Have Ye Not Read?

By Hoyt H. Houchen

Question: Concerning Tit. 1:6 and the qualifications of elders, must all of an elder’s children be free from the charge of living riotous and unruly? Also, must all of his children be believers? If so with the first, why not with the second?

Reply: The Scriptures teach that certain things are required of men in order that they may qualify to be elders in a local church. Included in the qualifications, as set forth by the Holy Spirit in both 1 Tim. 3 and Titus 1, for a man to be an elder, (1) he must have a family (a wife and children, I Tim. 3:2, 4; Tit. 1:6), (2) he must rule well his own house (having his family under control, 1 Tim. 3:4), and (3) he must have children who are believers (Christians, Tit. 1:6). The word “believing” in this passage is from the Greek pistos. While at times the word simply means “faithful” or “trustworthy” it may, in other instances, refer to those who are Christians (Acts 10:45); 16:34; 1 Tim. 6:2 etc.). These “believing” children are not to be accused of riot or unruly. The word “riot” is the same word that is translated “excess” or “riot” in Eph. 5:18 (“And be not drunken with wine, wherein is riot. . . “). Being old enough to conduct themselves as profligates, it is logical to conclude that “believing” children in Tit. 1:6 would be those who are Christians.

In response to the first part of the question, all of the children of an elder must be free from the charge of being riotous and unruly. As a father he must “nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). If his children who are in his household are out of control, he has not obeyed the admonition of Eph. 6:4. Furthermore, he does not rule well his own house (1 Tim. 3:4). Therefore, he would not be qualified to serve as an elder.

In response to the second part of the question, all of an elder’s children would not have to be believers (Christians) if there are some in his household who were not old enough to obey the gospel. If those children of a man’s family who have reached an accountable age have become Christians, but there are younger children not yet accountable and, therefore, have not become Christians, he would meet the qualification of having believing children. Should there be any doubt about him fulfilling that requirement, please consider this. Suppose there was a man who had been faithfully serving as an elder in a congregation. He has children who were Christians. His wife became pregnant and bore him a child. We do not believe that this man becomes disqualified to serve any longer because he now has a child who is not a Christian. Logic shows us that all of a man’s children do not necessarily have to be Christians in order for him to qualify to serve as an elder. Should there be those children in his household considered to be old enough to obey but who have not obeyed the gospel, would be another matter.

So, as to why all of the children of an elder must be free from the charge of living riotously and unruly, but all of a man’s children would not have to be believers, is explained by the reasons above.

Question: At what age do you feel a child should be baptized? Do you feel that a child should be held back?

Reply: The specific age at which a child should be baptized cannot be determined. It all depends upon the circumstances. One child may be taught sufficiently at a very early age and will, therefore, want to render obedience. Whatever the age may be, the child should be accountable; that is, he should know right from wrong, realizing that he is lost and must obey the gospel. When the age of accountability is reached must be determined by each individual case. One child may have reached it at a very early age, whereas another child may not have reached it until later years. How much the child knows, his awareness of his condition and his desire to be baptized are determining factors as to when the child is a proper subject of baptism.

Dealing with the child who wishes to be baptized can be a very difficult matter. A young child should not be pressured to be baptized, neither should he be discouraged. First, parents should make it their duty to teach their children fully as to the seriousness of the step in becoming a Christian. Also what is involved in being a Christian, in addition to the truth about baptism itself should be greatly stressed. Children need to know that there are other things important as well as baptism. When they have been sufficiently taught and thereby become proper subjects of baptism, then it should be left up to the child as to when he should be baptized.

Guardian of Truth XXV: 1, p. 2
January 1, 1981

Can We Be At Peace With The Denominations

By Larry Ray Hafley

The answer to the question above is simple, but the issues involved are complex. They are complex, not because truth is difficult, but because truth has been obscured (2 Cor. 4:4). To a member of a religious denomination, my response will appear bitter or bigoted or both. Therefore, it is essential that this essay be an explanation and clarification of certain pertinent points and principles. These points and principles are:

(1) Who is the “we”?

(2) What is the “peace” that is sought?

(3) What are the “denominations”?

(4) What do the Scriptures say on the question at hand?

Who Is The “We”?

