Truth Magazine

By Jeffery Kingry

“I suppose you wonder why I don’t go to your church. Why should I? I’ve got it pretty good-nice job, wife, and kids, and we’re crazy about one another. We live in a good country and we have lots of friends. And look at the times we live in too, with all the benefits of medical and productive science. If we’ll only use our heads and play it right, we’ll soon have a way of life that will make religion and the church unnecessary.”

“You know, preacher, I don’t understand why you’re in this church business anyway. It would seem to me that you could get into something more alive and tied in with the real concerns of living. For the life of me, I don’t see the point of what you’re doing. Look at my wife who is one of your best members! She attends all these meetings, three times a week like clockwork. Twice a year you have week-long meetings. All the time she is baking and taking food to people, visiting old people who are senile in the old folks home . . . and for what? Everybody rushing from one thing to another as if the devil were after them. That personal work meeting you had last month-my wife comes home on Friday exhausted and says, `I don’t know why I do it.’ The other evening I said, `Well, why do you do it?’ And she couldn’t say a thing! She didn’t know!”

“Sometimes she comes home all freshly steamed up with a new idea or program to make more members for your church. I guess you have to get up a new show now and then to whip up the enthusiasm or reserves of your exhausted faithful.”

“One of my pet peeves about your enterprise is the effect you have on my family. I spend a lot of the time I am home alone because you have either my wife or my kids trucking off to some shindig so that we are seldom home together. If I were mixed in it too, nobody would be home and I would be as frazzled as the rest of you.”

“Look at you! You’re run ragged trying to keep ahead of the show! While I don’t believe much or go to your church, I’ve often wondered why you people don’t train and organize your personnel better. It sure would save you a lot. No business could survive on the methods you people use.”

“There is something else on my mind. It has to do with the kinds of life religious people live in contrast to the life they preach. I know my faults and I don’t make pretenses-I am what I am; but a lot of your people that think they are too good to sit in the same pew with me aren’t what they seem. They are always looking down their noses at people that aren’t just like them. I don’t want to have anything to do with the church until the people in it are really as good as they claim to be. I may not be much, but at least I am not a hypocrite!”

“There’s something else that gets me about your brand of religion, preacher. You’re always fussing among yourselves as to who is right. We had some friends over the other night that ,are from the same church as you. During dinner the conversation turned to some of the differences between you. Liberal versus conservative, who did what to who first. It all makes me sick! Why don’t you get down to your real business, whatever that is?”

We have all heard this kind of dialogue at one time or another, both within and without the church. Many of us dismiss it as ignorant palaver, and it is ignorant-but it is not palaver. These are genuine and sincere doubts expressed in ignorance of what the church is really all about. Even many in the Lord’s church do not know what they are about, or what the church is. This man and others like him are rebelling against “churchism,” or “denominationalism.” Unfortunately, many are turned against the truth found in God’s ,word because they are rightly repelled by churchism, parochialism, legalism, and partyism. To deny that there are such problems among God’s people is to overlook the fact that these problems were part of the New Testament church as well. Recognizing a problem is the first step in correcting it. The fault lies not with the truth and the pattern, but in the failure of men to put the truth into life. We need to be about changing people rather than the pattern.

The simplest and most obvious answer is that our business is to preach the Gospel (1 Thess. 1:6-8; Matt. 28:18,19). But, what is that? The Gospel is “good news!” What good news? The man in our introduction might ask, “Good news? I haven’t heard any good news.” And in many instances, that is true. Not only have many outside the church not heard any good news, but sometimes even those in the church hear precious little of it. They live not under the good news of the Gospel, but under its bad news. The bad news is seen in the demands it makes upon us. The good news becomes bad news depending on one’s viewpoint and how the Gospel is presented. We do not lose sight of obedience or of sin-but brethren, most know they are sinners and are trying to drown that guilt in hectic “pleasure seeking”-booze, women, being a “good-ole-boy.” The simplest way to present the good news to these people is to take the approach John did, “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:16). The Gospel is the good news that God loves us, and wants us to be happy. He loved us so much that he lived and died and arose again that we might be able to escape this mundane, irrelevant, corrupt world. It is not so much what we have to do, but what God has done!

