Truth Magazine

By Richie Thetford

Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Syria was said to be a “great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper” (2 Kings 5:1). Naaman wished that he could be rid of this awful leprosy and it came about that Elisha, the man of God sent a messenger to Naaman and said, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean” (2 Kings 5:10). What would you have done if you would have heard this news from the man of God instructing you to wash in the Jordan seven times and you would be healed? Would you quickly run toward the Jordan to obey the word of God?

When Naaman heard this command, he became furious because he had already preconceived in his mind what he thought Elisha should do, to come and stand and call on the name of the Lord and wave his hand over the place to heal his leprosy! He even became upset that he should go to the “dirty” Jordan river to do such a thing claiming that the Abanah and Pharpar rivers of Damascus are better than all the waters of Israel. He even asks why couldn’t he wash in them and be clean  then turns and goes away in a rage! You may be saying “what a response to God’s command!” In verse 13 his own servants came to Naaman and said “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, `Wash, and be clean’?” Then Naaman went and dipped seven times in the Jordan river and his leprosy was cured. We can learn many lessons from this story.

Blessings Only Obtained By Obedience

It is only when we decide to obey the commandments of God that we will be blessed. We may have some pre-conceived idea of how we “think” God wants us to do something, but it is not until we actually do what he has instructed for us to do that we will receive the blessing that he promised us. He promised Naaman that he would be cleansed of his leprosy if he would wash seven times in the Jordan river. This rules out every other river and it rules out any number of times except seven! It was only when he did “exactly” as God instructed that he was cleansed! The inspired apostle Paul wrote in Romans 15:4, “For what-ever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” We need to have the faith that is required to fully understand and know that this is true. God has given us an example of Naaman to show us how we must respond to his commandments to us today. Are we ready to obey God or do we think that we have a better plan?

God’s Instructions to Cleanse Us Today

Man is filled with sin just like Naaman was filled with leprosy. Naaman longed to be cleansed from his leprosy and God provided a way for him to purify himself. Man needs to be cleansed from his sin and God has provided a way for man to wash away all his sins. But we must do what God instructs for us to do, in order to have all of our sins washed away. We may not always under-stand why God has told us what to do, but the fact remains that God has told us plainly and simply what we must do.

The question is, Are we ready to obey God? To be cleansed of sin we must first be willing to hear God’s plan for us and be willing to do as he instructs us (Rom 10:17). After hearing of God’s plan we must believe it and believe in his Son Jesus Christ (Heb 11:6; John 8:24). God then asks us to repent of our sins, being ready to let go of the ways of the world and be determined to serve him for the rest of our life (Acts 2:38; 17:30-31). We then are asked to confess Jesus Christ as being the Son of God (Rom 10:9-10; Acts 8:37; Matt 10:32). After making this commitment we then need to be baptized into Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of our sins (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Rom 6:3-5; Gal 3:27; 1 Pet 3:21). We are cleansed from all of our sins only when we are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ as God has commanded! Are we ready to obey God to be cleansed from our sins?

Guardian of Truth XLI: 6 p. 22
March 20, 1997

By Billy Moore

The phone was ringing. When I heard the voice on the other end I knew immediately it was a Nigerian for I have had a few calls from friends there. But this was a Nigerian friend, Sam Essiet, who lives in Patterson, NJ, who has talked with me several times in the past year or two regarding our mutual friends in Nigeria. He is from Uyo, Nigeria and his father, S.J. Essiet is a gospel preacher in that area. After greeting me, he said, “Brother Moore, I have sad news for you today: E.J. Ebong died earlier today!” For a while I could hardly talk. The thought  E.J. Ebong is dead  was overwhelming. It was Saturday, January 4, 1997. Just the day before I had received my last letter from “Ebong,” as friends called him, a letter dated December 9, containing the remaining seven names of men who shall be attending the Preacher Training Classes in 1997. About a month ago he had sent the names of the other 15 men who will be in those classes.