By the term or pronoun, “we,” I refer to Christians and to that which is designated and described in the New Testament as “churches of Christ.” These churches were comprised and composed of saved people (Acts 2:36-47; 11:21-27). They were congregations or groups of the saved in various localities (1 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:2). They belonged to Christ and were subject to His will and word (Acts 20:28-32). The churches were not warring factions with diverse, distinct doctrines such as characterized modern religious denominationalism. Obviously, Baptist Churches are not established in the Methodist system of faith and Presbyterian doctrine will not found a Lutheran Church. But in the New Testament, the preaching of the apostles made believers who were banded together in local units called churches (Acts 9:31; 1 Thess. 2:14). They walked according to the same rule and were governed by the same standard, the word of God (1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17; 2 Thess. 2:15).

“And so were the churches established in the faith” (Acts 16:5). That could not be said of denominationalism. “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” does not produce a conflicting, contradictory, confusing cluster of churches. At least, it did not do so in the New Testament.

The “Peace” That Is Sought

The “peace” denominationalism seeks is a sham, a pseudo-peace. It is a lame attempt to smile and maintain separate quarters. The Baptists want their particular party tenets to go unchallenged. The Lutherans want their creed and ceremonies to be left alone. So, ignore the differences. Get behind your sect’s system of religion and allow everyone else to do the same. Do not make faces at anyone – except, of course, those narrow-minded Campbellites. Smile big, play up ecumenical feeling at Easter Sunrise services and at Christmas time. It is the same old song with a little different melody. “I won’t question your sprinkling of babies if you will let me tell the saved they cannot be lost even if they want to be.”

The peaceful co-existence movement is led by those who have no interest in following the pattern of sound words (2 Tim. 1:13). The movement’s disciples cannot bear the label and libel of being associated and affiliated with what is drearily and derisively scoffed and scorned as “Campbellism.” So, they seek acceptance, I was predicted and prophesied: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim. 4:3, 4).

Peace overtures with denominationalism often have their origin in an unreal idealism; their result is compromise; their effect is apostasy. Whenever you hear that a band of the Lord’s disciples is having “fruitful dialogue” with the Baptists or a Christian Church and that they are moving closer in their views, just guess who has moved! Guess who has to “play down” (and, ultimately, lay down) their convictions on baptism or the music question. If brethren will hedge and surrender the truth, “peace” is possible. Such “peace” is impossible when Christians hear and heed the apostolic appeal to arms and are found “casting down imaginations (doctrines of the denominations – LRH) and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

What Are The “Denominations”?

If you need to be told or have to look it up, this article will not mean much to you. A denomination is a human creation, a man-made church. A religious denomination is a divine abomination. Of all similar groups of men under the cloak and guise of Christ, Jesus said, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men …. Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up” (Matt. 15:8, 9, 13). Further, He said, “Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name have done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:21-23)

What Do The Scriptures Say?

The clear import and emphasis of Scripture is that God has never approved of the mixing and mingling of human religion with the divine (Deut. 7:2-6; 2 Cor. 6:14-18). As the Lord once asked the Jews, “Whence was it? from heaven, or of men?” So, we ask about denominational churches, “Whence are they? from heaven, or of men?” If from heaven, who says so? If from men, well, the conclusion is obvious. If it can be established that Baptist, Pentecostal, Methodist, or Catholic Churches are of God, then all swords should be beaten into plowshares, but denominations cannot be found in Scripture, except in condemnation (cf. 1 Cor. 1:10-15). Where is the commendation of a denomination?

The New Testament is a militant, aggressive piece of literature. Christians are constantly encouraged to “fight,” “war,” and “wrestle” (1 Tim. 6:12; Eph. 6:12; 2 Cor. 10:3-5). They are told that some false teachers must have their mouths stopped (Titus 1:9-13). Have you ever tried to stop a lying, slow bellied evil beast with your best grin? It will not work. The only recourse is a fight, a war, a wrestling match. It is not always pretty and someone is bound to get scuffed up, but it is what the Lord advocates (1 Jn. 4:1; Rev. 2:2).

These will be peace with the denominations when a Baptist preacher says he is just a Christian and that baptism is “for the remission of sins.” There will be peace when Methodists lay aside their methods for the New Testament variety. There will be peace when Pentecostals recognize that Pentecost is a Jewish feast day and not a church or an experience. Until then, there is a war on, and if you are not in it, you had better enlist. Basic training is conducted in the book of Acts. It will toughen you up and get you ready for some real combat. If you are squeamish, you might read what the Lord said about being on His side (Matt. 12:30). Who was it that said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matt. 10:34)? Sounds like a Pharisaical anti to me, but you know the Lord said it. So, get your uniform on and stand and fight. Heaven requires it (Eph. 6:10-18).