Everyone has wants and desires. Some are immediate and superficial; “I want an attractive home, a good wife, a satisfying job, esteem by people who mean something to me.” But, our greatest want is much deeper. One young woman put it well to me in conversation once when she said, “I could take just about anything dished out to me, if there was just one person who really loved and respected me . . . someone I could talk to who would approve and encourage me.” We all desire to be at one with someone, to have someone to share with us, and through whom we can find meaning in our life. People let us down, and often. People have a bad habit of being selfish, wanting more that they are willing to give. We need God, because he is the one who really loves us (Rom. 5:1-10). This is the good news. God loves us, and does not want even one soul to be lost now or in eternity. Everything around us may fall apart, every close friendship may be destroyed, our physical life may be filled with pain and anguish, but God knows, cares, and will make it right in the end. He put His seal on this relationship by offering His very own Son in our place. He paid all of our debts with the blood of His beloved Son, and He calls us to a life that is not only good to be lived, but will bring eternal happiness to all who will accept it. It is not a matter of “Which church is best,” “What’s wrong with instrumental music in worship,” “Are only members of the church of Christ going to heaven?” but rather “You do not need to be alone anymore. God loves you and wants you to be part of his family.”

Of course, in practicality, this is simplistic. People must often be impressed with the severity of sin (Acts 2:36,37), even that they are guilty of sin (Acts 8:19-24), and need God. After entering into this new relationship with God, it is necessary to impress upon the babe how to maintain it-God talks to us, but only through His word (Gal. 1:6-9). This is not legalism-this is a natural part of any relationship, human or divine. We must seek to please the one we wish to be one with. Presumptuousness, disregard, arrogance, indifference, or lack of genuine effort to please will destroy any relationship, human or divine.

Every living man needs God. We have the way to God, because we have found it ourselves. We need not be ashamed of our joy. We are no longer strangers, without hope, lonely, and without love. God has raised us to be princes, and kings. He has made us part of his family. We have an inheritance of which no two-bit Tennessee lawyer can cheat us. We have the world by the tail. We have Satan on the run, and the best weapons in the world to cope with his fiery.arrows. The way to God is in the Gospel. Let us get that good news to those still in darkness.

Truth Magazine XXI: 4, pp. 56-57
January 27, 1977

By Robert H. West

It Is False If It Contradicts The Bible

It is a well-known fact that Truth does not contradict Truth. That the Bible is Truth, is a fact to which our Mormon friends agree-up to a point. If all of the writings held to be inspired by Mormons are consistent with the Bible, this a point in their favor. On the other hand, if it can be shown that the writings of Mormonism contradict the Bible, this will lead irresistibly to the conclusion that their religious system is false. Let us notice a few instances of how the Mormon writings compare with the Bible on subjects touched upon by both.

WHERE WAS JESUS BORN?

One of the most well-known and easily perceived contradictions between the Book of Mormon and the Bible is that which deals with the place of the birth of Christ. Read the following:

Bible: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea . . .” (Matt. 2:1).

Book of Mormon: “and behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem, which is the land of our forefathers . . .” (Alma 7:10).

The Mormons make a futile attempt to “explain away” this obvious contradiction by observing that Bethlehem was only about six miles from Jerusalem, something of a suburb of the great city. Hence, we are told, when the Book of Mormon designates Jerusalem as the birthplace, this would include Bethlehem. Thus they contend, there is actually no contradiction between the two statements.

This explanation seems plausible until from the Bible we learn that Jerusalem was a walled city and in all of the approximately 800 references in which the city is named not one of them includes territory beyond the walls of the city! Furthermore, in Matt. 21:17-18, we learn that Jesus “went out” of Jerusalem into Bethany. Any good map of that area will reveal that Bethany was only 1 = or 2 miles from Jerusalem. If Bethany, only 2 miles from Jerusalem, was considered by the Holy Spirit as “out” of that city, then surely Bethlehem, three times as far from Jerusalem, could not be considered a part of the city! Even in the Book of Mormon, “Jerusalem” or “land of Jerusalem” is never used to include the surrounding cities. The contradiction, therefore, remains.

