Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

The church here in Dayton conducts an hour long talk show each Lord’s day as a result of which several have been converted. Several years ago, a man called in and expressed agreement with the what I was teaching regarding the topic being discussed. He stated that he would be at worship that morning. When the invitation was offered that morning, he came forward to confess his sins and pray for forgiveness. He was back that evening. Inasmuch as his cousin was a faithful gospel preacher, I called him to tell him the good news. He remarked, “There is one thing you can count on when my cousin is restored and that is that he is going to fall away again!” At the time, I thought that was a rather harsh, unloving statement. However, he knew his cousin better than I did. He never returned to our worship services. Later I visited him and found him drunk and crying in his beer.

Many others have had contact with others who, like Reuben, might be described as “unstable as water” (Gen. 49:4). They are “unstable souls” (2 Pet. 2:14). Occasionally, we see unstable souls in our contact with both Christians and non-Christians. Let us notice the characteristics of the unstable.

Characteristics of Unstable Souls

1. They are double-minded. James commented on certain unstable souls as follows: “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (Jas. 1:6-8). Later, he pleaded, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded” (Jas. 4:8).

What is a double-minded man? The word dispuchos literally refers to a “two-souled” person. Thayer defines the word to mean “wavering, uncertain, doubting; divided in interest” (p. 153). I think one of the best ways of demonstrating what a double-minded person is like would be to illustrate it. Israel certainly demonstrates the trait of the double-minded. When Elijah lived, Israel was vacillating between the love and service of Jehovah and the love and service of Baal. Elijah said, “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kgs. 18:21). That is an example of a double-minded group of people.

The New Testament alludes to other double-minded people. The man who seeks to serve both God and mammon is a double-minded person (Mt. 6:24) the man who sought to eat at the table of the Lord and at the table of demons (1 Cor. 10:21) was a double-minded person; the lukewarm person is a double-minded person (Rev. 3:15). They are double-minded because they have two interests which are in conflict with each other; they are attempting to do the impossible – to serve both of them at the same time.

In commenting on the usage of “double-minded” in Jas. 1:8, the commentaries describe the characteristics of this unstable soul:

The petitioner must not shift backwards and forwards between faith and doubt, like a tumbling billow of the sea. He must not swing like a pendulum between cheerful confidence and dark suspicion. It must be his fixed persuasion that God is, and that he is the Hearer of prayer. He must expect an answer to his supplications, and be ready to mark the time and mode of it; else he may rest assured that no answer will come. Transient emotions are not religion. It is the men and women within whom faith is the dominant power who take the kingdom of heaven by force. God is all simplicity himself, and he gives with simplicity; so he can have no sympathy with an unstable, double-souled man. A mind that continually vacillates in its choice will be prone in the end to fail in both the purposes between which it has hesitated. Certainly it will not obtain that Divine wisdom which every human heart so greatly needs for the exigencies of adversity. Steadfast faith, and that alone, will give a man singleness of eye, make him strong to keep hold of the angel of the covenant, and draw down upon the richest blessings of gospel grace (C. Jerdan, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. XXI, p. 10).

This double-minded, two-souled disposition creates instability. One cannot be depended upon who is constantly fluctuating between opinions.

2. They are tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. The unstable person is one who is so insufficiently grounded in the word of God that he is constantly being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. The perfect (mature) man was contrasted with the child in faith by Paul; he described the unstable child as follows: “. . . that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Eph. 4:14). False teachers are able to deceive the ignorant and unstable (2 Pet. 3:16).

That a goodly number of brethren are “children” in reference to the faith is evident from statements which I have heard regarding several churches. As faithful gospel preachers commented regarding specific churches, they remarked that the stand which a given church would take regarding church support of human institutions or the sponsoring church arrangement would largely be determined by the preacher who preached there. Frankly, that is not much of a compliment to the members of any church which can be so described; it simply reflects that they are “tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.”

Some preachers are the same way. Sometimes a man will send in an article denouncing a certain position as false. By the time this article comes off the press, he sends in an announcement stating he has changed his position. The man begins to send articles to periodicals aligned with his new position attacking his former position. Within a few months, he has changed his position again. What does he do? You guessed it; he immediately starts pounding out articles retracting his retraction and denouncing the position he took in his retraction. A few months later, he will likely want to retract his retraction of his retraction and begin pounding out articles attacking the old position. Such a man is of no use to the kingdom of God. He is tossed to and fro, carried about by every wind of doctrine, and unstable in all of his ways.

3. They jump into things without forethought and do not persevere. In the parable of the sower, Jesus described the stony ground hearer as one who “hath not root in himself” (Matt. 13:20-21). He heard the word and “anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” This is an unstable soul.

I have seen many people just like this. They are the kind who jump into things immediately; they seem to be a fireball of enthusiasm at the beginning. However, before they get started going very well, their enthusiasm has waned. Their attention is turned to something else; they are gone. They will spend their lives hopping from one thing to another because they do not have root in themselves.

Hence, an unstable character is marked by these traits: (a) he acts out of passion; (b) he is stroingly influenced by what others think about him; (c) he is constantly fluctuating; and (d) he has a divided allegiance.

Christian Maturity Is Marked By Stability

In contrast to the unstable souls, the mature Christian is characterized by stability. A man can count on the mature Christian’s faith to remain constant regardless of the nature of the attack which is launched against it.

1. A mature Christian is rooted and grounded in his commitment to Christ. He is rooted and grounded in love (Eph. 3:17). His love for God is first and foremost in his life (Matt. 22:37). Hence, the stable Christian is not the kind of man who must decide anew whether or not he is going to serve Christ everytime some major or minor problem confronts him in life. He has made his commitment to Christ and will be faithful to it.

2. A mature Christian is rooted and ground in the faith. The mature Christian has made it his business to learn the revelation of God in order that he can discern between good and evil (Heb. 5:11-14; cf. Col. 1:23; 2:6-7; 2 Thess. 2:7). His knowledge of God’s word enables him to recognize false doctrine (2 Jn. 9-11) and stand opposed to those who bring it (Rom. 16:17-18). When false teachers trouble a congregation, the mature Christian can be counted on to be standing for the truth for he is rooted and grounded in the faith.

3. The mature Christian perseveres through the temptations and trials of life. Every man will be confronted with problems of life. Some brethren use their problems as an excuse for not faithfully serving the Lord. The mature Christian is not that way. He perseveres through the problems of life. James compared the manner in which the faithful Christians stands during the trials of life to the manner in which Job and the prophets endured affliction with faith in God (5:7-11). You recognize the kind of men which I am describing. If one of their children becomes ill, they will nevertheless be faithful to God; if they lose their job, they will be faithful to God; if one of their children becomes rebellious, they will maintain their faith in God. They persevere in the faith.

Conclusion

A stable person is one on whom you can rely. He will be faithful in attendance. You know that if he is not present at the services, something is wrong; he is either sick or has sickness in the family, some unforeseen trouble has come up, or he is out of town. He is stable in doctrine. He can be appointed to teach a Bible class without fear of what he will teach. A mark of Christian maturity is stability. Are you a stable Christian or are you an “unstable soul” (2 Pet. 2:14)?

Truth Magazine XXIV: 40, pp. 643-645
October 9, 1980

By Hoyt Houchen

Question: I would like for you to deal with Lk. 9:60, “Let the dead bury their dead. ” Who are the “dead” that has the responsibility to bury their dead?

Reply: The word “dead” can be either literal or figurative. One can be literally dead or he can be spiritually dead. Concerning widows, Paul wrote in 1 Tim. 5:6, “But she that giveth herself to pleasure is dead while she liveth.” He wrote to the brethren at Ephesus, reminding them of their condition before conversion, “And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1). These and other passages clearly teach that those who are dead in sin are said to be spiritually dead.

The context of Lk. 9:60 shows that Jesus was speaking of the spiritually dead who were to bury their dead. The idea is simply that the spiritually dead should bury the physically dead. It would be impossible for the physically dead to bury their dead, so there is no alternative as to who the dead are who have the responsibility to buy their dead. They are the spiritually dead.

Jesus was teaching true discipleship. The worldly obligations can be fulfilled by those who are spiritually dead and who have no higher interests. This is the idea. Jesus does not forbid his followers to bury the dead per se. Devout men buried Stephen (Acts 8:2) but burying him did not prevent them from serving the Lord. The expression, “Let the dead bury their dead,” teaches us that the spiritually dead can fulfill the duties of this life which may stand between us and doing God’s will. The lesson is one of proper emphasis. Earthly obligations are not to stand between us and our service to God.

Truth Magazine XXIV: 40, p. 642
October 9, 1980

By William C. Sexton

Good books are valuable, but many children of God do not read as many good books as they could and/or should; many who would read and do, often do not have knowledge of some good books which would contribute to their growth and help them be prepared to help others to know Christ and His saving power. After these many years, I have come to realize that making known the value that I have received from my reading of good books may be helpful to others. I have read a book recently which I think should have wide use among faithful members of the Lord’s church. It is the fruit of a man’s experience who has lived a long life (nearly 85 years); he is Loren N. Raines of Bedford, Indiana.

The book is divided into two parts. Five chapters deal with “God’s Right to Make Requirements,” covering one hundred thirty nine (139) pages. Another five chapters deal with “What the Lord Requires.” The book has 269 pages, and it is paper back, selling for $4.95.

The first part covers, in what I believe a good way, the fact that God, the Creator, has the right to make requirements on man, His creatures. His wisdom and goodness is manifest in the gift of His Son, to be “Our Savior.” The Holy Spirit has been active in “Revealing His will,” providing us with “God’s “Word” as “Our Guide.” Consequently, Our Creator has provided us with “God’s Church” as “Our Refuge.” When one reads this part, he will be impressed with the writer’s knowledge, insight, and conviction as to God’s existence, Man’s need, and man’s responsibility – to serve God and prepare for eternity, by being realistic now!

If one reads the first part, and uses his ability to reason and understand, he will be ready then to accept what is required by the Lord in his and other’s lives. This section points to the specifies of the alien sinner and the sins of the child of God, too. The writer challenges the person to see himself in the light of God’s universe and to respond for his good and that of the community – living the word and telling it to others.

I am convinced that if each child of God will read this book through and take notes on it, then hand it to a person in whose soul’s salvation one has an interest and invite them to read it and relate their reaction to it, each will be helped and serving a useful purpose.

Brother Raines, although I have never met him, has been an educator in secular (teaching school) and spiritual matters (preaching the gospel). It appears that he uses his knowledge of secular and natural forces enough to let the reader see that he knows whereof he speaks, but then he points to the rational and useful aspects of the Divine revelation of God in the lives and behavior of humanity.

This is one of those books which I feel should be used by members of the Lord’s family to try to reach and motivate the neighbor to become a child of God and grow in His service.

Recently in a meeting, I was told by a member of the church that she had been trying to get a friend to attend services with her to find that she was not all that interested. But, then she had given her a book on how we got the Bible and to her surprise, she has related that she “never had thought” of the idea that the Bible was the type of Book that it was. This indicates that we may be able to stir interest and quicken one toward the truth by handing them a book – that is fitting for their situation. I challenge the readers to purchase a copy of this and then to read it and pass it on to a friend – whose soul you are concerned about.

Truth Magazine XXIV: 40, pp. 642
October 9, 1980

By Herschel E. Patton

Many are so branded, even in the Bible. It is not a coveted designation. You may be one only in someone’s mind, or you may be one in actuality. Webster defines a fool as “(1) a simpleton; (2) a professional buffoon; (3) one made to appear foolish; a dupe – v.i. 1. To play the fool; to trifle. 2. Colloq. To tamper; to waste time. 3. Archaic. To act as a jester.”

Those who accept inspiration as their standard can better discern concerning themselves and others by observing the meaning and use of the term as used in scripture.

Without Reason: Lack Of Commonsense Perception

Jesus referred to some hypocritical Pharisees who criticized Him for not keeping their traditions as fools (Luke 11:40). The same term was used in describing a covetous man who trusted in the abundance of his possessions, without regard for God, others, or eternity (Luke 12:20). The Greek word translated fool in these references is aphron.

Aphron “signifies without reason (a negative, phren the mind), want of mental sanity and sobriety, a reckless and inconsiderate habit of mind (Hort), or the lack of commonsense perception of the reality of things natural and spiritual . . . or the imprudent ordering of one’s life in regard to salvation” (G. Vos, in Hasting’s Bible Dictionary); it is mostly translated “foolish” or “foolish ones” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of N. T. Words, pp. 113-114).

In both cases mentioned above, the hypocritical Pharisees and the covetous man, there was present a reckless (illogical) reasoning, a lack of commonsense perception concerning things material and spiritual, and this “foolish” thinking was ordering their lives. Jesus said they were “fools” (aphron).

