Truth Magazine

By Peter McPherson

The words “pervert,” “subvert” and “convert” sound alike, but they have different meanings. Let’s study each of these terms.

APervert@

“Pervert” means “to turn away… to distort, twist… to transform into something of an opposite character” (W.E. Vine). Jesus was charged with “perverting” the nation, and forbidding to give “tribute to Caesar” (Lk. 23:2,14). Such a charge was manufactured and thus false. Elymas, on the other hand, was a true perverter. Paul interrogated him thus: “wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:8-11).

Perverters On The Prowl

“Error does not just float around up there in the air disassociated from its propagators” was a solid and sound bit of advice that was penned to me in a personal letter from Cecil Willis a number of years ago when I questioned the “spirit” of Truth Magazine. This is not to say that 1 agree with “the way everything has been said,” or to be so naive as to think that perhaps “someone else couldn’t have said it better.” But now it is questionable to me that the policy of generalities “as the manner of some is” (Heb. 10:25) is more effective than the policy of being specific as was Nathan when he said “thou art the man” (2 Samuel 12:7). That perverters of the gospel do so intentionally or unintentionally is not the real issue, but the real issue is that they are teaching error. When false theologies are advanced and advocated, when they are set forth as a system of religion and attract a following, when they are made a plank in the platforms of the Unity, then both the error and the errorists must be reproved and rebuked (Eph. 4:1-5; 2 Tim. 4:1-5).

Perverting the Purpose of Baptism

Most all denominations of men teach that baptism is nonessential to salvation. Yet the Bible clearly teaches that baptism is “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). But since many of these denominations do immerse people in water for various reasons, some of our brethren want to extend to them “fellowship.” To be specific Carl Ketcherside is one such advocator. To do so plainly rejects the purpose of Bible baptism as of any importance, and thus “the right ways of the Lord” are “perverted.”

Perverting the Plan of Grace

Though it will be denied by many of those so charged, there are still those who teach that God’s grace is unconditional. When it is admitted that a child of God can go to heaven, even with one sin on his soul, it then is admitted that God’s grace is unconditional. Yet His grace is conditional (Titus 2:11-14; Eph. 2:8-10; 2 Cor. 6:1; I Cor. 15:10; Gal. 5:4). I have heard it said that since we are members of the body of Christ, then we have the automatic cleansing blood of Christ flowing through the spiritual body cleansing and carrying off impurities. That position is based upon the human body comparison in 1 Cor. 12 to the bodv of Christ, but it is taking the figures used past their intended projection, and thus cannot be said by “faith” for “faith comes… by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Any position on God’s forgiving grace that does not take into consideration His conditions of that forgiveness is obviously false. Conditions for forgiveness of a Christian’s sins are acknowledgment of them, repentance concerning them, confession to God on behalf of them, and prayer for forgiveness (Matt. 6:12; Acts 8:22-24; 1 John 1:7-9; 1 Thess. 1:7). Known and unknown sins are acknowledged by asking God to “forgive us our trespasses” (Matt. 6:12). The church at Galatia had its “grace perverters” (Gal. 1:6-10; 5:1-4), and they have appeared in the church again and again. We have “some” today. The error is “abounding”!

Perverting the Plain Organization

In the place of local church autonomy revealed in the Bible (Phil. 1:1; Acts 14:23; 1 Pet. 5:1-2), brethren have set up inter-church relations and activities such as the Sponsoring church concept, wherein one church becomes a brotherhood receiving station. They build and maintain human organizations by contributions from the local treasuries of the Lord. All such arrangements are sheer perversions of the plain and simple plan. Many give in to the big promotional brethren to avoid “the offence of the cross” (Gal. 5:11). They cannot tolerate the pressures that come to bear upon one standing firm with a “thus saith the Lord.” It is sad to see some who “suffered so many things” (Gal. 3:4), such as being labeled trouble-makers, anti’s, orphan haters, church splitters etc., now giving in, switching rather than fighting, to avoid “resist(ing) unto blood, striving against sin.” (Heb. 12:4).

“Subvert“

“Subvert” means “to pack up baggage. . hence, from a military point of view, to dismantle a town, to plunder; is used metaphorically in Acts 15:24 of unsettling or subverting the souls of believers” (Vine). The following passages mention subverters and their tactics (Acts 15:24; 2 Tim. 2:14; Titus 1:11; 3:11).