WHEN WERE THE DISCIPLES FIRST CALLED CHRISTIANS?

Bible: “And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).

Book of Mormon: (margin reads, “73 B.C.”) “And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ, or Christians as they were called. . .” (Alma 46:15).

Yes, our Mormon friends wish us to take this statement seriously! Christians even before the coming of Christ! Take your pick. Which will you believe? You cannot believe the Bible and at the same time believe in Mormonism!

DOES THE HEAVENLY FATHER HAVE A BODY OF FLESH AND BONES?

Bible: “God is a spirit. . .” (John 4:24). “. . . a spirit bath not flesh and bones. . .” (Luke 24:39).

Doctrine and Covenants: “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s. . .” (130:22).

Jesus said a spirit does not have flesh and bones, and that God is a spirit. This is directly contradicted by Mormonism! It will not do for Mormon apologists to say that God “has” a spirit. The Bible clearly states that He is a spirit, which cannot possess flesh and bones. This materialistic concept of God runs throughout the entire Mormon system.

These are only a few of the many available instances of contradictions between the Bible and Mormon writings. But these should be sufficient to show that Mormonism is not from God.

It Is From Man If It Contradicts Itself

One of the outstanding arguments for the credibility of the Bible is it consistency–the fact that it nowhere contains contradictions. This cannot be said for Mormonism, as its writings are replete with irreconcilable contradictions, thus proving that it originated with man–not God. We shall present three instances for your consideration.

A CONTRADICTION CONCERNING POLYGAMY

Book of Mormon: “Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord” (Jacob 2:24).

Doctrine and Covenants: “David also received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon and Moses my servants . . . and in nothing did they sin save in those things which they received not of me. David’s wives and concubines were given unto him of me. . . and in none of these things did he sin against me save in the case of Uriah and his wife. . .” (132:38-39).

The above contradiction is so plain that it borders on the ludicrous to hear an effort to reconcile the two statements. Sometimes Mormons say that what the writer in the Book of Jacob was talking about was the “many wives and concubines” which David did not have permission from the Lord to receive. It was his “polygamy without authority,” they say, which was “abominable” to God. But notice, please, in the passage in Doctrine And Covenants, it says that God gave David his wives and concubines and that the only case in which he sinned was that of Bathsheba! The contradiction remains to the chagrin of Mormon apologists.

A CONTRADICTION CONCERNING THE STATE OF THE DEAD

The doctrine of “baptism for the dead,” i.e., baptism by proxy for the salvation of their unbaptized dead relatives, is perhaps one of the most distinctive and bizarre of the Latter Day Saints’ teachings. It is enjoined upon them, among other places, in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 124. But this teaching and practice is expressly contradicted by the Book of Mormon in the following passage:

“And, in fine, woe unto all those who die in their sins; for they shall return to God, and, behold his face, and remain in their sins” (2 Nephi 9:38, see also Alma 34:3235; 40:14).

A more glaring contradiction than this is seldom found in the writings of false religions. On the one hand Mormons teach that they can be baptized in behalf of the disobedient dead and that will save them. On the other hand the Book of Mormon teaches that once people “die in their sins,” they “remain” in their sins!

A CONTRADICTION CONCERNING BOOK OF MORMON LANGUAGE

Mormons tell us that the Book of Mormon was originally written in the “reformed Egyptian” (1 Nephi 1:2; Mormon 9:32). Since this language was entirely unknown to any other than the “now extinct Book of Mormon peoples,” we are told that a divine means of translating the plates was provided. Notice:

“Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters. He gave me a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct “‘(Joseph Smith, 2:641.

“But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also that none other people knoweth our language; therefore he hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof” (Mormon 9:34).