January 7, my dear friend Etim Abidiak, wrote:

E.J. Ebong is dead. His body is lying in his bedroom under embalmment in Number 9 Ebong Street, Uyo. He breathed last 4:00 a.m. Thursday the second day of this month of January 1997. His family members sent special message of his death to me. I have come down, I have seen his dead body and so I am reporting that brother E.J. Ebong, the man of God, the gentlemen, the teacher of the truth, the defender of the gospel, my teacher, my brother, my friend, is dead.

January 27 Sam Essiet had talked with the Ebong family and learned that the funeral has been set for February 8th. More on this later.

Since that phone call so many thoughts and memories of “Ebong” have come to mind, going back for nearly 24 years. Physically, “Ebong” was a tall, slender, strikingly hand-some, impressive man; son of Chief John and Madam Jannie Ebong. Spiritually, “Ebong” was a giant of a man! In my judgment he does not have an equal among the brethren in Nigeria. Nobody can ever take his place! Few men have ever had the tremendous wide-spread influence of “Ebong,” and most could not stand up under the great pressure of such a schedule, and so many brethren coming to him, de-pending upon him, looking to him for leadership and advice. Not that he sought such, but that his knowledge and abilities led him to this roll.

In 1985, by a special request of faithful brethren everywhere he went, Ebong wrote the History of The Church of Christ in Nigeria During The Second Generation. The church was established in Nigeria in 1948, when C.A.O. Essien learned the truth via Bible Correspondence Course and was baptized into Christ. Ebong wrote “Brother Essien was only an instrument in God’s hand to start that very church which was in existence many hundreds of years ago. I knew C.A.O. Essien as far back as 1950. A friend, and a fellow teacher with me in the Oua Iboe Mission School told me about him then I was moved to see him. I found him through the direction of the friend and enjoyed discussing many Bible lessons with him” (Ibid., 13). I do not know the date of Ebong’s baptism, but it was not long after that meeting with Essien.

For the past 24 years Ebong has been a part of the 15 Paul Bassey Street church in Uyo, Nigeria. Back in 1985, N.J. Ekanem wrote of Ebong: “He has a fervent zeal for the Gospel work than anything else. Bro. Ebong was converted from Qua Iboe Church. He attended Ukpom Bible Training College 1954-55 and thereafter worked with all Christian Schools in the then Eastern Region of Nigeria 1956-57 be-fore proceeding to Abakaliki township 1958-59” (Ibid., 11)

Churches Planted In Western Nigeria

“In 1959, June 30, bother Leslie Diestelkamp arrived in Nigeria to join in the work. He spent a few months in preaching both in local congregations and in villages in the then South Eastern State of Nigeria. As he could not be tied down teaching in Ukpom Bible College, he decided to move westwards. He desired that some capable men be chosen for him for the work, of which brethren D.D. Isong-Uyo, E.J. Ebong and Raphael Williams were recommended by brother Wendell Broom” (Ibid., 24). Brother Diestelkamp and these three men established the first churches in Lagos, the Capitol City of Nigeria. Later, two preachers, E. Ekanem and Solomon Etuk, from the east came to help in establishing churches in other western cities. These were five outstanding men of great courage and unwavering faith, who under the teaching and influence of Leslie Diestelkamp established many churches in the great cities of Western Nigeria.

Ebong and his family lived in the city of Lagos from late 1959 to 1973, when after the death of E. Ekanem, who had returned to Uyo, he moved his family to # 9 Ebong Street, Uyo, Nigeria, where he lived the rest of his life.

My First Meeting With E.J. Ebong

It was 3:35 a.m. when the plane set down at the Lagos airport. My good friend and brother Bob West (Robert H.) and I were so excited. We had left Kansas City on the 23rd en route for Nigeria and a “six-week” preaching trip, the first of its kind, for E.J. Ebong and Ezekiel Akenyemi, with the help of many brethren had arranged a schedule for us that would take us to many different places where we would be teaching classes daily 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (many times much longer) with the preachers of those areas, studying with a total of 185 preachers during those six weeks.

