Truth Magazine

By Dan Walters

Brother Leroy Garrett wrote an article in the November 1979 issue of his paper, Restoration Review, entitled “Priests Instead of Prophets.” He says that he has “susbstantial evidence” that many leaders in the church “basically agree” with the unity-in-diversity position held by Garrett, Ketcherside, Kilpatrick, Scott, and others. These leaders include editors of leading journals, administrators and professors in “Christian” colleges, elders, deacons, Sunday School teachers, and ministers of some of “the largest and most influential churches.” The unity-in-diversity position includes the following points: (1) that the church of Christ is not the only true church,, 2) that there are faithful Christians among the denunciations, (3) that the New Testament church has not or cannot be restored, (4) that instrumental music in the assemblies is not sinful, (5) that fellowship should be extended to all baptized believers who are not morally degenerate and to many of those in the denominations, (6) that salvation by grace and faith demands that God accept those believers in Christ who do not follow the New Testament pattern of doctrine.

I have known for many years that Garrett is correct about the convictions of these leaders he speaks of. He gives them a mild rebuke for remaining “in the closet” instead of openly affirming their beliefs. It is true that the unity-in-diversity men, in spite of their false doctrine, are worthy of more respect than the hypocrites who agree with them but who are afraid to come out into the open for fear of losing their positions. Garrett claims that he can name scores of these brethren “from Tennessee to Texas to California,” who have revealed their positions privately, but never publicly.

There was an old radio show about a man named Fibber McGee and his wife Molly. Fibber McGee’s closet was so full of junk that every time someone opened it a mountain of assorted items poured out into the room. It is evident that the “mainline” church of Christ today is a colossal “Fibber McGee’s closet” just waiting for someone to open it. When they do, so many cowardly “fibbers” will pour out that it will be a stupendous shock to those brethren who have isolated themselves from reality for so long.

However, this is the way apostasy has always developed. If false teachers immediately declared their objectives, they would be marked and avoided. But if they work gradually, they can be assimiliated into the brotherhood and can attain positions of authority. In this way they can corrupt large portions of the church. Garrett says that these diggressives could come out of the closet now because brethren have “ripened for the change . . .” Unfortunately, he is again correct. The kind of teaching done in “Christian” colleges and in many churches during the last few years has softened the brethren and has prepared them for a radical change. The defenders of orthodoxy among the more liberal churches had better start asking questions and find out who is hiding in Fibber McGee’s closet!

Truth Magazine XXIV: 30, p. 490
July 31, 1980

By Paul K. Williams

“A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back” (Proverbs 29:11).

From the baby screaming in its crib to the old man in hospital impatiently waiting for the bedpan, all of us have trouble controlling our tempers. The only one who has no trouble with his temper is six feet underground. But the wise man says, “A fool always loses his temper.” That means I am that much closer to being a fool every time I lose my temper! It makes me think.

A fool is one who does not have good judgement, who does not profit from experience or discipline. The one who says, “There is no God,” is a fool because he is denying the evidence surrounding him. The one who always loses his temper is a fool because repeated experience has taught him nothing.

I can think of five reasons why losing my temper makes me a fool. They are as follows:

1. Many times it causes me to do things of which afterwards I am ashamed. My temper overcomes my good judgement and I act the fool.

2. Losing my temper makes me act from the emotion of anger without thinking. James warns, “the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). I simply want to strike out and hurt the object of my anger. Unrighteousness is the result.

3. Losing my temper demonstrates that I lack self-control, and I lose the respect of those who know me. A man without self-control cannot be trusted with responsibility because he may ruin everything in a burst of anger. That is the reason an elder must not be quick-tempered (Titus 1:7).

4. Losing my temper causes me to hurt those I love the most. When I become angry it makes no difference if the person is my wife or my child – I strike out with words or blows. How foolish to hurt these loved ones!

5. When I lose my temper I usually succeed in causing the other person to lose his, and we wind up two fools instead of one!

Yes, the man or the woman who is known for his temper is a fool, especially if that person has no more sense than to brag about it. (Did you ever hear someone say, “I’ve got red hair!” or “I’m Irish!”?)

“But a wise man holds it back.” How can I become wise?

First, the wise man has come to realize the dangers of hasty anger. “The beginning of strife is like letting out water, So abandon the quarrel before it breaks out” (Prov. 17:14). As water breaking through an earthen dam wall becomes stronger and more uncontrollable, so quarrels quickly grow from a few hot words to full-blown feuds. The wise man knows this and tries to stop the quarrel before it begins.

