Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

The changing of the calendar year reminds us how swiftly we are turning “life’s daily pages.” With this issue of Guardian of Truth, we complete 40 years of publication. Our next issue will be a special issue relating to those 40 years of service. It is an issue you will not want to miss. Not only is this the end of 40 years of service, this completes twenty years that I have edited Guardian of Truth. This milestone is an occasion for personal reflection.

I Have Been Blessed to Work With Some of the

World’s Best People

My life has been enriched during the years that I have been associated with the Guardian of Truth Foundation to be associated with some of the best people in the world. I have been privileged to work personally with men whose commitment to God’s revelation has driven them to accomplish great things in the kingdom of God.

In my earliest years, I was blessed to listen to Cecil Willis, Roy E. Cogdill, Luther Blackmon, James W. Adams, and several others relate their personal observations about the division over institutionalism. My perceptions of how liberalism works was shaped, not only by their lucid writings, but also their personal observations of how men act when they begin to move away from God’s word.

My association with the Board of Directors of the Guardian of Truth Foundation has been pleasant. These men are honorable men who are committed to doing what is right. One incident that demonstrates the depth of their commitment to righteousness goes back over twenty years. We were in a board meeting at which a business man, who was also one of our board members, wanted to donate the C E I Bookstore to the Guardian of Truth Foundation. The bookstore was probably valued in excess of $100,000 at that time. That was a sizable gift for a struggling foundation to receive. At the time, the grace-unity conflict was waging. I shall never forget the discussion that occurred in that meeting. Brethren commented that, if we accepted that gift, some would think our motive in opposing the false doctrine on grace-unity was to gain control of the bookstore. We came to the conclusion that our motives would not be misjudged if we did not accept the gift. Despite this, the motives of the editor, writers, and board still were misjudged. The bookstore was given to Florida College and several years later we purchased the bookstore. This transaction demonstrates that the Board is composed of men of honor.

There have been a number of occasions when brethren with whom we did business disagreed with us about business decisions. In every one of those occasions, the Board has consistently taken the position that we would rather bend to do what was unquestionably right rather than take a brother to court or mistreat him. The board members of this foundation are honorable men and I have been blessed to serve with them.

The same can be said about the staff writers of this magazine. Although I have had a lot less personal association with them than I have had with the Board, my association with the various writers of this journal has richly blessed my life. None of these men is perfect (or claims to be), but they are men who have the humility to confess their sins and seek the Lord’s forgiveness when they stumble into sin. They are men who have the conviction to stand for what they believe. None of them is a “yes” man. For this reason, there have been occasions when one staff writer wrote in response to what another staff writer affirmed. Frankly, I respect the integrity of such men, be-cause this is a safeguard to everyone’s fallibility. Each of them is a good student of God’s word. They are used by hundreds of churches across this country in gospel meetings, in addition to doing respectable local works. Our readers are privileged to sit at their feet and learn and I am blessed to be associated with them.

I Have Been Blessed With My Wife’s Support

Only those who know my family most intimately perceive how painful to my wife Sandy were the conflicts through which we have come. I have a pretty thick skin and am generally able to let criticism roll off without getting very upset. Those times have been much harder for her than they have been for me. Despite the pain that my work has brought to her, she still has encouraged me to continue preaching and doing the work that I do in editing Guardian of Truth.

Having witnessed how many gospel preachers’ works have been undermined (whether intentionally or unintentionally) by their wife, my appreciation for her has grown through the years. She has contributed so much to my work as a gospel preacher that I don’t know how to measure it. You can understand why I consider myself richly blessed to have her as my companion.

I Have Been Blessed to Do The Work I Most Enjoy

In the years that I have been preaching, I have met a number of men who have dutifully gone to jobs they do not enjoy in order to provide a living for their families. I have learned that a man who can make a living doing a job that he enjoys is privileged. Such a man looks forward to the beginning of every day because of his own excitement about the work he is doing.

I have enjoyed the work that I do so much that there have been times when Sandy was jealous of my work, telling me that I was “married” to my work. I have relished the leisure to study God’s word and the opportunities to preach and write about what I have learned. I have been blessed to work with some very good Christians in local churches. None of my experiences in the local church has been “bad” although each of them has had problems through which we had to work.

Just Want to Say “Thank You”

The purpose of this editorial is to say “thank you” to every person who has made my work so enjoyable. I am a most richly blessed person to preach the Lord’s glorious gospel and be supported while I do that. Paul expressed his attitude, which I also have, when he wrote, “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8). The opportunity to preach is a “grace given.”

To every one of our readers who has supported our work by reading what we publish, I owe a debt of gratitude. Thank you for your support, words of encouragement, and for using the materials that we have labored so hard to produce (they are labors of love). So, for the last 20 years, I just want to say “thank you.”

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 24, p. 2
December 19, 1996

By Larry Ray Hafley

Did you see that the Pope has informally embraced the theory of evolution? Said John Tagliabue in the New York Times, “Nearly a century and a half after Darwin’s Origin of Species, Pope John Paul II has put the teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church firmly behind the view that the human body may not have been the immediate creation of God, but is the product of a gradual process of evolution. With a formal statement sent to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences . . . the pope said that `fresh knowledge leads to recognition of the theory of evolution as more than just a hypothesis’ (Houston Chronicle, October 25, 1996, Al).

The Pope should be an expert on evolution. After all, his very office is the product of a process of evolution. By exchanging the sacred for the secular, by replacing divine truth with human traditions, by adopting idolatrous pagan myths and superstitions and attempting to weave them into the fabric of faith, the whole Catholic structure has evolved.

All of my life, I have heard the old statement, “Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.” Now, according to the Pope, I may not be his uncle, but I may be his nephew! That just may be an improvement. It does not take too much to flatter some of us.

If the poor, old Pope can see an inch past his nose, he must see what is coming. If the Genesis record is not a real revelation of creation, what about the virgin birth? Surely, a God who could cause a baby to be born of a virgin could create a man from dirt and a woman from his rib. However, if that is not what happened, as the pope now seems to suggest, how are we to be assured that Jesus’ birth is an actual, factual account?

If Genesis is junked and jettisoned, is the virgin birth the next thing to be aborted? If not, how shall the Pope reassure us? Genesis is written as history, or as an account of events that literally transpired. So is the virgin birth. If the creation of Genesis is a fabrication, is the birth of Jesus a prevarication? When these questions arise, as surely they will, to what will the pope appeal? Or will he smile, doff his beanie, and declare the virgin birth null and void?

If a man could evolve from the apes, why could not a super-human type man like Jesus evolve from man? If man is a product of evolution, is Jesus? I find it hard to believe that the genius that is man came from blind chance and the beasts of the field, but I am told that it is so. Well, if it is, will I next be told that I must believe, as improbable as it seems, that Jesus did not actually come from God and a virgin’s womb, but that he is the finished product of a monkey’s mutation? Either way, the Pope’s tacit acceptance of evolutionary thinking tells me that he has been smelling too much of his incense canisters lately. They ought to be careful how they wave those smoky things around when he is near.

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 24, p. 1
December 19, 1996

By Richard Boone

The Search For The Ancient Order (Vol. 1-2), Earl West, $27.95 for both.

The phrase “the search for the ancient order” means different things to different people. An avid restoration historian may recognize it as the title of several articles written in the 1820s by Alexander Campbell in The Christian Baptist. A graduate of one of “our” Bible colleges may remember it as the title of a textbook used in a restoration history course. Sadly, it may mean nothing to a younger generation of Christians (especially preachers) mesmerized by the modern lifestyle, unconvinced of the need to study and learn from history.

Brother Marc Gibson has invited me to review the first two volumes of Earl West’s The Search For The Ancient Order and it is my distinct pleasure to do so. His four-volume set is a history of the Restoration Movement in America from 1800-1950. The first two volumes survey the period from 1800-1906.1 will not focus on the names, dates, places, etc. in West’s material. I will only make general remarks on each volume. Having done that, I will proceed to some general observations and close with two thought-provoking quotations.

Volume I (1800-1865)

Brother West takes us from the earliest stages of the Restoration Movement in America to the close of the Civil War in this first volume. Of particular interest and appreciation to me was the work and struggles of those early pioneers. In my opinion, they are the real heroes. They started from scratch and worked their way out of the darkness of denominationalism. They laid the groundwork for generations to come. (Don’t forget  they didn’t have computers, CD-roms, Internet, etc. to help them!) They weren’t always right in their conclusions or consistent in their application of biblical principles, but they were looking in the right direction  the word of God.

That is what the Restoration Movement is all about. It is about going back to the revelation of God’s mind and doing his work in his way. It is about being content to”speak as the oracles of God,” and upon learning what God says, settling there in conviction and practice. West does a masterful job in portraying their mindsets, struggles, and sacrifices. Those who have not had similar struggles can-not fully appreciate what they accomplished.

We cannot forget, though, that men are not always consistent. Sometimes they even change. Of course, consistency and change are good if they are conforming to God’s word, but if they are not the results are disastrous. West documents how Alexander Campbell advocated the missionary society which represented a definite change in his earlier views on para-church organizations. Interestingly, Campbell never saw or admitted that he changed.

The basis of justification for practices changed from “What do the Scriptures say?” to “It is expedient, therefore it is scriptural.” Young preachers should pay special attention to how the missionary society was justified. When Ephraim has his idols whatever it takes to justify them is acceptable, even if it is wrong (cf. Hos. 4:17).

Between 1855-1865, noticeable differences in views to-ward scriptural authority and the church became clearly visible. While open division did not exist, it was present in mindsets. Brother West points out a few trends which re-veal a slow departure from the Scriptures. What amazed me the most, I suppose, was to learn how much man has not changed, regardless of the era in which he lives. The same trends away from the truth that were evident then are the same ones evident now.

Volume II (1865-1906)

Due to the period of time involved, West’s second volume is much more detailed in his discussion of people, events, periodicals, etc., which were important. By this time, the missionary society and instrumental music (especially the latter) were vigorously discussed. More and more evidence pointed to the reality of division. In 1865 few thought division was possible, much less probable. By 1885 division existed. By 1906 Christian churches (those favoring the missionary society and instrumental music) and churches of Christ (those opposed to these practices) were officially listed separately for the first time in the census of churches.

Again, we should take special note of brother West’s discussion of the trends of the day. He lists several points  attitudes toward the Scriptures, consistent application of scriptural principles, the differences between the universal church and the local church (key to the missionary society question and the institutional question of the 1950s), the singular nature of the New Testament church, progressive preaching, etc. Each of these was a sign that times were changing in the Restoration Movement. While the historical material is informative and interesting, West’s discussions of the trends away from biblical moorings is, in my opinion, the most challenging material in this second volume.

General Observations

What can we learn from this overview of the Restoration Movement from 1800-1906? While I could specify several individual points, I will present a few general conclusions.

The Restoration Motto is right. “Where the Bible speaks, we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent” was spoken by Thomas Campbell in Western Pennsylvania in 1809 and became the motto of the Restoration. That motto is right, not because Thomas Campbell or any other pioneer stated it, but because it is true to the Bible (1 Pet. 4:11; 1 Cor. 4:6; 2 Tim. 1:13; 2 John 9-11; etc.).

We need to appreciate the struggles of faithful Christians who preceded us. They sacrificed much to be just Christians, and deserve honor and commendation where they were right, not our disdain (Rom.13:7). They paved the way for much of the biblical understanding we now have and too often take for granted.4:3-4; etc.). Knowing they will come, we must focus special attention to recognize and stop them when they occur. It is much easier to heal a small wound than a cankered body.

Departures from the truth will come, and we must be vigilant to recognize them. In the first century, departures were predicted (Acts 20:29ff; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 4:3-4; etc.). Knowing they will come, we must focus special attention to recognize and stop them when they occur. It is much easier to heal a small wound than a cankered body.

We should study our history to emulate successes and avoid repeating mistakes. People are not always right or consistent. History allows us to foresee where we may be headed by studying where we’ve been. We can follow the right things of brethren in the past and avoid repeating their mistakes.

Closing Quotations

I now close with two quotes from West’s material. The importance of each is self-evident.

In 1830 Alexander Campbell wrote, “Often I have said, and often I have written, that truth, truth eternal and divine, is now, and long has been with me the pearl of great price. To her I will, with the blessing of God, sacrifice everything. But on no altar will I offer her a victim. If I have lost sight of her, God who searcheth the hearts knows I have not done it intentionally. With my whole heart I have sought the truth, and I know that I have found it.” In 1843 he added, “Numbers with me count nothing. Let God be true and every man a liar. Let me stand, though the heavens fall. When contending with thirty millions of Lutherans, I feel myself contending with but one man. In opposing seventy millions of Greek and Eastern professors, I am in conflict with but one leader. When one hundred millions of Baptists assail me, I feel myself in a struggle with but one mind. In all the Methodists I see but John Wesley; in all the Calvinists, John Calvin; and in all the Episcopalians, one Cranmer. Names, numbers, circumstances weigh nothing in the scales of justice, truth and holiness” (I:54).

In closing his second volume, West observes, “But there has never been a time when the church did not have problems. After the present generation is dead, there will still be others. But, whatever their nature, these are principles that will guide the church on safe ground if the church but re-members them. In light of this we can think of no words to serve as a more fitting close for this volume than those spoken by F.G. Allen a few years before his death. `While we remain true to the principles on which we started out, there is no earthly power that can impede our progress. But the day we leave these walls and go out to take counsel with the world, will mark the day of our decline. We have nothing to fear from without. Our only danger lies in the direction of indifference and compromise. While we are true to God in the maintenance of these principles, the divine blessing will be upon our work. But should they ever be surrendered, ruin will as certainly follow as that the Bible is true”‘(II:462-463). