Truth Magazine

By Morris W. R. Bailey

In my previous article, I pointed out that a proper handling of the word of truth requires that every text must be studied in its context with due regard for the conditions under which statements were made or commands given. Attention was given to some commonly misused and misapplied passages of scripture, namely, Matthew 24 and 1 Cor. 1:17. In this article, I shall deal with some other texts that have often been misapplied as a result of their having been taken out of their context.

1 Corinthians 2:9

This verse says, “But as it is written, Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, and which entered not into the heart of man, whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.” This verse has often been used by preachers and, surprisingly, by some who profess to be committed to speaking where the Bible speaks, when they preach about heaven. I must confess that in my younger and more immature days I sometimes used this passage to teach how unable we mortals are to conceive of what glories await us in heaven.

I am sure that heaven will surpass in glory and grandeur anything that our eyes have seen or our ears have heard or that we may have even imagined. However, when Paul wrote the above words he was not discussing heaven. To apply it to the glories that await us in heaven is, thus, to take it out of its context.

To learn the context in which this passage of scripture was written, it will be necessary for us to go back into chapter one of the First Corinthian epistle and consider the circumstances under which it was written.

Corinth, being one of the great cities of ancient Greece, was steeped in the Grecian culture of that day which tended to elevate human wisdom and to judge all things in the light of what man was able to understand. The gospel was thus regarded by the Grecian mind as foolishness (1 Cor. 1:18). In this same chapter, however, Paul taught that there is a wisdom that is higher than any wisdom of man — God’s wisdom — which makes foolish the wisdom of this world (vs 20).

It is with that thought in mind that Paul continues in chapter two (although Paul did not divide his epistles into chapters) by disclaiming human wisdom in the gospel that he preached (vs. 1). He said, however, beginning with verse 6, “We preach wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought. But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory.”

So then, the wisdom that Paul preached was a wisdom that had been foreordained of God, but hidden from man until the time came for it to be revealed. It was to this same wisdom, concealed in the types, shadows, and prophecies of the law, that Jesus referred when he said to his disciples, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them, not” (Matt. 13:16, 17).

It was this same plan of salvation “concerning which the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them” (1 Peter 1:10, 11).

It is, thus, Paul’s reference to the wisdom of God that had been hidden in past ages (1 Cor. 2:7) that forms the context for his words in verse 9, “But as it is written, Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, and which entered not into the heart of man, whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him.” Following those words he then said in verse 10, “But unto us God revealed them through his Spirit.” What things did God reveal through His Spirit? Why, those things that had formerly been so concealed that they had not been seen by the eye nor heard by the ear nor conceived by the heart of men. So Paul’s words in 1 Cor. 2:9 were not an effort to describe the glories of heaven but a reference to the wisdom of God one time concealed, but when Paul wrote, revealed.

1 Corinthians 13:9-12

In the above scripture, Paul said, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I sapke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child; now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as I was fully known.”

This passage has sometimes in the past been used by brethren, and is still used by many sectarian preachers when preaching about the second coming of Christ. The argument that is made on this passage is that our knowledge of heaven is fragmentary (in part), and our perception of those things unclear (compared to viewing something through a dark glass). But it is maintained that at the second coming of Christ (when that which is perfect is come) all these imperfections will give way to perfect knowledge and clear perception.

An examination of the context of this passage, however, reveals that Paul was not discussing the second coming of Christ. This thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians is, in fact, a sort of a parenthesis between chapters twelve and fourteen which deal with the subject of spiritual gifts. It will be noticed that Paul began chapter twelve with the words, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” Beginning then with verse 4 he listed nine gifts-wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, divers kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues.

It is evident that there was the disposition on the part of some of the Corinthians to ascribe a greater importance to some gifts, such as tongues, prophecy, and knowledge than to other gifts. Paul taught, however, that all these gifts proceeded from the one Spirit, and all contributed toward the building up of the body of Christ, just as the members of the natural body, each performing its own particular function, worked toward the efficient operation of that body (vss 12-20). Paul did not discourage their seeking the greater gifts. On the contrary he encouraged their desiring them. He was merely teaching them that there was something greater than tongues, prophecy, and knowledge (vs 31).

That which is greater than spiritual gifts is love. That is the meaning of Paul’s words in the thirteenth chapter, verses one :and two, where he said, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become a sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

Tongues, prophecy, and supernatural knowledge all had to do with the revelation of the gospel scheme of redemption-the New Testament-which existed at the time of Paul’s writing only in part. From that standpoint it was, at that time, an imperfect revelation. But when completed it was perfect, and the tongues, prophecy, and knowledge that contributed toward its completion were no longer needed and were thus done away. Paul showed, however that love, which was greater, would abide (13:13).

1 Thessalonians 4:16

In this scripture, Paul said, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” This verse has been construed by those of the premillennial school of thought to mean that there will be two resurrections-one, of the righteous at the coming of Christ and one, of the wicked a thousand years later.

This ignores the context in which Paul’s words were written. From verse 13, it is evident that some of the Thessalonians were concerned about the fate of their loved ones who had passed on. They could understand how those who were alive at the coming of Christ would be taken by him and with him to heaven. But what about them who were asleep in their graves? In verse 15, Paul assured them there was no cause for concern. “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive at the coming of the Lord shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep.”

It was in this context that Paul said, “The dead in Christ shall rise first.” But first before what? Why, before those that are alive at the coming of the Lord are taken up. This is made clear in Paul’s words in verse 17. “Then (after the righteous dead are raised-MWRB) we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them (the risen dead-MWRB) be caught in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

A good sister asked me in a Bible class one time, “But what about the wicked dead?” The answer is: Paul was writing to Christians who were concerned about the dead in Christ. It was therefore not germane to the subject under discussion to write about those who died out of Christ. Jesus did tell us what would happen to the wicked dead, however, when He said that the righteous and the wicked will be raised at the same time (John 5:28, 29). So Paul’s contrast in this passage is not between the righteous dead and wicked dead; but between the righteous dead and the righteous who are alive at the coming of Christ. There is no hint of a millennial reign of Christ in this passage.

Truth Magazine XXII: 6, pp. 105-107
February 9, 1978

By Donald P. Ames

Recently I was asked my opinion of the movie currently making the rounds entitled “Oh, God!” The movie is being widely proclaimed as “divinely funny” and a “very clever satire.” Since I had not seen the movie, I was in no position to comment. However the querest had a copy of the book (by Avery Corman-Bantaam Books) and loaned it to me for my examination.

Realizing the book was designed as a satire and after pointing out that we know God does not make persona( appearances today (Heb. 1:1-2), I agreed to read it as open-mindedly as possible and also determined to make every allowance for “poetic license” that could -reasonably be made. I did not wish to condemn it merely because it alleged God made a personal appearance to men if it had a good moral to it, nor did I wish to excuse it simply because it starred George Burns and John Denver, who happen to be two popular movie stars. A judgment was going to have to be fair and based on the contents of the book itself.

However, upon reading the book, I must frankly admit I was very disgusted with the whole thing. True, it was a clever satire on human reactions to the idea God might appear today to refute the charges that He never existed or was dead. But, upon finishing the book, I honestly wondered if the satire was being directed toward mankind or toward God Himself! There is a fine line between satire and mockery (or even blasphemy) and, in this case, the mockery seems as much directed at God as anything else.

God is portrayed as a little old man who took that form so He might be seen by men (possibly excusable as “poetic license”), but who is also fond of TV, His cigars, and likes His “cold beer and clams” (p. 70, 141). He is portrayed as a confused person, who knew the past and present because He had witnessed it, but had absolutely no plan or concept of what lay in the future-“I don’t know anything from what’s going to be. . .not even what’s going to happen for dinner” (p. 139). This is completely unbiblical and a mockery (cf. Eph. 3:11; 1 Pet. 1:10-12, etc.). His total lack of planning and purpose is also seen in such statements as “I came up with the concepts, the big ideas-the details can take care of themselves” (p. 11).

That He is not portrayed anywhere close to the God of the Bible (all-knowing, everywhere-present and concerned) is seen by such statements as: “Looking back, of course I made a few mistakes. Giraffes. It was a good thought, but it really didn’t work out. Avocados-on that I made the pit too big” (p. 11). Compare this with Gen. 1:31. He next quibbles with Moses over the number of commandments to be given from Mt. Sinai. Originally thinking of about 5,000, He finally works it down to 15. Moses demands only 8, so after quibbling and compromising, they finally agree on 10 (p. 12). When asked if He really listened and heard the prays of all men, He replied, “Who says I listen? I only said I’m there. After while, who can listen?” (p. 10). Compare that to Matt. 10:29-31 ! And, when asked what was in store for man, His confusion and lack of direction is openly manifested in seeking the answer to that as much as others were because “I couldn’t tell you. . .I don’t get into that” (p. 11). Compare that with Matt. 10 or Paul’s sermon in Acts 17:24ff.

Next we note God had no proof or evidence to present that He was God, and such requests were simply dismissed with “I don’t do proof” (p. 6). Can anyone imagine Moses going to face Pharoah with such a flimsy statement, or the apostles going forth to preach with no evidences that they were backed by God Himself (Mark 16:17-20; Heb. 2:1-4)? In fact, God even goes so far as to say, “I don’t do miracles. . . The last miracle I did was the 1969 Mets and before that the 1914 Boston Braves and before that I think you have to go back to the Red Sea” (p. 11-12). Imagine that! Nothing since the Red Sea! What about the conquest of Canaan, Elijah at Mt. Carmel, Daniel in the lion’s den, the raising of Lazarus, or even the resurrection of Jesus Christ? All these are simply dismissed — or forgotten by an extremely forgetful God who can’t keep track of things very well.

Other examples of the mockery of God are included in His statement about His holy word — “Not that the Bible is such a bargain — talk about inaccurate” (p. 126). How is that for confidence in His inspired word? God also mocks the idea of the Final Judgment and thinks it silly He would think of wasting His time sitting on a throne while mankind passed before Him as if in some parade- a- s if He did not have anything better to do (p. 62).

Jesus Christ is totally ignored as the means of our salvation in the movie, and the idea of doctrine being important (John 12:48) is held up to ridicule. Jesus is mentioned one time, when God is asked if He is His son. “Well, the thing is, people who want to believe that Jesus was my son can go ahead and believe it. It’s what they want to think and I don’t get into that . . . .Jesus was my son. Buddha was my son. Confucius. Mohammed. Moses. All the fellas” (p. 61). Thus, the deity of Christ is mocked and disavowed by God as unimportant. Christ is placed on a level with man and false prophets (cf. John 3:16; 1:1-3, 2 Thess. 2:11-12). When pressed further on this point with the question of which of tTie world’s religions were really the closest to the Divine Truth, God cleverly slides around it with the comment, “All of them are cute” (p. 61). Thus God, per the book, does not really care what you believe-just as long as you do not conclude He never was or is dead!

God further selected a Jew to carry His message of existence to the people. No do not conclude I am antiJewish, but since the Jews rejected Christ and His saving gospel, if God desired to save mankind and bring a message to them, it would not be in the hands of an unbelieving Jew today (Luke 10:16). Nor would he be so foolish as to send a man forth with no evidence He had actually spoken to Him to try to prove He existed. Nor would He select an indifferent, non-religious man who wrote one good article, was full of dreams of getting rich and famous, made frequent use of profanity, admitted to a variety of sexual sins in the past, and relied on a publicity agent (his wife) to get popularity.

Vulgar language and profanity appear throughout the book; one chapter dealing with a nude girl desiring sexual relations seems to have been inserted for no other purpose than to spice up the book with sex (especially when the rest of it deals with mankind’s reaction as a whole to the idea of the appearance of God today).

As I said, I found it disgusting! I hope this exposure will assist in warning others of the trash and mockery it contains so you do not waste your money on it and may answer intelligently when asked about it.

Truth Magazine XXII: 6, pp. 104-105
February 9, 1978

By Dody Gibson

There was a man Jehoiakim,

And over Judah he did reign.

He was a very wicked king.

The Scripture makes it very plain.

The Lord spoke through Jeremiah,

From words written in a sacred scroll,

That he might turn from evil ways,

And in so doing save his soul.

But Jehoiakim flew into a rage.

He lost control and with great ire,

He clipped the words with his penknife,

And threw them all into the fire.

Now what of us living today?

Do we sometimes the scripture discard?

And using the penknife of neglect,

Leave God’s word so often marred?

How does your Bible read for you?

Go visit the sick, remember to pray,

Teach a class or sing a song?

What does your copy really say?

Do you miss meeting with the saints?

For by your actions you will declare,

If you have clipped these words away.

Better check to see if it’s still there.

Jeremiah 36:23

Truth Magazine XXII: 6, p. 104
February 9, 1978

By Steve Wolfgang

During the week of October 24-30, 1977, members of the Expressway Church of Christ, 4437 South Sixth Street. Louisville, Kentucky, had the privilege of hearing Brother Roy Cogdill speak by invitation of the elders in a gospel meeting. The meeting was well attended by Expressway members and by a number of community visitors who are not members of the Lord’s church. Truth Magazine readers who have known Brother Cogdill through the years will rejoice to know that Brother Cogdill has regained a measure of health and strength and came preaching with the same fervor, force and clarity which has been characteristic of him through the years.

We do not wish to turn the pages of this paper into an “adulation sheet” for the worship of any man (as some publications among our liberal brethren have become), nor to think more highly of any man than we ought to think, but we do feel that good news regarding those who have fought long and valiantly in the Cause should be reported. Although Brother Cogdill’s health has not been the best in the last few years, at this time he appears to be in better health (and seems to feel much better) then he has for some time. He spoke each night for nearly an hour, sometimes more, to above-average crowds (which puts the lie to the idea that brethren will not abide lengthy sermons; they will, so long as the preacher has something to say!). At a special Saturday morning session on the Charismatic Movement, Brother Cogdill spoke for nearly two hours and answered questions from the audience. He spoke three times on Sunday, and participated in the call-in radio broadcast with this scribe and Jamie Sloan of Douglass Hills (where Brother Cogdill held a meeting last fall). Brother Cogdill went from Expressway to Danville to conduct a meeting there, and we have received a good report of his continued good health and forceful preaching to good audiences there. While we do not wish to fall victim to the wrong of thinking of men “above that which is written” (1 Cor. 4:6), we feel that Brother Cogdill’s long experience (he marked his 55th anniversary of preaching on November 20) and his evident ability make him an exceptional proclaimer of God’s word. His love for the souls to whom he preaches is manifest in the earnestness with which he preached the gospel. The saints at Expressway were truly edified.

In our opinion, one of the main contributions Brother Cogdill has made in his efforts to teach the truth as widely as possible has been the numerous books, debates, and tracts which he has authored. Perhaps the best known of these has been The New Testament Church, first written nearly forty years ago (1938, to be exact). Besides going through nearly twenty printed editions of perhaps nearly a quarter of a million copies, the book has been translated into nearly a dozen foreign languages and, in Brother Cogdill’s own words, “Has done a lot of preaching at places I could not or would not be allowed to go.” While Brother Cogdill was here, he replied to a recent request from the American Braille Society in Los Angeles to grant permission for them to publish The New Testament Church in Braille so that even the blind may now have access to this thorough and scriptural study of the Lord’s church.

This scribe counts it a,rare privilege and honor to have been associated with Brother Cogdill in this effort and to have had the benefit of sitting at his feet during this period. We bid him Godspeed and wish for him continued health and many more opportunities in preaching the gospel.

Truth Magazine XXII: 6, pp. 103-104
February 9, 1978