We were met at the airport by E.J. Ebong, James Majek, two of Ebong’s sons, and Ezekiel, another preacher of that area. These men had been there since the preceding day, as our flight had been delayed and our telegrams to them had not reached them, but they had stayed through the long hours to greet us and welcome us to Nigeria. Later, after a shower and a couple of hours rest, James Majek and Ezekiel Akinyemi took us to the home of E.J. Ebong. Brethren in the U.S. would have to see the crowded streets, the conditions surrounding the place where Ebong and his family lived, and to know of the beautiful country surrounding Uyo, where they had come from, to appreciate the sacrifice being made by this man and his family in order to preach the gospel to those of that huge city.

Ezekiel and his wife, Eunice, drove Bob and me across the country from Lagos to Uyo, an all day trip. Ebong had gone back there to be with us in our first week with the first classes at Ntan Ikere, home of E. Ekanem. The second series was in Uyo, and Ebong sat through many of those sessions too. After the last day of classes with the preachers, I was invited to preach in the street and had an unforgettable experience: two preachers of God’s Church Denomination stopped to listen, afterward one of them began asking questions and later both these men went with us for private studies back in our room.

Looking at log book I kept of that trip: “We took the two men to our room and kept Ezekiel’s car with us. At 8:00 we sat down to study, using James Cope’s tract “The One True Church.” We went through the points. About midnight the men said they were ready to be baptized into the body of Christ. Bob went for E.J. Ebong and E.A. Ufot. Upon their return we went to the stream and at 1:00 that morning we baptized them into Christ.” Those two were: Etim Abidiak and Johnson Obot. Abidiak was the District Overseer in God’s Church in that section of Nigeria. He was the “head man” in charge of a district convention in progress in Uyo that week. He and his friend were going into town to get something, when they passed by our little meeting and saw a “white man” preaching. He told his friend, “Let’s stop and put this white man to shame.”

At 7:00 that morning we went by Abibiak’s house, for he wanted to accompany us to AbA where we began our next series of classes. E.J. Ebong and E. Ekanem were there to encourage us and all the preachers from the Aba area who had gathered. We talked with Ebong about studying with Abidiak and Johnson, which he, E.A. Ufot and brother A.E. Ituen did. Actually, that was the first year of the Preacher Training classes that Ebong had arranged and helped to teach in the Uyo area. This became an annual thing  classes several hours a day, five days a week, for six months. He had already arranged the Preacher Training Classes for 1997 and my last two letters from him were about the 22 men who have been accepted to study in these classes. For all of these years we have helped raise support for the men in these classes, a thing for which brother Ebong was most grateful. The book, A Study Of Authority, which we had written in 1971, and which by request we had taught in all those classes with the preachers, brother Ebong asked to print in the Efik language. Such was granted and he translated that book into his native tongue, along with two other Bible study books, Unity In The Local Church and True Worship.

We returned to Nigeria in 1976, at the invitation of Ebong, Akinyemi, and Majek. This time Bob West was unable to go, and my good friend of many years, Lowell Blasingame, accompanied me. I knew he would love that work and the Nigerian people. And I was right. (Lowell made four more trips to Nigeria, and was a dear friend of E.J. Ebong.)

We arrived in Uyo January 19, and were taken to Ebong’s house. There we were welcomed by Ebong, Etim Abidiak, S.H. Equere, and E.A. Ufot, and where we enjoyed a delicious meal. From January 20 to 31 we stayed at Ebong’s house. He and his family were up at 4:30 each morning and at the 5:00 prayer meeting Lowell and I accompanied them several times.