Guardian of Truth XXV: 1, pp. 1, 11
January 1, 1981

Destructive, Damnable, Deceit of the Devil (4)

Paul worried about the Corinthians being deceived by the devil, just like Eve was (2 Cor. 11:3). Great consequences followed Eve’s deception, and so it would be with the Corinthians. The same is true for us. The devil lies to us and if we are deceived, we will suffer greatly.

Satan has those who have been deceived by him working on spreading that deception. Very often it is disguised as the religion of Christ. If you think about it, it makes sense. Which is harder to detect, Monopoly money or counterfeit money? Which is harder to detect in the moral/religious realm, paganism or a religion mostly like Christ’s?

One of the great lies of our time is that sincerity is enough. Millions are convinced that as long as you are sincere about your faith, you will go to heaven. You do not need to know the exact truth or hardly any truth at all as long as you are “honest” in it. Where else does this work in life?

If a man honestly believed he could jump off the top of a sixty-story building and float gently to the ground (without a parachute or any other contraption), would it be true? Would his sincerity alter the laws of physics?

The Bible gives us a number of examples that illustrate sincerity is not enough.

King Saul thought he should offer a sacrifice when Samuel did not show up when he wanted. He was worried about the battle with the Philistines. Samuel rebuked him for his foolishness, but Saul responded, “I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering” (1 Sam. 13:12). This did not fly with Samuel or God (1 Sam. 13:13, 14). His sincerity did not change the fact He did not obey God. His disobedience was to seek God’s favor. Saul did not consider it to be a rebellious act. It was a religious act, an act authorized by God, and for the purpose Saul intended. He went wrong by offering it himself instead of waiting on Samuel. A “minor” detail to most folks, but a “major” one to God.

Another Saul, Saul of Tarsus, serves as another example. He acted in accordance with his conscience (Acts 23:1). Saul did what he thought was right. We all know, however, he did what was wrong by persecuting Christians. Remember, Saul acted out of a sense of loyalty to Jehovah. Yet, his sincerity did not excuse his sin. It did not cause God to overlook his wickedness.

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah challenged to prophets of Baal to a debate. They were to pick a bull, build an altar, and call on Baal to send fire. As they did the latter for some time, Elijah made fun of them saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened” (1 Kgs. 18:27). At this, the false prophets “cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until blood gushed out on them” (1 Kgs. 18:28). To say they were not sincere is to deny the obvious truth. Their sincerity, however, did not alter the fact that there is no god named Baal. It is a figment of man’s imagination, nothing more.

Some will say, “But Baal’s prophets were pagans. Those who sincerely believe in the one, true God will not be condemned as long as they are sincere.” Just how far will this logic stretch? Will the sincere Christ-denying Jew or Muslim go to heaven? If you think so, you need to read 1 John 2:18-23, where such are described as “anti-christ.”

What about those who believe in Jesus? If they sincerely believe, but do not do exactly what He says, will they be lost? Will the Lord overlook their faults because of their sincerity?

Jesus gives us a picture of the judgment in Matthew 7:21-23.

Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”

The people Jesus describes are sincere believers. They acknowledge Him as Lord and fervently labored in His name. However, their service was done in “lawlessness,” without law. This is the idea of acting outside the boundaries set down in the Law of Christ, the gospel. It is not their belief that is in question, but their practice. They were sincere, but sincerely wrong. Is this no longer applicable?

We must be sincere in our faith and practice. However, sincerity alone is not enough to please God. Our convictions must be based on His word. The things we do in service to Him from day to day must strictly adhere to the gospel. Worship based on anything other than the gospel is vain, no matter how sincere.

Sincerity is not enough, but the devil wants you to think it is. Therefore, we need to sincerely search the Scriptures to see what is so (Acts 17:11). Our honest hearts will cause us to change anything that is not in agreement with God’s will, no matter how right it seems or how good it makes us feel. Sincerity in truth, not error, must be our goal.

— Steven F. Deaton

Use Truth Magazine!

By Daniel H. King

What do you think of Truth Magazine? Do you consider it a good medium of teaching? Do you enjoy the presentation of biblical topics which the writers attempt on a weekly basis? Do you appreciate the strong stand taken by the editor and writers for “book, chapter, and verse” in preaching, and teaching, and writing? If you do not, of course we would like to hear from you and have the opportunity to deal with questions or objections that you might have. A letter to the editor or one of the writers would not be out of place.

But if you do enjoy it, and feel that it would be worthwhile to enlarge its circulation – then why not give us a hand? Gift subscriptions are a great idea for many reasons, and you likely know what most of those reasons are, so I will not bore you with them. But have you ever given them? I would venture to guess that there have been many opportunities that we all have missed where we could have given a gift subscription that would have brought sound and scriptural teaching into the home of someone we know and love for fifty weeks of the year – yet we ended up giving something of only very limited temporal importance. How about considering a gift subscription to Truth Magazine next time around.

1. Give a subscription to a Christian located in an area where no sound church exists. Many is the person who is transferred to a place where no brethren are found, where no New Testament church meets, or where liberalism has swept away what once was. What an encouragement it would be to them to receive a weekly paper like Truth. It could be the thing that will make the difference between whether they will be utterly lost to the Lord and His kingdom or strengthened in their trial. There are areas where liberalism has won the day in years past without so much as a fight but because someone had been reading Truth Magazine new opportunities to teach are now available. What about it, is there someone you know that fits our description?

2. Give subscriptions to relatives and friends. Articles in this paper touch subjects of interest to the Christian and non-Christian alike. Denominationalism and its errors are dealt with in a fashion which we hope will be both informative and convincing. If you feel at any time that they are not, then register your complaint. We promise that you will be listened to and not ignored. If you believe in the power of the printed page, especially in fruitful connection with the Word of the Gospel (Rom. 1:16), to alter thinking and so to change men’s lives, I should think that you would want to use every means at your disposal to convert those whom you love. We hope that you will consider Truth Magazine as such a means, especially for those who are far away from you geographically.

3. Give a subscription to your children when they move away from home. Often kids go away to college to a strange place where the Lord’s people may not be found in abundance. And while their time for reading may be limited while they are away at school, still they will have just a few moments to peruse their mail when they get it and sufficient time to read articles of particular interest to them at the time. When they get married and move away for good, how about giving them a subscription to assure that some sound Bible teaching continues to flow into their home and influences them to remember God in those first difficult and sometimes turbulent years of wedlock. It might make a very great impact upon that new home! Why not give it a chance?

4. Give a subscription to a new Christian. So very many new Christians are lost again to the world that those of us who are trying to encourage them along the way ought to use every conceivable scriptural method to teach and strengthen them. Good reading material in their home is a way that can surely be beneficial. Why not make the little sacrifice that it will take to send the ones that you think could be thus helped a free subscription?

5. Give as a gift to a young preacher. Many is the young man who goes into preaching at great personal sacrifice. His funds are extremely limited in this day of rising costs and spiraling inflation. For him a subscription to a journal like this would be a tremendous boon, but he has to, by virtue of his financial straits, consider it an extravagance beyond the limits of his meager means. Why don’t you ask him if he gets this paper, and if he doesn’t, give him a subscription as a gift? I will never forget the kind Christian lady who in my first years of preaching subscribed to one of the journals for me when I could not afford it. I read and studied those articles that appeared voraciously, gleaning many sermon ideas and teaching suggestions that I have used continuously in my preaching.

6. When you have finished with it, hand it on to someone else. Don’t throw it away! When you see an article that you think would be helpful to someone in particular that you know, give them that issue and ask them to read it. Place old copies in the vestibule of the meeting house as free literature for those to take who wish to read it. Stack them as you finish with them in a convenient place and at the end of the year give them to some preacher who may want to keep them for future reference; or mail them to a preacher in the Philippines or to Nigeria; or keep them for your own future reference and personal edification. You may be surprised how much you will enjoy re-reading them ten years from now. But whatever you do – don’t throw them away!

If you really believe in the things that we on the staff of Truth Magazine believe in, how about showing it by putting the paper to work for you. We can all spare a few extra dollars to disseminate a literature that stands for “the faith once delivered to the saints”. In a day when Playboy and other gutter-filth enters the homes of millions, Christians had better start throwing their influence around! How about using Truth Magazine to help do it for you!

Truth Magazine XXIV: 50, p. 807
December 18, 1980