Subverters “Unsettle” Souls

Subverters tear down what others hold to without giving them a sure foundation to build upon. That is what some brethren are doing when they give a long list of the divisions among “all segments of the Restoration Movement.” They offer no alternative, except “every man do that which is right in his own eyes”. . nothing but anarchy.

They set forth nothing positive and concrete. Only they subvert and unsettle babes in Christ and weaken the faith of precious souls (Matt. 13:12; Matt. 18:6). Advertising such accumulative teeny-weenie or biggy-wiggie problems solves nothing; it only adds one more to the list. That list is for the subverting of souls and for the making ready of the Ketcherside “fellowship everyone and everything” doctrine, or else it will have that result anyway! It will have the same effect ‘upon the weak as would the atheist’s compilation of freak storms, of damaging earthquakes and of levelling hurricanes have on the doubting, the ignorant and the unlearned (2 Pet. 3:15).

Such tactics as publishing a human compilation of divisions, real or imagined, and parading them before the churches of Christ is thoughtless subverting. What if someone in the New Testament days got together a long list of the Corinthian church problems and divisions and placed them in the public square with the question: “Are you generally conservative or liberal?” (cf. Article by Wm. Wallace, Gospel Guardian Vol. 26, No. 1, May 2, 1974, pp. 6-7). Now the New Testament does give the error manifested not only at Corinth but in the other localities as well. But more than that those churches are told in no uncertain terms to clear up their messes. They are instructed to “repent… or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place.” (Rev. 2:5; 1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; 1 Cor. 14:37). God apparently gave those churches and individuals in error a time limit in which to get right!

Stop Subverting

What impression is left by the itemized list? For us to giveup the restoration idea? To accept every position and doctrine that comes along and that anyone wants to advance? What possible good could that list accomplish? Whatever problems and divisions that do exist today among the churches of Christ need not be braggingly or disgustingly highly heralded but diligently discussed. We are to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). We must always look to the pattern and remember that there is the ideal for us to reach for, both as an individual child of God (Phil. 8-9; 1 Cor. 11:1) and as a congregation (Rev. 3:7-13; Philippians). Anything other than this is to fall far short of the truth. Many of the so-called differences are matters of personal conscience and are in the province of human judgment which God allows. (Rom. 14) And Wallace knows this too. Then why did he not make this clear and greatly shorten that list? Again I say, he is unsettling souls. Others are matters of disciple growth and development (Matt. 25:15; 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18; Heb. 5:12-14); many do not affect the congregation as such (the collective resources) and thus can be tolerated without cleavage, and some are false theological views that will damn both the blind leaders and their followers (Matt. 13:14; Acts 3:17; Lk. 12:47,48; 2 Thess. 1:8).

“Convert“

“Convert” simply means “to turn” (Vine). It does not always denote the actual total process of regeneration. In Matthew 18:3 where the King James Version has “unless ye be converted,” the idea is not unless ye be regenerated or born again as per gospel obedience. In that text the disciples had a false notion about the coming kingdom and positions in it (Mk. 9:33-37; 10:35-45). Jesus told them that they had better get the idea of who is “the greatest” out of their heads. They had “to turn”! If they were going to be in the kingdom and be a part of His plan, they had to change their attitudes a whole lot.

Converted Christians

Whenever we learn new Bible truths and come to maturity concerning various spiritual topics, we have to change our attitudes and practices to conform to these new truths. We have “to turn.” The Christian that is not studying the Bible is not learning and thus cannot grow. He will not change very often. He will not have fresh convictions from the word and thus he will not be changed too much. Among other things the Bible has been given to us “for correction” (2 Tim. 3:16). When we are corrected on “this” or “that” and then we change our course of action, we have turned… have been converted. This is a sign of spiritual maturity, not weakness, when we learn and turn.

Truth Magazine, XVIII:42, p. 9-10
August 29, 1974

By Joe Neil Clayton

After King Saul’s illicit sacrifice, Samuel solemnly told him, “But now your kingdom shall not continue: Jehovah has sought him a man after his own heart, and Jehovah has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which Jehovah commanded you.” (1 Sam. 13:14). In the New Testament, it is said that when God had removed Saul, “He raised up David to be their king: to whom also he bare witness and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who shall do all my will” (Acts 13:22). God counts a man to be moulded after His own heart, therefore, when that man shows that his will runs parallel with God’s.