My Last Time To See Ebong

My last time to see Ebong was at the close of the meetings in Uyo. It was January 31,1976. Up at 4:30, prayer meeting at Uyo Town building, Ebong went with us to “chop” that morning and when we returned to his house many preachers had gathered to bid us goodbye. I told them “we may never see you again in this life,” and saying goodbye was sad. From my “log book” of the trip: “The preachers presented us with gifts: a carving of a dove (symbol of peace and love), a leather book cover, and a walking stick with native carving, saying `when you get old and have to walk with a stick, remember us.’ Saying farewell was a heart touching moment. These men really appreciate what we do among them and for them. Then I shook hands and said goodbye to each of them, going around the room. I will long remember the day.” In the intervening 21 years Ebong and I have corresponded on a monthly basis. He has headed up the annual “Preachers Training Program.” He was a most humble man, so grateful to be a part of the church of our Lord and to be able to preach the gospel to others and to train men, who continue to preach the word.

Heaven only knows how many hundreds and thousands of souls he has taught. How we thrilled when we heard him tell of the scene when over a thousand souls were baptized in one day! He was there! We shall never forget him! When we “get old and have to walk with a stick” we shall indeed remember E.J. Ebong and the other grand soldiers of the cross with whom we worked in Nigeria, West Africa. May his soul rest in peace, comforted in Abraham’s bosom, until that great and glorious day of the coming of our Lord! And may we be together in that heavenly kingdom!

Ebong Family In Distress

Today, January 27, I had a call from Sam Essiet, of New Jersey, who talked with the Ebong family this morning and learned that the funeral has been set for February 8. Brother Essiet explained that because of the “tradition” in Nigeria, Ebong’s family will be in a very great financial need. Ebong was a very well known and very much liked man. Hundreds and thousands will visit the family for the funeral and their custom is this: the family is expected to entertain visitors. The cost of the funeral is so great, because of inflation in Nigeria. Brother Essiet estimated the total cost to be $3,000 to $4,000, which the family does not have. Emmanuel, a son who preaches in Lagos, Nigeria, was going to sell his car in order to pay for all this, but Essiet and others dissuaded him, for this would greatly hinder his work in Lagos.

Ebong was known to many brethren in the U.S. This is the time when all of us who knew and loved him and his work can come to the aid of his family. If you want to help with this, you may send a check to E.J. Ebong, c/o Billy Moore, Rt. 1, Box 237, Adrian, MO 64720 and it will be deposited into his account in a Butler, MO bank.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 7-9
April 3, 1997

By Mike Willis

Every fall when the leaves are turning, my wife Sandy and I take a couple of days of vacation. When October 1996 came, she asked me where I wanted to go. I replied, “I want to see the Chester Beatty papyri” at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. She said, “What?”

I explained to her that, while reading my Greek New Testament, I observed that p37, p38, and p46, some of the oldest existing copies of the New Testament were stored in the library at the University of Michigan. I wanted to see them.

After a little coaxing and my explaining to her that there was a mall or two on the way and that we would be able to stay in a nice motel or bed and breakfast, she agreed to go with me. We enjoyed a very pleasant trip.

I learned that the University of Michigan has the largest collection of papyri in the Western Hemisphere. The University began its collection in 1920 with continuous subsequent purchases until 1943. They continued occasionally to add to their collection in the 1980s. In the early years, the papyri were purchased through a “cartel” comprised of the British Museum and several participating European and American universities (Columbia, Princeton, Yale, and Michigan). The University of Michigan’s holdings expanded from the finds of an expedition in Karanis, Egypt that covered eleven seasons (1924-1935). Most of the findings from this expedition were returned to the Egyptian government in 1954, but approximately 1000 individual papyrus fragments remain at the University of Michigan. Today, the Michigan Papyrus Collection is among the largest worldwide. It contains over 7,000 inventory numbers and more than 10,000 individual fragments.

When we arrived at the University of Michigan, Ms. Kathryn L. Beam, gave us a tour of the facility and a few of the manuscripts. She was a well-informed guide and very delightful company.