Keep it clearly in mind that even Joseph Smith did not claim to be able to translate the language of the alleged plates without these divine “interpreters.” Now, we are told that Smith copied some of the characters from the plates, with the translation, gave them to Martin. Harris who then took the document to Professor Charles Anthon of Columbia University, “a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments.” We read the results of this interview in The Pearl of Great Price as follows:

Do you not see the direct contradiction? On the one hand the Book of Mormon says the language of the plates was unknown to any other people, therefore the necessity of the supernatural means of translating them, supposedly given to Smith. On the other hand, the Pearl of Great Price tells us that Professor Anthon knew the language well enough to say the translation was correct! There are many other palpable and irreconcilable contradictions in Mormon writings. The few we have presented should be enough to prove that these writings came from man and not from God.

It Is From Man If Its Purposes Have Failed

The Mormons make many wondrous claims as to the exalted purposes of their religious system. We wish to consider two of those purposes in this treatise. Since it is contended that these purposes are divine, if we find that they have failed, this should be ample proof that the Mormon system is not of God, as His purpose never fail.

MORMONISM WAS TO “WIND UP THE SCENE” BY 1891!

In Doctrine and Covenants 130:14-16, Joseph Smith wrote the following:

“I was once praying very earnestly to know the time of the coming of the Son of Man, when I heard a voice repeat the following: Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty five years old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man; therefore let this suffice, and trouble me no more on this matter. I was left thus, without being able to decide whether this coming referred to the beginning of the millennium or to some previous appearing, or whether I should die and thus see his face.”

Since Joseph Smith was born in 1805, had he lived to be 85, that would make the, time when Smith was to “see the face of the Son of Man” in the last days of 1890 or sometime in 1891. While there seems to be some doubt in Joseph’s mind, at this time, as to what would take place in 1891, a subsequent statement of his, made in February, 1835, clarifies the matter:

. . . and it was the will of God that those who went to Zion, with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, should be ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, or the coming of the Lord, which was nigh-even fifty-six years should wind up the scene” (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, edited by B. H. Roberts, Volume IJ, p. 182).

Since the latter statement was made in 1835, fifty-six years from then would have been 1891! But that uneventful year has come and gone, the “scene” has certainly not been “wound up,” and Jesus has not come again! Mormon missionaries are still going forth “to prune the vineyard,” but this purpose was to be accomplished “for the last time” prior to 1891. Here is a purpose as well as a prophecy of Mormonism which has failed so obviously (See Deuteronomy 18:20-22)!

MORMONISM WAS TO RESTORE LOST PORTIONS OF THE GOSPEL

Remember, in 1 Nephi 13:26-28, the Book of Mormon asserts that “many plain and precious parts” of the Bible would be removed. In this same chapter, speaking the Book of Mormon, one of the purposes of that bood is stated in these words:

“And the angel spake unto me, saying: These last records, which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first, which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and precious things which have been taken away from them . . .” (v. 40).

As we have already shown in a previous section, God gave the promise that His word could not be destroyed, but rather that it would “abide forever” (1 Pet. 1:23-25). Thus, the Mormon purpose stated above is faulty in its beginning, as there is no need to restore that which was to remain, according to God’s promise, uncorrupted through the years.

Furthermore, has the Book of Mormon “made known” the plain and precious things which have be taken away from the gospel? Absolutely not! Even Mormon authorities must admit this in their inability to produce these “plain and precious things” removed (against God’s promise) from the Bible. Mormon missionaries talk much about the so-called “lost books of the Bible.” Yet, where are these books? Certainly not in the Book of Mormon, by the admission of Mormons themselves! If, therefore, neither the “lost books” nor the lost “plain and precious parts of the gospel” has been restored in the Mormon system, obviously another of its self-assigned purposes has failed, thereby proving that the system is from man, not God.

Mormonism—-From God Or Man?

In this brief examination we have produced evidence that the Bible is complete and uncorrupted and thus a sufficient religious guide for mankind.

1. We have shown that whereas truth cannot contradict truth, the Mormon writings plainly contradict the Bible, a known and recognized source of truth.

2. We have further shown that there are gross contradictions in the Mormon writings themselves.

3. Then we examined two of the purposes of Mormonism as stated in authoritative Mormon literature and found that they have failed.

Mormonism is clearly from man-not from God. The evidence presented here is but a small portion of that which is available which leads irresistibly to the same conclusion.