When we examine the life of David, we discover several ways in which David submitted to the will of God. He was a man who was “ahead of his time” in morality: and spirituality. Even though sin marred the perfection of his life, he still stands out as a prime example of faithfulness to the will of God. Good kings after him were extolled for their similarity to David (2 Chron. 17:3-4), and bad kings were exposed in contrast to him (1 Kings 15:3). Thus, his obedience set a standard by which to judge his heirs.

In at least three different ways, David serves as an, excellent example to us. First, he had confidence in the promises and the’ care of God. In the Law of Moses, God promised his obedient people “rains in their season” and “bread to the full.” There would be “peace in the land,. . . and none shall make you afraid.” Again, “You shall chase your enemies… five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand.” (Lev. 26:3-8), David had no doubt but that this applied to him personally, for when he prepared himself to confront the giant Goliath, he could trustfully say, “Jehovah that delivered me out of the paw of the lion,. . will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine!” The giant boasted of personal single-combat victory over David. But, David boldly replied, “I will smite you, and take your head… and I will give the dead bodies of the Host of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the heavens” (1 Sam. 17:36-37, 45-47). Such confidence: was not born of ignorance of God’s power.

In a second instance, David showed a godly heart by counting no one his enemy among his brethren. He knew the Law said, “You shall not hate your brother in your heart:… You shall not take vengeance against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Lev. 19:17-18). Consequently, when King Saul malignantly hunted him down, uttering murderous threats, David did not fall into the temptation to return this hate. Instead, he professed his righteous and merciful attitude toward his enemy, because he was of the children of Israel, and God’s anointed. (1 Sam. 24:1-19).

David’s adherence to the Law, in the third example, sees him fulfilling his vows. The Law of God was clear. “When you shall vow a vow unto Jehovah your God, you shall not be slack: to pay it. . .” (Dent. 23:21-23). When David was a fugitive, Jonathan,’ the heir-apparent to the throne of Saul, would not interpret the set-backs of David in the obvious light. He steadfastly professed the belief that David was destined to displace the rule of Saul, and occupy the throne. Therefore, he made David promise to show kindness to his descendants. David vowed to honor Jonathan’s request.

Years of hiding, exile and civil war followed. Yet, when peace at last came to the nation, one of David’s first actions was to seek out Mephibosheth, the crippled son of Jonathan, the sole survivor of that famous father, and restore him to the honor that his vow required. (1 Sam. 20:13-17, 2 Sam. 9:1-8). We should observe that God never deviates from his promises, and he expects his servants to have the same attitude.

Children of God who serve under the New Testament are likewise to look to the character of God for a pattern of their own. They are to “put on the new man, that after God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth” (Eph. 4′:22-24). By the way, they are also “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” (Eph. 2:10). Peter urged them, “…like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; because it is written, You shall be holy; for I am’ holy.” (1 Pet. 1:13-15). In a similar fashion, Christ teaches them, “Be, merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36); Dozens of such references could be cited, but these should be sufficient to make us realize that God, would have all Christians to be “filled unto all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:14-1-9).

God still seeks men who are fashioned “after his own heart, who will do all of his will.” Therefore greater blessings in reserve for such men today than were given to King David. Who will seize, them and husband them till eternity? Then, use God as a pattern, and fashion yourselves in his character!

Truth Magazine, XVIII:42, p. 8
August 29, 1974

By Larry Ray Hafley

In Bible discussion involving the place of baptism with respect to forgiveness of sins, sectarian preachers, especially Baptists, often ask, “If baptism is for the remission of sins, must a Christian be baptized every time he sins?” Often Protestant preachers project this query to provoke and promote prejudice. It is an attempt to ridicule the truth. Of course, a ludicrous baptismal scene is painted in the minds of people. Every saint sins, therefore, baptism must be repeated daily by every Christian. That is absurd, thus, baptism for the remission of sins is equally absurd. That is the idea the. false teacher hopes to arouse.

There is no “if” about baptism being “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). There is the responsibility to show the plan -of forgiveness for the Christian (Acts 8:12-24; 1 Jn. 1:9). This must be done for the benefit of the honest hearted hearer. It must not be overlooked when dealing with facetious men.

