may have different abilities and places in the church.

Man’s great need was a Savior, for he was a sinner (John 8:34; Rom. 3:9). God supplied that need in Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Without the Christ, man could not have had a sacrifice and man would have been hopelessly lost because of his sin. God, being rich in mercy, was willing to provide that sacrifice – the only person who ever lived who could have satisifed that need. The sin in which man found himself has been described as bondage (John 8:34; Rom. 6:16-17). It has been described as darkness, but Jesus brought us light that shined in darkness and His word is spoken of as “light” (John 1:4-9). Man needs spiritual guidance and God provides this too (Jer. 10:23; Prov. 14:12). Man needed an avenue of worship, and God provided the way (John 4:24). As the song says, “Oh, what a Savior.”

The brethren supplied Paul’s needs at Philippi or from Philippi while in prison (Phil. 4:10-18) but then he closed his letter to these brethren by saying, “And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). 1 am grateful that I serve a God who knows what I need, has the power to give what I need, and is merciful in my weaknesses to supply every need. What about you?

Guardian of Truth XXV: 20, pp. 305, 315
May 14, 1981