Truth Magazine

By Irven Lee

My generation is rapidly passing away. One who is some younger than I dies, and soon I hear of some who are older who have given up the ghost. “Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead” (2 Kings 16:20). This verse was selected as one of many that might have been quoted from the books of Kings in the Old Testament. Ahaz was not such a good man, and this article was not written to honor him, but he “slept with his fathers, and was buried.” He went “the way of all the earth” (Josh. 23:14). The good and the bad die, for “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Heb. 9:27). Words cannot adequately describe the difference in the destinies of the two groups of people.

Before men die they have an influence on many, but especially upon their own children. A worldly man cannot be expected to exert a wholesome spiritual influence upon those whose lives he touches. Some would like to deny their influence while they walk in darkness, but their example in word and in deed tends to leave its mark upon their children. This is a wicked world with mature men making merchandise of the souls of the young. Those who profit most financially in the sale of liquor and other harmful drugs are adults, and many of their customers are the young. Many young people are thieves, fornicators, drunkards, and blasphemers, but they are descendants of the generation that made idols of the dollar, worldly pleasures, power, and the praise of men.

The younger generation does not have to follow the older generation or there could be no converts. Paul and his wonderful companions saw many sons and daughters of pagans baptized into Christ. Many people have changed their course in repentance and walked in the way of the Lord after starting down the broad way in the steps of the adults who influenced them early in life (1 Cor. 6:11; Acts 18:8). “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him” (Ezek. 18:20). The statement made here has been true in the past, and it is true at this time. Each man should examine himself for each shall give account for his own deeds (2 Cor. 5:10).

It is hard for a family of good people to bring up children in the way they should go if their children are with unbelieving teachers and with ungodly neighbors. If most people in a given community use liquor and lasciviousness for their pleasures, it is hard for a good mother to bring up a wonderful son or daughter who will follow the steps of Jesus. This is especially true if her husband is one of the common herd rather than the kind of man to bring up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Many things that are difficult are not impossible. Parents should put forth the effort it takes to see their little ones become adults who are Christians. This is the better life for them now, and only those who do the will of the Father in heaven while they are upon the earth shall enter in through the gates into the city.

The young often react in disgust to the “establishment.” This may be done by rebellion or by repentance and godliness. We saw the mobs of the sixties, but if we look we can find some of the finest young people who have ever walked upon the face of the earth. Some in our day are writing about the sad lack of young people at worship time. They must have been on some other planet or on a different part of this planet to the places I go. There is a larger percentage of young people among the devout and faithful servants of the Lord in our decade in the churches which I am privileged to observe than in any other decade that I have known. My path leads me in gospel meetings to small congregations and larger from the Great Lakes to Florida. Where do you men go who are so impressed by the lack of young people in the audiences? There are congregations without young adults, but these congregations are sick. Some of the most able and most unselfish gospel preachers are less than half my age. Let us give thanks to God for their unfeigned faith and love of the brethren. Why should any godly man fail to see them and to realize their existence? The wonderful young people who serve so well now in the Lord’s vineyard are the next generation after the one that produced the division and the back-to-denominationalism movement among churches of Christ.

Some of the very able young preachers have been swept into the tolerant grace-faith-unity movement of the “free people.” We must not close our eyes to this fact, either. There are more of them than we would like to think. This is another example of older apostates leading the fair young lambs away after them. It is amazing that Carl Ketcherside and others of his type and age group should be able to make such inroads among conservative brethren. Such belong among the “Disciples,” and some are leaving our brethren to work among the modernistic denominations. It is sad to see these able young people so deceived, but it is a wonderful relief to the faithful churches when they leave and go among those of their own kind. It would be better by far if the deceived could be awakened to repentance, but only the good soil will receive the word and bring forth fruit with patience. One cannot be taught the truth unless he has a willingness to learn or be corrected. Some of the most effective men who are working to rescue the young “unity” factionists are their peers. There are able young defenders of the truth as well as able promoters of this new apostasy.