Truth Magazine XXI: 4, pp. 54-56
January 27, 1977

By Cecil Willis

The nature of this lesson shall to be to study the different kinds of miracles that were done in New Testament times. There are those today who would have us believe that the exact kinds of miracles that were very definitely done then, are yet being done by men claiming supernatural power. But I think that by a careful observation of the wide variety of miracles done in New Testament times, we can see that even the most ostentatious of modern sensationalists dare not even try to imitate but a few of them. In fact, even those that advertise themselves most, and have the greatest following, and persuade so many dare not try some of the miracles that were done in Biblical times. They will try some two or three kinds of miracles but the majority of the kinds done in the New Testament era, they know even the gullible would not believe, so they somehow forget that these also were done in Bible times. To one with supernatural power, one miracle is no more difficult than another. Let us now notice the different kinds of miracles wrought by the Lord. Of course we will not be able to notice every miracle the Lord performed. In fact they could not all be written in the Bible, according to John: “Many other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book” (Jn. 20:30). Later the same writer said, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did the which if the should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the book that would be written” (Jn. 21:25). So we will not even be able to take a passing glance at all of the mighty works which He did.

Jesus’ Many Powers

1. His power over nature. “Water glorified its Lord by blushing itself into wine” when Jesus turned the water into wine (Jn. 2:1-11). “Water acknowledge its Master and bore him upon its boson” when the Lord walked upon the sea (Matt. 14:25). “At his command a raging tempest was transformed fear-soothing zephyr” when Jesus spoke to the storm and said “Peace, be still” (Mk. 4:39). “Food in submission to his will multiplied itself sufficiently to feed multitudes. ” On one occasion five thousand men ate of the multiplied loaves and fishes and the left-overs were twelve basketfuls (Mk. 6:38-44). At another time Jesus took seven loaves and a few fishes and fed four thousand men besides women and children and there were seven baskets of broken pieces left (Matt. 15:32-39). “A fish as obedient as the great fish of Jonah provided a tribute coin for its Lord” (Matt. 17:27). “In obedience to his desire over crowding fish entered into the captivity of discouraged fishermen” when they complied with Jesus’ command to cast the net on the right side of the boat (Jn. 21:6). “A fruitless fig tree’s bare boughs gave evidence of his withering curse. Behold the Master of Nature!” (Matt. 21:19).

2. His power over the human body. “The snow of leprosy melts into flesh like that of a little child” when He heals the lepers (Matt. 8:3). “The unbound tongue of the dumb became garrulous in his praise” when its captive chain was broken by Christ’s infinite power (Matt. 12:22). “The inactive paralytic felt his body energized anew” (Matt. 11:5). “Unseeing eyes beheld the beauties of the handiwork of God” when Jesus removed their thick covers (Matt. 15:30, 31). “His ministry to the ills of humankind was an invigorating elixir of life.”

3. His power over demons. “Frequent passages in the gospel give evidence of the power of Jesus over demons of every kind” (Matt. 8:29). “The supremacy of power or force alone would not have proven the complete superiority of Jesus over the demons. He possessed authority over them and all demons contacted acknowledged his Lordship and in terror submitted to his commands. Power shows mastery while authority shows lordship. Demons of every order knowing the spirit world acknowledge and proclaimed his divinity and submitted to his will.”

4. His power over death and hades. “His power and authority over unclean spirits and various demons would not have proven a complete mastery had he not demonstrated like authority and power over death. Go to the home of Jairus where the spirit of his little girl had hardly entered into hades when Jesus took the lifeless hand and by a single command the spirit reentered the body to restore life (Lk. 8:41-46). The heart of Jesus was touched with compassion when he was a weeping widow following the bier of her son. Soon the bosom of earth would receive his mortality but the procession was halted and mourning was turned into joy (Lk. 7:11-15). Who has not admired the tears of Jesus as they found kinship with those of Martha and Mary? Who has not uttered the praise and admiration for him who could command and earth would release its embrace and the grave surrender its captive (Jn. 11:146 )?