Second, the wise man has convinced himself that he can hold his temper back. It is our lack of faith which says, “I can’t help it. I was just born that way.” God says, “Be angry and yet do not sin” (Eph. 4:26). Faith says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). God does not command the impossible. I am truly a fool of little faith when I convince myself I cannot control my temper. The wise man believes God and looks for the way to overcome.

Third, in looking for ways to control his temper the wise man has found two. He has found the easiest way is to be so prepared that at the beginning of the temptation he reacts with resistance. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus was immediately ready with the words of His Father. So when the wise man sees a situation where he will be tempted to become uncontrolled he takes preventive action. James says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). So the wise man prepares himself to resist. He practices the “gentle answer” which “turns away wrath” (Prov. 15:1) and finds that it not only cools down the other person but calms the speaker as well.

He trains himself also not to think too highly of himself, I find that when I lose my temper, it is often because of some slight or insult to me. Afterward I am ashamed of myself, for who am I to think I have to be treated with respect? My Saviour was insulted and reviled. Am I better than He? So the wise man does not wear a chip on his shoulder and takes slights without resentment. He has removed from within himself the greatest single cause for losing his temper.

But the wise man knows that sometimes anger gets ho. of him before he is aware, that vicious thoughts have riseF, unbidden to his heart and sharp words are ready to be spoken. He knows, though, that he can still put on the brakes. He can ask God to forgive those thoughts. He can “restrain” his words. “Count to ten.” “Bite your tongue.” Those old sayings have good foundations.

“When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise” (Prov. 10:9).

“He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding” (Prov. 17:27).

“The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things” (Prov. 15:28).

So let us restrain and ponder so that our spirits may be cool.

Fourth, the wise man probably has asked others to help him overcome his temper. Heb. 10:24 tells us to “stimulate one another to love and good deeds.” How helpful it is when my wife says, “Whoops, we are losing control. Let’s pray and read the Bible and then discuss this thing.” Then we both are able to become wise people with cool spirits.

I like the story about the sweet old lady. When a young girl asked her the secret of her serenity and of her gracious words she replied, “Honey, it’s not hard. I just taste my words before I say them.” She had learned the secret of holding back her temper and had become wise.

Let’s never forget,

“A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back.”

Truth Magazine XXIV: 30, pp. 488-489
July 31, 1980

By Johnny Stringer

The Parable of the Unjust Steward (Lk. 16:1-8) has presented much difficulty to Bible students, but the lesson of the parable is a valuable one. It is the purpose of this article to summarize the parable as Jesus presented it, and to discuss the meaning of the parable on the basis of Jesus’ comments which followed it.

Summary Of The Parable

Verses 1-3 – the steward’s problem. A steward is one who has been entrusted to manage the affairs or property of another. The steward of this parable had not been diligent and faithful in fulfilling his responsibilities, but had wasted his master’s goods. As a result, he was to lose his position as steward. His problem was how he would be able to survive after his master put him out. He reasoned that he could not do the kind of physical labor that was involved in digging, and he had too much pride to beg. So what would he do?

Verses 4-7 – the steward’s solution. The steward devised a plan by which he would make certain ones feel obligated to him, hence receive him into their houses after he lost his stewardship. Before his master took his stewardship from him, he went to those who owed debts to his master, and he reduced their debts. He told them to cut their bills. His hope was that out of gratitude for this favor, out of a sense of obligation to him, these debtors would take him into their homes when his master put him out (v. 4).

Verse 8a – His lord’s reaction. His lord commended him for his wisdom. He was wise with respect to attaining worldly goals. Some people have difficulty with this verse. They think that the lord mentioned here is Jesus, and wonder why Jesus would commend someone for his dishonest actions. The lord mentioned in this verse however, is not Jesus. The lord discussed in the parable is the steward’s lord, his master (vv. 3, 5). Jesus is our Lord, but Jesus was not the steward’s lord. His lord was the one whose property he managed, the one for whom he worked. The thing his lord commended him for was his shrewdness. Someone may cheat you out of something, and you may be burning up with anger because of it; but you might still give him credit for his shrewdness. Perhaps the steward’s lord was a rather worldly fellow himself, so that he could especially appreciate such wisdom.

Children Of This World Vs. Children Of Light

Having related the parable, Jesus observes, “for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light” (v. 8b). Children of this world are those whose hearts are set primarily on things of this world; they seek earthly things; their interest is in gratification of physical desires and obtaining material wealth. Children of light are those who walk in the light (1 John 1:7), following Christ (John 8:12).

The shrewdness which the steward exercised toward providing for his material welfare is illustrative of the great ingenuity which children of this world exercise in achieving their worldly goals. Jesus’ point is that children of this world exercise greater prudence, ingenuity, and wisdom in the pursuit of their material goals than disciples do in the pursuit of our spiritual goals. Those who are successful in business, politics, or any other field of endeavor did not get that way without using their heads.

To illustrate the shrewdness of men with respect to making money, consider what happened when Elvis died. His body was not cold before men were planning ways of making money off his death. That is why we see the Elvis T-shirts and such things. What many saw as a tragedy, others saw as an opportunity. Such men do not miss any opportunity, but shrewdly exploit every kind of situation.

The lesson for us is that we should set our minds on spiritual endeavors, and exercise the same degree of wisdom in our spiritual pursuits that children of the world do in their material pursuits. If we were to put our minds and hearts into serving God to the extent that children of this world do in their endeavors, there is no telling what we could accomplish.

Using Mammon Of Unrighteousness

Jesus goes on to say, “Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations” (v. 9). The expression “mammon of unrighteousness” is parallel with the expression “unrighteousness mammon” in verse 11. The word “mammon” means riches. “Unrighteous mammon” or “mammon of unrighteousness” is not ill-gotten gain, as some believe. Jesus is simply speaking of money, material wealth. Money was called unrighteous because it is deceitful (Matt. 13:22), and the love if it leads many to unrighteousness (1 Tim. 6:9-10). In verse 11 unrighteous mammon is contrasted against heavenly riches, which are called true, rather than unrighteous.

In verse 9, Jesus is talking about the use we make of money. This is obvious from verses 10-12. Thus, when He says, “Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness,” He means to make friends with or by means of money; He means to use the money so as to make friends who will receive us into everlasting habitations.

Attitudes and Consequences

The aim of this work has been to trace the development of two attitudes toward the Scripture authority in the Restoration Movement: that of the early spirits in Jesus’ admonition in verse 9 relates back to the parable. He is making a comparison between our responsibility and the action of the steward in the parable. Note the comparison. The steward’s goal was earthly habitations (v. 4). His method of obtaining that goal was to use money (helping the debtors financially) so as to make friends who would receive him into their houses. Our goal is not earthly, but heavenly habitations (v. 9). As the steward so used money that he would be received into earthly houses, we are to so use money (mammon of unrighteousness) that we will be received into heavenly habitations.

What about the friends of verse 9? It may be that Jesus is not speaking literally. The steward provided for his reception into earthly houses by making friends (though the use of money). Since Jesus is comparing the steward’s actions with our responsibility, He may simply be using what the steward did (making friends) to stand for our efforts to make provisions for our reception into eternal habitations. If He does have reference to literal friends, perhaps they are heavenly friends – God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the angels; all of these will receive us into heavenly habitations, welcoming us there will open arms if we are faithful.

The point of verse 9, then, is that we are to use our money in such a way that we can be received into everlasting habitations. Verses 10-12 continue to stress the importance of proper use of what we have. This does not mean that we buy our way into heaven. Nevertheless, it is true that the manner in which one uses his money is an indication of the faith and love that is in his heart. When out of faith, love, and devotion to God, we use our money to do good, we are conducting ourselves in such a manner that we will be received into heavenly habitations. See 1 Tim. 6:17-19; Heb. 13:16; Eph. 4:28; Phil. 4:10-18.

The Primary Point Of The Parable

As the steward exercised wisdom (v. 8) in using money so as to be received into earthly houses, so we are to wisely use our possessions so as to be received into everlasting habitations in heaven.

Truth Magazine XXIV: 30, pp. 487-488
July 31, 1980

By Olen Holderby

On September 30, 1979, Raymond Harris had an article in Truth Magazine, “If You’ve Seen One, You’ve Seen Them All!” Raymond likened the “Soul Saving Workshop” to the traveling carnival or circus, and concluded, “If you have seen one, you have seen them all.” Having been in at least a couple places where such workshops were highly advertized and greatly “festivalized,” I have no argument with Raymond’s conclusion. The usual subjects or themes for such workshops are borrowed from the denominations and should be quickly returned. However, I see no improvement that I can make on Raymond’s article. Why not read it for yourself. But, Raymond, permit me to offer a couple of “circuses” California style, a portion of which is new (at least to me).