When I asked to see the Chester Beatty Papyri, she informed to me that these were not the Chester Beatty Papyri but the Michigan Papyri. She explained that Michigan Papyri and the Chester Beatty were originally part of the same codex, but when the codex was found, the merchants learned that they could make more money selling it in fragments. Chester Beatty was a wealthy man who was purchasing manuscripts in the region. He was able to act on the spot without committee approval from others. Buyers from the University of Michigan, on the other hand, had to obtain permission to purchase what they wanted. Of the 86 leaves of the codex that survived, 56 were purchased by Beatty and are known as the Chester Beatty Papyri. They are housed in Dublin, Ireland in the Chester Beatty Museum. Thirty pages are known as the Michigan Papyri and are in the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

The Chester Beatty and Michigan Papyri originally measured 11 by 6’h inches and contained 104 leaves, 86 of which have survived in the two collections. All of the pages are slightly mutilated. The text contained the ten epistles of Paul in the following order: Romans, Hebrews, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Portions of Romans and 1 Thessalonians are missing and all of 2 Thessalonians is missing. p06, the manuscript at the University of Michigan, is usually dated about the year 200, although our guide indicated that recent scholars believe that the copy could have been made as early as A.D. 150.

The significance of these manuscripts may not be obvious to our readers. The texts have much value for the study of the transmission of the New Testament. The Michigan and Chester Beatty papyri pre-date the best uncial texts (Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, and Vaticanus) by a century. They are within a hundred years of the time when the original works of Paul were written. They helps us to know assuredly that the copy of the New Testament that we hold in our hands today is substantially the same as when the various books were written. Anyone who affirms that the text of the New Testament is corrupt for whatever reasons (such as to justify the need for continuous revelation) is wrong.

These texts also reflect that the early church revered the writings of the New Testament. The epistles of Paul were written in such places as Corinth, Philippi, Ephesus, and Rome. They were written to specific churches and individuals in different cities (Corinth, Ephesus, Rome, Thessalonica, Philippi, Colossae, etc.). Why were they copied and studied far away in Egypt? Obviously, the early church saw a difference in these documents and the ordinary letters that men write to one another. They considered them inspired literature on a par with the Old Testament (see 2 Pet. 3:16).

1 Corinthians 1:12, gives us a second example of hero 1515 Walnut, Alameda, California 94501 worship. Paul had planted the church there during his one and one-half year’s stay (see Acts 18). He was successful because he did not preach Moses, Elijah, philosophy, science, or feelings; he preached Christ (1 Cor. 1:23). By the time of Paul’s writing they had become hero worshipers.

 

A Certificate to Verify That One Paid

Tribute to Caesar

The P. Mich. Inv. 263 Libellus text is also very interesting for students of the New Testament. It is a certificate in Greek issued during the Decian persecution to a woman and her daughter from the village of Theadelphia in Egypt. It testifies that they had obeyed the imperial edict to participate in pagan sacrifices as proof of their loyalty to the government. Since faithful Christians would not offer tribute to Caesar as god, the edict served as a means of identifying Christians and making them liable for punishment or imprisonment. The Roman emperor Decius ruled from 249 to 251 and conducted vigorous persecutions of Christians in an effort to revive the Roman state religion. This little text helps us to better understand the pressures that were put on early Christians to choose between Caesar and Christ. Here is a translation of the Libellus text:

To those in charge of the sacrifices of the village Theadelphia, from Aurelia Bellias, daughter of Peteres, and her daughter, Kapinis. We have always been constant in sacrificing to the gods, and now too, in our presence, in accordance with the regulations, I have poured libations and sacrificed and tasted the offerings, and I ask you to certify this for us below. May you continue to prosper.

(2nd hand) We, Aurelius Serenus and Aurelius Hermas, saw you sacrificing.

(3rd hand) I, Hermas, certify.

(1st hand) The first year of the Emperor Caesar Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius Pius Felix Augustus, Pauna 27.

University of Michigan Web Site

The University of Michigan is participating in the Advanced Papyrological Information System, a joint project of Columbia University, Duke University, Princeton University, University of California in Berkeley, and Yale University, to make the papyri in their collection available on the world wide web. You will want to visit their home page at http://www.lib.umich.edu/pap. The certificate from the Decian persecution was available on the web when I last looked. Also, be sure to read highlights from the exhibit, From Papyri to King James on their web site.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 2
April 3, 1997

By Olen Holderby

Some twenty-five years ago I made a few notes from a book, Heroes And Hem Worship. I do not recall the author’s name; and, I have had no luck in locating the book. Perhaps the notes can still serve a good purpose.