“A greater challenge to his power and authority came when death was administered to his own body. This was the supreme test. When death makes marble the flesh of the Son of man will he be able to give humanity an ever abiding assurance that death cannot conquer life? The power of the demon world expended its force but the head of the seed of Eden’s serpent was crushed. Jesus the Christ now holds the keys of death and the unseen world for he is alive forevermore. Rejoice, ye sons of Adam! Jesus has revealed that death may subdue life for a time but never can conquer life. Though we die, we shall life again.

“Without the resurrection of Jesus, Gethsemane would have heard only the piteous wail of a soul in despair and Calvary’s cross would have been but a death stake for a martyr of a lost cause and would not have been retained in the memories of men. He conquered death when administered to his own body” (NOTE: The above sentences in quotation marks are taken from Ben F. Taylor, “Miracles” in Truth in Love, July, 1955).

So one can see the wide variety of miracles that Jesus performed. Not just a few kinds , but many kinds. Men professing to be miracle-workers today will not even attempt to manifest their claimed supernatural power in the many different ways as did Jesus. Did you ever see one of them attempt to walk on water? Did you ever see one of them speak to a raging storm and immediately all was still? Did you ever see one of them take one to lunch and feed five thousand people all they wanted? Did you ever see one totally blind immediately healed? Did you ever see them go to a grave in a cemetery where one had been dead four days, as was Lazarus, his body already decaying, and raise the dead? I am sure that each reader will have to answer these questions as do I: NO! They do not attempt these sort of things.

In Mark 16:17,18, Jesus said, “And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Actually, Jesus was not speaking of all believers in this passage, but to the apostles. And every denominationalist who professes to be able to perform miracles knows this, because no denominational body claims that every person in it can work miracles. But Jesus said that “these signs” shall follow them that believe. If He refers to all believers, then everyone who cannot perform all five kinds of these miracles is an unbeliever. I want to notice that none of the men who claim this passage as their proof will undertake to do all that it says. It says: (1) they shall cast out demons; (2) they shall speak with new tongues; (3) they shall take up serpents; (4) deadly poison shall not hurt them; (5) they shall heal the sick. There. is not a preacher in any town who will try to perform all of these things. They will undertake to cast out demons, they will profess to speak with tongues, and they claim to heal the sick. But if they actually did all that they try and profess to do, please remember that this is not all that Jesus said the believers would be able to do. He said that they shall take up serpents, and’shall drink deadly things without hurt. There is no Bible principle which says that three of these signs shall follow modern-day believers, and the other two shall not. If these five signs are for this time, then all five of them shall follow. If they are not, then none of them is being done. Now why will a preacher claim to cast out demons, speak in tongues and heal the sick, but will not even undertake to take up serpents, and drink deadly things? As soon as one questions one of them on this point, they reply that it would be to tempt God to try these last two things. But did those men in New Testament times-whom these signs did follow-tempt God? If not, and if these signs are still to be done today, neither will one tempt God if he does them. It would only be to do what God said would be done.

Quite often we read of one of these preachers claiming to be unable to heal a certain one becau lacked faith. However, we should remember that raised a dead man from the grave. I wonder how faith a dead man has. But if faith is that upon which successful performance of a miracle hinges, as som us, then these preachers certainly should be ab handle serpents and drink deadly things. If anyone has faith enough for a miracle to be done on him, it certainly ought to be one of these miracle-working preachers. I think I can tell why these men do undertake to handle serpents and why they will attempt to drink deadly things without hurt. These things will get a preacher killed! And they know it! But Jesus said these signs shall follow them that believe, and then He listed five kind of miracles. If these signs are to be yet done today, then all five kinds of signs must be done. If just three of them are to continue, the Bible should tell us somewhere about when the other two were done away. The truth of God’s word was confirmed by the signs which followed and so signs are no longer done.