Circus #1: Yosemite Church Camp, July 26-27, 1978. Actors were from the East Ventura Church in Ventura, California and the College Church in Fresno, California. The first skit was a woman padded in front with pillows. This was an acted-out joke, a vulgar one, about a pregnant woman. Skit #2 showed a draped American Flag, supposedly honoring those who died in the “Service”; but the skit went on saying, “Which service, morning or evening?” -indicating, of course, that people were dying in the worship services. The third skit brought the lights on with a boy hugging and kissing a girl in close embrace. The father comes thundering out of the- house and demanded, “Do you have scripture for that?” To which the boy replied, “Hold fast that which is good,” from 1 Thess. 5:21. The fourth skit showed a girl trying to get a boy to kiss her but he was refusing. The young lady went to her sister and said, “I had to slap him five times,” “Why”, asked the sister, “because he tried to kiss you?” Her reply, “No, because I thought he was dead.” Following other short skits, a girl finished off the program with a little sermonizing. All of this was announced by Murray Issacs of the College Church as from the Youth Group of the East Ventura Church. How do you like that for a circus? But that is not all.

On the following evening a “Breath of Life Group” under Murray Isaacs of the College Church provided the entertainment. Opening statements urged, “Use anything for the Lord – respond in any way you wish -” The first skit in this program was a laud mockery about an evangelist who had been preaching for 35 years; his baptizing was acted out in a degrading fashion-to say the least! A skit on the rich man and Lazarus of Luke 16 appeared to be nothing less than a mockery to get a laugh. In a judgment scene Peter was repeatedly referred to as “Your Heavenly Host”; other skits referred to “That darned guy Jesus” and John the Baptist as fools. Of course, the “bad guys” were made to say these things. The Good Samaritan of Luke 10, also, came in for a laugh or two. So, the curtain falls on our first circus; all of this being reported by one who was there!

Circus #2: The Del Rosa church bulletin, July 30, 1978 (where Arthur Atkinson, Jr. preaches). Various quotes from that bulletin will give the reader an idea of both acts and actors.

Fellowship Meal: Next Lord’s day is the first Sunday of the month and we will be having a fellowship meal together after the morning service. Plan now to be present.

Ice Cream: There is going to be ice cream served here at the building on August 13, after the evening service. Plan to be present.

Elders And Deacons Meeting: The elders and deacons will meet as soon after the above date as possible. Due to the ice cream gathering on the 13th after the evening service, there will have to be a different date set for this meeting.

Congregational Meeting: The elders do plan to try to meet the third Sunday of each month with the congregation to keep them up to date with what is going on and to ask for help in overseeing the congregation.

Tuesday Class: Tuesday we will be having our first of the month praise, prayer and share meeting. You will be edified by being present.

A Change In Evening Service: Tonight is the 5th Sunday of the month which is the Sunday evening we usually have our spontaneous service. We would not have classes this evening as announced above. Rather, we will have a presentation by our youth leaders concerning the backpacking trip that our young people recently returned from.

There you have it! What would almost amount to a “three-ring circus.” A member of the church from this area visited the above congregation and reported that they took approximately 40 minutes to have the Lord’s Supper, with various ones arising “as the Spirit moved them” to say whatever they desired. According to their bulletin, they have at 9:30 A.M. something called “Celebration Time.” From the items mentioned above, I would guess they really do have something to celebrate, but it does not improve their relationship to the Lord nor invite His approval. I would urge every member of such a group to hear the plea of the Lord, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (Rev. 2:5).

Yes, one plus one does equal one; or, as brother Harris put it, “When you have seen one, you have seen them all.” Both of these “circuses” amount to one great big departure from the Truth. I am confident that there simply must be some good honest souls in each of these places that still love the Truth; but when are they ever going to learn how wrong they are for supporting such (II John 9-I1). Perhaps a good way to end my comments would be to quote what brother Harris said, “And if your preacher and your youth are smitten by what they see and hear, within a year or two that little Christian Church out at the edge of town may more nearly resemble the Church of the New Testament, than the congregation where you now attend!” Or, has it already reached that point?

(Editor’s Note: Brethern, if you want to be with the religious “in-crowd, ” you must simply persuade yourself to close your eyes to activities such as this and raise your umbrella of fellowship to include men participating in such activities. If you decide to condemn the church’s involvement in activities such as this, you become the arch villian of Christ, according to proponents of the grace fellowship heresy. Who can close his eyes to departures from this truth such as this? Surely not I and apparently thousands of other faithful Christians! Praise be to God for everyone of them!)

Truth Magazine XXIV: 30, pp. 485-486
July 31, 1980