First, the author argued that all idols of heathen worship were once living men or women. Then, he points out that these men or women made their mark in society; they had made some notable achievement and were admired by many. They became heroes to some; and, following their death memorials were erected to them.

After a time people were inclined to forget their vices and remember their virtues. Then, after the passing of several generations they came to be honored religiously.

I do not argue for the accuracy of this theory; but, after observing some present-thy hero worshipers, I am inclined to accept the theory as fact. The Bible, itself, has given us a few examples of hero worship; let us notice a couple of those.

Matthew 17:1-9, the record of the transfiguration, offers our first example. Peter had a taste of hem worship; he would include Jesus, but equally so with Moses and Elijah.

Moses had no equal in his accomplishments for God’s people of old. He gave us the first reliable account of the creation and history of the world. He led over a million Israelites to their freedom from slavery, and angels were his pallbearers when he died. Why not erect a memorial to him? And, this is what Peter wanted to do.

Elijah was the one who defeated the prophets of Baal, and called God’s people back to the true God. He escaped death by riding a fiery chariot to heaven, the only man to so do. He had not been gone as long as Moses; but now, with Moses he makes a brief visit to earth. Why not recognize his achievements with a memorial? This is Peter’s suggestion.

The circumstances, here on the mount, may well suggest that they were horrified; sometimes we say or do things under pressure that we might not otherwise say or do. Moses and Elijah had been talking with Jesus concerning his impending death at Jerusalem. Now they both disappear, obviously wanting no part in Peter’s suggestion. They were not equal with the Son of God and would not accept any preeminence that belonged to him. The record reveals nothing of what Jesus thought of Peter’s idea.

God raises his objection to the idea by saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” When they raised their heads, they saw “Jesus only”; God, calling their attention to the only one worthy of such honor.

Some of them held to Paul, others to Apollos, Peter, or even Christ. This strife soon turned a happy congregation of God’s people into enemies of Christ. Paul was deeply grieved and wrote one of the most devastating epistles ever written to them. He pictures himself as going among them with tear-filled eyes; their gross carnality having now established that they were hero worshipers.

According to verse 10, Paul demands that they all speak the same thing, be of the same mind, and have no divisions among them. No “unity-in-diversity” can be found here. When Paul finished preaching Christ to them, they knew exactly what to do to rid themselves of sin, and they did it. Further, their continuing respect for the gospel was expected. John puts it like this, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). Their respect for the Word is what made them Christians to begin with; and, their continuing respect for that Word would keep them in God’s favor.

Having looked at two Bible examples of hero worship, let us make a few observations. Many have their own little “mount of transfiguration.” Some great preacher, some great educator, some great student of Scripture, some deeply respected friend, or even our own feelings are exalted to being equal with Christ. We have forgotten their past vices, and remembering their virtues, they have become our heroes. We listen to them, even above what the Son of God has to say; we take their word on a subject and pervert God’s Word in our efforts to uphold them. Do you know anyone who does this? When the writings of our heroes are brought forth, we reverence them as if it was God’s Word. My brethren, these things ought not so to be!

Truth is truth, a perversion of truth is no longer truth; the gospel is still the gospel, and a perversion of it results in it being no gospel at all, as preached by Paul (Gal. 1:6-7). I am making no effort to discredit any of our fellows who happen to have outstanding abilities, or have done an out-standing work. I have nothing but admiration and appreciation for such. I am, however, trying to discredit the thinking of many toward such men. When we become modern hero worshipers, we are no better off than the ancient pagans who did the same. May God help us all to distinguish between his Word and the words of men; and, to recognize that only his Son is the real hero, and worthy of such honor. “Hear ye him.”

Guardian of Truth XLI: 7 p. 1
April 3, 1997