Compare the nature of Jesus’ miracles with the n of the so-called miracles of today. A while ago television program, I saw a man profess to have healed one of heart trouble. Was there any proof given that the man had heart trouble to begin with? Or, that he no longer had it? Not a bit. A woman was “healed of indigestion on the same program. Common baking soda may have done as well! And quite often today we hear of the same people being healed again and again of the same disease. I saw a newspaper clipping of a woman’s being “healed” of cancer. However, within the same year, the same newspaper report states that she died of cancer the same week the healing miracle was telecast. The woman’s physician at Pasadena Tumor Institute listed the cause of her death as cancer. Obviously, her miracle-healing did not last long.

I wish that these men really had the power they profess. I would like to see the suffering of humanity alleviated as much as any other fellow. If these men really had the power they claim, they would be healing many more than the five or six each week that will gain for them a little publicity. The apostle John exhorts us “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 Jn. 4:1). Our only purpose is that God’s truth be declared as it should be, and the truth concerning false teachers clearly be made known.

Truth Magazine XXI: 4, pp. 51-53
January 27, 1977

By Luther Blackmon

Etymologically the word “hypocrite” means an actor; one who pretends to be something which he is not. Hypocrites come in varied forms; their hypocrisy finds expression in different ways, but basically they are all the same under the skin: dishonest and unreliable.

Not the least among the hypocrites is the fellow that is all sweetness and generosity when he is out with the “gang”; he has the longest arm in the crowd when it comes time to reach for the beer check; he is the regular fellow. But he squeals like a pig stuck in a gate when his spouse asks for an extra dollar above the dole he gives her to buy the groceries, and wants to know how she manages to get rid of so much money. The female counterpart of this nice fellow is the little lady who calls her husband all sorts of endearing names in company, and gives the impression that life with him is a preview of paradise, but who makes Socrates’ wife Zanthippe look like Whistler’s mother with her haggling and nagging when there is nobody home but the family.

Then there is the hypocrite who is not a member of the church because there are hypocrites in the church. It does not take a close observer to see that his excuse is as phony as a four-dollar bill. He goes to the football game where there are gamblers, whoremongers, liars, murderers, and reprobates a plenty. He will stand in line and be shoved, insulted, and slobbered on by drunks, and smile it all off as a part of the game. But if someone who goes to church has failed to pay a debt somewhere that he knows about, his sensitive soul is so shocked by such an atrocity that he simply cannot bring himself to worship God in the company of such persons. We have no disposition to defend those who refuse to honor their obligation, but we also know that you cannot prevent some counterfeits from getting into the church. They are found in every strata of society. And when we go to worship we should go for the purpose of worshiping God, not to analyze the lives and judge the hearts- of the worshipers. A person who lets a hypocrite keep him out of the church stands to spend eternity with that hypocrite. Because salvation is in Christ, and to be in Christ is to be in the church, if the hypocrite does not change, we will spend eternity in torment. The one who lets the hypocrite keep him from obeying the gospel will be there with him (2 Thess. 1:7-9).

Another one whose name belongs in this list of notables is the preacher who denounces dancing, petting, divorce and remarriage, while carrying on a clandestine affair with the wife of another man. This one belongs in the hypocrites hall of fame. Along side of him ought to hang the portrait of the preacher who declares his soundness to the remotest bounds, and loves the truth above all other considerations, who in debate seeks always for truth and never for personal victory, who would have his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth rather than have it said that he had ever failed to stand for the truth on any matter affecting the kingdom of God; but who when issues arise and lines are drawn which leave him on the side with those “everywhere spoken against,” he changes his course completely or maintains a sphinx-like silence until he is forced to speak, and then evades and double-talks like a politician making a speech on integration.

And last but not least, we would mention the one who comes to worship only now and then when he (or she) has a pang of conscience about letting the children grow up without the influence of Christianity in their lives. But, who, if encouraged to come more often, will give out a line of excuses that ought to get him elected president of the Ananias club, but which excuses never keep him from the little league games and other activities. I am still looking for that fellow who will just walk up to the lick-log and say, “I don’t attend worship because I have no interest m spiritual things. The church means nothing to me. If there was ever a flame of love for the Lord and His church in my heart, it has gone out, or remains only a dying ember.” If one could ever bring himself to face this fact, he could begin to be faithful. Nobody wants to go to Hell.

Truth Magazine XXI: 3, pp. 45-46
January 20, 1977