It is the special responsibility of parents to train their children, but class teachers, elders, and preachers have their own duties to the young as well as to the older. The churches that did not follow the food-fun-frolic craze are seeing many devout and capable young people who are putting on the whole armor of God that they may be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Twenty-five years ago many were saying that we had better do something for the young or we would lose them. The thing the church should have done then was to teach them the whole counsel of God and demonstrate in conduct and attitude the right way of the Lord. The same is true today. No age group can be more disgusted with hypocrisy, nor have more respect for those who walk in the steps of Jesus than those who are in their teens who have had a chance to see the beauty of holiness.

Each church should develop a good number of song leaders. The death of one man should not leave the congregation without a capable song leader. If elders die or move, there should be good men who are established in the faith to take their places. Older people in the church have failed miserably if they have ignored the great potential among the children in their presence. The children of today will be the church of tomorrow. Let not those whose hair is white with age think that they are indispensable. Time will soon dispense with them and turn the children into adults. What will the next generations be? That depends upon the spiritual food and exercise they get while they are adding years to their young lives. They need to exercise their senses in developing their abilities. They need to be encouraged and appreciated. A large church that has trouble finding teachers, song leaders, and young preachers in their number should have a prayer meeting accompanied by some genuine repentance. There is something seriously wrong with the older people.

Those who are tender in years are tender of heart and they are, therefore, the easiest to lead to the Lord and into His vineyard. If Christians would save their own children, the church would grow from within. Many fail, but the fact that some do succeed proves that it is possible. There are worldly people who do not lie, steal, blaspheme, become intoxicated, or commit fornication. Their spiritual weakness lies in their dedication to “success,” sports, and other things of this life. They talk of money, entertainment, and success and not of Christ before their children. They have not set their affections on things above and, unfortunately, their children will likely look about them rather than up to God.

Those who teach Bible classes and those who preach have a fearful responsibility to teach the word as being the counsel of God. Much can be done to direct the thinking of the children toward spiritual things. Many classes are not well taught. This is a fact that should distress us. Do the pupils gain knowledge of and respect for the Bible as the word of God? All of us need to be very much interested in the next generations. They will be the product of the influences about them. Elders and parents should look in the mirror if the young in the church are not spiritually minded and willing to work in the Lord’s vineyard.

Truth Magazine XXII: 30, pp. 486-487
August 3, 1978

By Bobby L. Graham

This was a purported effort to revise the American Standard Version of 1901, because of the conviction of the members of the revising committee that the American Standard Version was valuable and deserving of perpetuation. While the purpose of the committee might be recognized by many as noble and commendable, the end product is inferior to the version of 1901 because the principles and procedures used are, to some extent, faulty.

The “Principles of Revision” noted at the beginning of the NASV state that “a change was made in the direction of a more current English idiom” (manner of speaking is what they mean, B. Graham) when the committee felt that the literal translation of the American Standard Version was not acceptable to the modern reader. It would be interesting to know those literal passages that were thought unacceptable to the modern reader and the reasons why they were so judged. This very principle of getting away from literal translation is justified only when the literal translation does not carry the thought of the original into the English language. Where was this the case in the American Standard Version of 1901? This faulty principle of revision is possibly responsible for the bad rendering of 1 Pet. 3:20, “brought safely through the water,” instead of “saved through (or, by B. Graham) water.” The rendering of the NASV makes it appear that the water was not God’s means for saving Noah and his family from the destruction, but rather the thing they needed to be saved from. This is not the point of this passage in its context!

The premillennial bias of the revision committee shows through in Rev. 11:17 (“has begun to reign”) and possibly other passages.

Just as the producers of the Revised Standard Version, the New English Bible, and Today’s English Version (also called Good News for Modern Man), so do these ruin Matthew 5:17 by having Jesus say that he did not come to abolish the Law and the prophets, although Paul said that He did do this very thing in Eph. 2:15.

A grave mistake occurs in Acts 10:43, where the idea of salvation or forgiveness even before believing finds support (“every one who believes in Him has received forgiveness of sins”). Acts 15:11 puts eternal salvation too soon through the rendering “are saved,” for the text reads “to be saved” to “shall be saved”.

Acts 15:14 indicates that God’s first concern was for the Gentiles, whereas the text actually says that God at first (of the events being rehearsed) visited the Gentiles with salvation.

Romans 4:9 aids the idea of salvation by faith alone in its use of the word as, instead of the actual word unto. Abraham’s faith was counted to him unto (in order to obtain) righteousness, not as righteousness. God’s justification of him did not coincide with his faith, but followed it.

1 Corinthians has at least three faulty passages: 5:1, 911 (immorality, not the equivalent of fornication); 7:25, 40 (opinion, not the same as judgment); and 16:2 (put something aside, not the same, especially in view of Paul’s stated purpose.

Other bad renderings include 1 Pet. 3:19 (unjustified addition of the word now, though it is italicized); 2 Jn. 9 (“goes too far”-permits going beyond but not too far beyond); and Rev. 1:1 (communicated instead of signified, meaning “to set forth in symbols”, as the word really means.

Even this version is undesirable, as we can see.

Truth Magazine XXII: 30, pp. 484-485
August 3, 1978

By Johnie Edwards

We continue to look at lovers which are mentioned in the Bible.

Lovers of Self

Paul told Timothy, “that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves” (2 Tim. 3:1-2). Too many are so much in love with themselves that they have no room for loving God and their fellow man. Jesus said, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal” (Jn. 12:25). The love of self has led many to gratify their desires regardless of what God has said. Self-love keeps church members from faithful attendance if there are other things they like to do when services of the church are being conducted.

Lovers of Money

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which, while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim. 6:10). There is no evil in money but the love of it leads many astray. This is the reason for these words: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in the uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17).

Lovers of the Praise of Men

Some are more concerned about what men think than what God said. The reason given for some rulers not confessing Christ was: “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (Jn. 12:43). Paul’s attitude concerning the praise of men is worthy of our attention. “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). The Pharisees, in the days of Jesus, were seeking the praise of men and this was their reward (Matt. 23).

Lovers of the World

Christians are admonished, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn. 2:15). Loving the world caused Demas to forsake Paul (2 Tim. 4:10) and it will cause us to forsake God and His word. No wonder James said, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (Jas. 4:4).

Lovers of Preeminence

The desire to be above others, and to be first is the desire of those who seek preeminence. The desire for preeminence in the church has caused much trouble among brethren. John wrote of one who desired preeminence in this language, “I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not” (2 John 9).

Lovers of Darkness

Darkness is opposed to light. Men of God are men of light and are urged to walk in the light (1 Jn. 1:7). Yet many love darkness more than they do the light. Listen to John as he wrote about darkness. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (Jn. 3:19-20).

Lovers of Parents More Than of God

Often one will not obey the gospel because of parents. Jesus said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matt. 10:37). Children are to love their parents but this love must not interfere with their love for God and His Word (Luke 14:26; Mark 10:29-30).

Truth Magazine XXII: 30, p. 482
August 3, 1978

By Dennis Lynd and Ben M. Shropshire

The first Amendment to the Constitution of the United States provides that “Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; . . . .” The Fourteenth Amendment provides that “No state shall make or enforce any laws which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States . . . without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Most citizens of our great nation enjoy freedom of religion as guaranteed by the Constitution, and are grateful for such rights.

A question we would like for you to consider is this: Do all citizens of the United States enjoy freedom of religion? Before you answer this question, put yourself in the following situation, and then think about whether you would be enjoying religious freedom under such circumstances: Suppose that you were not a Christian, but, having learned that you need to be baptized for the remission of your sins, you decide to be baptized. However, the minister of the official state-supported religion of the community in which you live explains to you that it is just is not possible for you to be baptized by immersion; that under the circumstances surely it will not make any difference with God if you are sprinkled instead of being immersed. Finally, after two months of pleading, and only as a result of adverse publicity, the state-supported minister consents, and makes the arrangements for you to be scripturally baptized.

Now that you are a Christian, you would like to share the good news of salvation with others. You would like to have a Bible class so that the one who taught you could also teach others in your community. But the “powers that be” in your community will not allow you to do this. At the very least, instead of having to attend the services of the state-sponsored church, you would like to have the opportunity to assembly on the Lord’s day with other Christians in order to observe the Lord’s supper weekly and to sing without the accompaniment of a mechanical instrument of music. Again, though, the officials of your community refuse to allow you to do this. You would find this situation even more intolerable because of the realization that other religious groups, differing from the state religion, are allowed to worship according to their beliefs, but you are denied the same opportunity.

Undoubtedly you would not be happy in such a situation; but you need not worry about this because it could never happen anywhere in the United States. Right? Wrong! This very situation has happened in our country, and is happening even today. Where? In the prisons of the state of Illinois, and perhaps in other prison systems elsewhere in our country.

Perhaps you feel the situation with inmates in a prison is different; that they lost their rights, including the freedom of religion, when they were convicted and incarcerated. Such is not the case, however. While it is obviously true that a prisoner loses some of his rights, he still retains and is guaranteed by the Constitution certain basic rights-freedom of religion being one of them.

In order to illustrate for you the reality of this problem, that prisoners are being deprived of their right to worship and serve God according to their beliefs, and to appeal to you for help in solving this problem, we want to share the following information with you.

The Story of Edmund Lopes

Edmund Lopes (no. 15286) is an inmate at the Pontiac Correctional Center in Pontiac, Illinois. At the time Dennis Lynd met Edmund, Edmund was the head of the Protestant Chaplain’s board of deacons in the prision church. In the latter part of March, 1976 Dennis studied with Ed on the subject of baptism and Ed came to realize his need to be immersed into Christ. As a deacon in the Prison Bible Church, he tried to get them to stop using sprinkling for baptism. When the Chaplain continued to sprinkle prisoners, five of the six members of the deacon board left the Protestant Chaplain’s program. This was the beginning of many problems for Ed in his continuing differences with the chaplaincy of the prison.

On April 1, 1976, Edmund Lopes was removed from the prison population, and placed in segregation on a bogus disciplinary ticket. On April 2, a lawyer accompanied Dennis Lynd to the prison for the specific purpose of checking on this action by prison officials. The attorney was not allowed to enter the Correctional Center despite his protests. While in “seg,” Edmund was encouraged to return to the Chaplain’s faithful fold. By this time, however, Edmund was beginning to see that the spiritual battle lines had been drawn.

Due to adverse publicity, the prison administration was forced into allowing Edmund to be baptized on May 7, 1976. Concerning this, Ed later wrote:

“It took me two months after I was totally convicted of my need for baptism to finally get immersed for the remission of my sins. During that period, or any period before that, had this vessel of human clay died, I would have gone to hell. My brothers and sisters, that very thought terrifies me when I think of how close I had come to hell’s doors had not God been merciful enough to extend the time to me. I pleaded, I begged to be baptized. I asked every official in here from the wardens to ministers, to state officials, and to the Head Chaplain in Springfield. I was given one excuse after another. ‘We are looking into it’ ‘God knows you mean well, but He is teaching you patience.’ ‘We don’t have the facilities.'”

Edmund’s baptism turned out to be a very private affair, with the immersion taking place in the whirlpool of the prison hospital.

Five days later, on May 12, a mobile-baptistry was rolled into the prison and the Protestant Chaplain immersed fifteen inmates into the chilly waters. This was largely the results of the efforts and influence of Edmund Lopes. A newspaper article which appeared at the time in the Bloomington Pantagraph stated that the baptistry “was parked near the basketball courts of the prison Wednesday because there had been a swelling of fundamental Christianity inside the prison walls recently-fundamentalism which holds that a person is not properly baptized until he has been totally immersed in water.”

Two years have now gone by since these events transpired. During this period of time, Brother Lopes and others have requested the opportunity to study in a class in the prison with Dennis Lynd. Their repeated requests have all been denied. Also, they have tried to gain the right to worship according to the New Testament pattern in their own services, apart from the prison chaplain’s services. Even though other groups have been given this privilege, so far their efforts have not been rewarded with success.

During this same period of time, some inmates, wanting to be baptized for the remission of their sins, have been frustrated by the prison system. One man had to wait six months in order to be baptized, and only then after the prison chaplain had tried to persuade him not to be baptized by telling him that baptism is not necessary for salvation. When this inmate was being baptized, the Chaplain disrupted the service by loud and boisterous talking and other offensive behaviour. Another inmate informed prison officials of his desire to be baptized, but after being frustrated for about six months in his attempts, he finally gave up, deciding to wait until he was to be released from prison.

Gospel preachers have experienced considerable difficulties and harrassment in trying to gain admission to the Pontiac prison, largely the result of the fact that churches of Christ do not have any formal licensing or ordination procedures. Several preachers have presented adequate documentation to prison officials confirming their status as gospel preachers, but these were not accepted. The prison chaplaincy has equivocated several times about exactly what is required, and has been inconsistent in allowing some in on the basis of a certain procedure, while refusing others on the same basis.

Menard Prison in Chester, Illinois

Although these abridgments of religious freedom at the Pontiac Correctional Center seem particularly severe, it is not the only prison in Illinois where religious freedom has been hindered, and even denied. Sam Draper, a faithful gospel preacher who works with the church of Christ in Chester, Illinois, has been visiting and talking with inmates and conducting classes in the Menard Correctional Center in Chester, Illinois for over two years. During this time, about sixteen men have obeyed the gospel, having been baptized for the remission of their sins. Brother Draper has not had any particular difficulties gaining admittance to the prison, and after conducting studies with inmates in the visitation room for awhile, he was even allowed to conduct a class in a private room, with as many as 15 to 20 men present at times. Sometimes it has seemed that the men who desired to attend the class have been hindered from doing so by prison officials, but Brother Draper has not experienced any particular problems with baptizing those he has taught, as usually only a few days delay (occasioned by security regulations) has been required. The greatest problem has been the unwillingness of the prison chaplain to make available the opportunity for him to conduct services in the prison on the Lord’s days for those whom he has taught and baptized. The prisoners and Brother Draper have requested such a service, but their requests have all been denied up to the present time, in spite of the fact that other groups are given this right. The only alternative open to these prisoners is to attend the services conducted by the chaplain in which instrumental music is used and in which they do not have the opportunity to observe the Lord’s supper weekly. Obviously, it is not right to expect them to do this.

What Is Being Done about This?

Edmund Lopes at the Pontiac prison, Jerry Jarvis, and Ronald Jones at the Menard prison-all our brethren in Christ-have filed suit in federal court against Governor Thompson and the Illinois Department of Corrections on the grounds that they have been denied their religious freedom. This has been done only after every possible effort in going “through the channels” to gain their religious freedom has been tried to no avail. This suit, if it is successful, could have far-reaching consequences for good: (1) It will provide our brethren in the prisons of Illinois the opportunity to worship according to the teachings of the New Testament; (2) It will guarantee them and gospel preachers the opportunity of conducting Bible classes inside the prison in order to edify those already baptized, and to teach others: (3) It will remove the unreasonable delays for those wanting to be baptized; and (4) It could possibly do the same thing for inmates in prisons in other places in the United States where the same kind of problems are possibly being encountered by brethren.

Brother Elliot Ozment, a faithful brother in Christ, a gospel preacher, and an attorney associated with the Crawford, Ozment and Bolin law firm in Nashville, Tennessee, has committed himself and his law firm to take this case, and to pursue it all the way to the United States Supreme Court, if necessary. He believes the case against the State of Illinois is a very good one, and shares with us in the belief that this is a very important and vital cause in which all who are members of the body of Christ should be interested.

Your Help Is Needed

Such a law suit is expensive, at the very least. The prisoners are unable to pay anything at all toward the costs of the suit, and they will not be expected to do so. The Crawford, Ozment and Bolin law firm is donating its services and time used for this suit at no charge to anyone. Realistically, their contribution could probably be valused at $15,000.00. However, since so many of us have an interest in the success of this suit, it would not be right to expect, nor to allow, them to pay for the “out-of-pocket” expenses incurred in the course of their service in behalf of this suit. It has been estimated that about $5,500.00 will be needed to meet such expenses as travel, telephone, motel, etc.

Our purposes in writing this article is to gain your interest in the case, and to ask you to help us with these expenses. We need to raise this money immediately. An accounting will be made of all money received, and any surplus not used will be returned. We are soliciting help from individual Christians only; any money received from congregations will not be accepted. Will you help us? If you can and will, please make your check payable to the “Lopes-Lynd Fund,” and mail it to :Mr. Allen Roth, 802 North Mill, Pontiac, Illinois 61764. If you desire any further information on this matter, you may contact either of us: Dennis Lynd, 707 E. Timber Street, Pontiac, Illinois 61764, or Ben M. Shropshire, 7222 North Hanley Road, Hazelwood, Missouri 63042.

Brethren, we strongly urge you to help us in this good work.

Truth Magazine XXII: 29, pp. 474-476
July 27, 1978