In our generation, as in theirs, there are religious people who are often found attacking (opposing) truth and trying to establish their own way with sophistry and wanton reason. Notice some examples.

One is baptized in order to be saved, for the remission of sins (Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22:16). “But, Jesus said he that believeth not shall be damned and didn’t say he that is not baptized shall be damned!” (Logic suggests that when two conditions of salvation are stated, one doesn’t have to disobey both to be damned – just one will be enough.) “For the remission of sins in Acts 2:38 means `because of.”‘ (Then “repentance” is also “because of.”) “What if one is killed in a wreck on his way to be baptized?” (What if one is killed on his way to faith or repentance?) “What about the thief on the cross?” (How could he be an example of the “new birth” when he lived and died before the Great Commission which commanded baptism in the name of Christ went into effect?)

There is one body (Eph. 4:4; 1 Cor. 12:12-14) or church (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22-23). “But, our fathers and thousands in every age believed in `many churches’!” (How can this alter God’s word?) “Jesus is the vine and churches are the branches (Jno. 15:1-6).” (The text says “ye,” v. 5; “a man,” v. 6, constitutes the branches.) “Rev. 1:4 speaks of the `seven churches of Asia’, so seven or seven hundred it doesn’t matter!” (The seven churches of Asia were congregations, located in named cities – v. 11, and all subject to the same teaching [“of the one Spirit” 1:7, 11, 17, 29, 2:6, 13, 22].)

“And whatever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him” (Col. 3:17). “But, I think if a thing is a good work, whether the Lord authorizes it or not, it will be acceptable.” (Regardless of human thought, it still can not be “of faith” [Rom. 10:17], “of Truth” [Jn. 17:17], or “in the name of the Lord Jesus.”) “Our fellowship hall, ballfield and team, kindergarten, school, Society, Institution, Camp, etc. are `good works’ and God’s word doesn’t say ‘thou shah not.'” (He does, however, tell us not to go beyond what is written, add to or take from it [1 Cor. 4:6; Gal. 1:8; Rev. 22:18-19].)

“Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Lk. 12:15). “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). “I just can’t neglect my business, position, recreation, retirement, fun, etc. for Bible Study, Church, and personal evangelism. Surely, God would not expect me to do this!” (Look once again at the man the Lord called a fool in Luke 12:20.)

“Preacher! You are talking about me. I make these arguments and so act. Are you saying I’m a fool?” If you are not, you will be able to discern your true condition the truth – and properly order your life.

Morally Worthless

“Did Jesus say something about calling one a fool?” Jesus did, indeed, say “. . . whosoever shall say to his brother Raca, shall be in danger of the Council, but whosoever shall say, Thou fool (morns – Gk.), shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matt. 5:22).

Morns (fool): “Here the word means normally worthless, a scoundrel, a more serious reproach than `Raca.’ The latter scorns a man’s mind and calls him stupid; `morns’ scorns his heart and character . . .” (Vine’s, Expository Dictionary of N. T. Words, p. 114).

Man cannot look into the heart of his fellows and pass sentence upon them; only the Lord can do this. Man is forbidden to thus do. When the Lord, however, declares someone morns, that person is truly that kind of fool, a morally worthless person. Jesus used this term in pronouncing woes upon the tradition bound, hypocritical scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 23:17, 19) and the virgins that “took no oil with them”, being found unprepared when the bridegroom came (Matt. 25:2, 3, 8). Paul and his fellowworkers were thus viewed in the eyes of their opponents (1 Cor. 4:10).

From the use and meaning of this word in Scripture we can see the depth to which those sink who act unreasonably, without common sense perception (fool aphron), and how the Lord sees them.

Not Understand

Anoetos is another Greek word translated “fool” in scripture and signifies “not understanding.” Jesus said, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe . .” (Luke 24:25). In Rom. 1:21, the word is translated “foolish” heart, and the Galatians were said to be “foolish” (Gal. 3:1, 3). All of us are often “foolish” from this standpoint, but should study to understand. If we do not, we will soon be acting foolishly (aphron) and become morally worthless (morns) before God.

“I may be a fool in the eyes of Bible believers, but how do I know the Bible is reliable or that there is a God who cares?” “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

Truth Magazine XXIV: 40, pp. 641, 651
October 9, 1980