But the “baptism again and again” idea proves to be a boomerang. The Baptist reasons that if you believe baptism is for remission of sins, then you must be baptized every time you need to be forgiven. The Baptist, however, says one is baptized “because of” the remission of sins. So we may ask him, “Since you say baptism is ‘because of the remission of sins, must every saved person who sins and is forgiven be baptized ‘because of that forgiveness?” It is fair then to paint the same baptismal scene for the Baptists. The Baptist preacher pictured all the members of the church of Christ being baptized every time they sin, so we will just picture all the Baptists being baptized every time they are forgiven of sins. If baptism for the remission of sins was excluded because it was made to appear ridiculous, then Baptist baptism is also excluded for the very same reason. It is a poor rule that will not work both ways.

Truth Magazine, XVIII:42, p. 7
August 29, 1974

By Jeffery Kingry

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, there was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, .saying. Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for awhile: but afterwards he said within himself, though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me: I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you he will avenge them speedily, nevertheless when the son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth “(Luke 18:18).

This is a parable that offers us some dazzling conclusions. Jesus is telling us that our prayers determine God’s response to our needs-not just the little everyday needs, but the way in which the world touches our lives. God is doing nothing less than offering those who pray a part in His government of the world. God gives a certain power through prayer to the child of God over the events of nations and rulers (1 Tim. 2:1-3). We know that the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah hung upon ten righteous souls and one praying man (Gen. 18:20ff). We recall the account of Moses lifting his arms in prayer during the battle against Amalek and how the course of the struggle varied according as he held his arms high or let them drop in weariness (Ex. 17:11ff).

We Can Pray

But, these events do not mean much to us in this world of superpowers. We look to history and see the vast array of political, economic, and social power that was behind those men who made history. We may inform ourselves as to the relative size of the armies of the East, the strength of their nuclear weapons, or their gross national product, and say in meekness these are the real factors of power in the making of history. The great doers are the ones who change history, not the prayers. Obviously, we think, it is the action of the doers who direct the game of power.

And then, scripture tells us that God invests the prayers with a share in the future of nations and peoples. God informs us that we may pray for peace (Jer. 29:7; 1 Jno. 5:14, 15), for favorable weather (Jas. 5:17, 18), and for liberation from tyranny (Jer. 18:6-10; Dan. 2:20, 21). And if this assertion that prayer is a power in the world is to be taken seriously (and it must, if we walk by faith), then this is a message that should cause us to wake up and tremble.

But, beyond this, something even greater is implied in the parable. In the parable, the praying Christian is presented in the figure of a completely helpless widow – one entirely at the mercy of her adversary. A widow is a woman who has lost the protection and intercession of a man, and therefore is often victimized. Most people are pitiless and cold enough to be moved only by someone who has power behind him. A widow is often a negligible quantity, a non entity that can be overlooked or brushed aside.

Are we to believe then that this church, which is represented by a defenseless widow, which folds its hands in defenseless supplication, by its intercession before the throne of God, actually shares in the divine ordering of conflict and peace, of curse and blessing? Is not this simply too much to believe? And yet, nothing less than this we are assured and promised.

Nations have found that might in bombs, armor; and armies have never ultimately brought about the end they sought. Are not all the armies and armories of the world nothing more than pieces on a board controlled by Another? Has a single one of all the doers ever actually carried out a program in which he realized his own will? In the End, was not all that he did always deflected from its original course, taken out of his control and swept away by mysterious waves? Was he not himself only a part of a plan drawn up by Another? What did Cyrus or Nebuchadnezzar, what did Hitler and Stalin really know about their role in the drama which Another had written, the last act of which will end before the throne of God at the coming of Jesus Christ? The church of Christ is in truth a defenseless widow, and when she engages in politics and strategy it will never succeed – this is nothing more than a feeble arrow launched at a tank.

How To Pray

The widow rests in the heart of God, and God has promised her that His ear will not be deaf to her pleadings. The one who has influence upon the heart of God rules the world. The poor widow is truly a world power. There is a good reason, then, to consider how she prayed. The first thing that strikes us is the intensity with which she presents her petition. In her distress she knows that only one man can help her. This one man needs only to say a single word and her troubles are over. This is precisely what our Lord is saying to us: If you take seriously the fact that God reigns, that He holds your personal destiny in His hands as well as peace and war among nations, if you take seriously that everything depends on this one thing and this One Man, then you too would keep dinning your prayers in the ears of God with the same persistence, intensity, and importunity.

Some may think the “dinning of our prayers in the ears of God” infers some basic disrespect. If this is our idea, then we think on a human level, and take ourselves too seriously. With God, we are not a nuisance, but a joy. When we keep “pestering” Him we do not show lack of respect but faith and trust in His promises. If we did not have Jesus, and could not see what God and the Son were willing to give for us, then it might be presumptive. But God is interested in us, and God rejoices when we implore and importune because then He knows that we understand His will, and are no longer “pious” and superior, but dare to come to Him as helpless children.

It is sheer hypocrisy for us to say, “I will not come to God with my petty affairs-I will not pray for what I want or need. My Father knows what I need (Is He not omniscient?) Let His will be done.” God takes no pleasure in this kind of super-piety and patronizing resignation. The one who says “Thy will be done” before he opens his mouth in reality has no trust in God at all. He is actually saying in his heart, “Fate still runs its course. Dear old God has retired to His sphere and has no intention of intervening on my account.” The pious people who merely say, “Thy will be done” are not taking seriously the fact that God has given His children the right to speak on anything that concerns them. Why pray at all if God is not moved to grant our requests? In order to offer a serious, worthy petition I have to know what I need. Our prayers often may be merely foolish talk, but we do communicate with God. Our prayers may make all kinds of false diagnoses of our needs, false estimates, and false interpretations of the real situation. But have we fathers and mothers who take offense because their children ask for something that is not best for them? Children quickly become, reconciled to our refusal and hold no grudge against us because they know we mean well by them.

So, after we have spoken frankly and openly in our prayer we should draw the clear line at the end and say, “Your will be done. You will do what is right and good – choose what is good in my foolish prayer. You know above all what I really need, and I want your will to be first in my life.”

Heaven Is For The Desperate

Secondly, we see the intensity with which the widow pleads with the judge – she kept “coming to him.” The judge was a man who did not respond immediately. He was not a man who gave away his justice easily.

It seems to be said here that God remains silent in order that men may not submit in fatalistic resignation, and content ourselves with the cheap snap judgment that says “whatever happens must happen” (cf. Psa. 22). Is not God encouraging us to remain in constant contact with him? God loves those who take the Kingdom by force.(Matt. 11:12). Barclay quotes the commentator Denney as saying “The Kingdom of God is not for the well meaning, but for the desperate. No one drifts into the Kingdom. Salvation only opens its doors to those who are prepared to make as great an effort to get into it as men do when they storm a city.”

When we are all too sure of a person whom we love, our passion begins to cool. Even in love the cheap certainties in which there is no doubt or concern, are dangerous. May not God therefore often wait and remain silent to make me seek him more passionately and persistently? Was not this the case with the importunate widow and the Canaanite woman as well (Mk. 7:24-30)?

Will He Find Faith At His Return?

Finally we must consider the last essential feature in the Lord’s parable. The whole parable is directed to the day of judgment. Will God find any spiritually awake at His coming? The rich fool when he heard “This night your soul is required of you” was suddenly aware that he had dreamed his life away. Here was a man that never missed a trick, took into account even the smallest details, and yet he dreamed away the fact that everything depends on this one night, when he must appear before God. And now the Lord says to us: The man who prays (not the man who works only, but the man who prays) is the man who is awake to what is real, and has a realistic sense of the proportions of life. The man who prays knows that there is only one thing that really counts and that is getting straight with God.

We understand, then, why Jesus’ parable concludes with the question of whether there will be those who pray on earth when He comes from heaven. One thing is sure: Our prayers are heard above. But are there petitioners here below. That is the problem, not whether our prayers are heard, but are there those who pray? Men continually ask, “Where is the God who hears my cry?” Which of the two is the right question?

When He comes again will the lamps of the virgins be extinguished? Will the trumpets of judgment speak only to ignorant and wondering ears because God has been consigned to nothingness by the silence and sleep of men? Will He find your lamp of prayer burning bright in the darkness? Will He see there is one who has been waiting for Him and has not fallen asleep, or is out of oil, running about going nowhere?

Truth Magazine, XVIII:42, p. 6-7
August 29, 1974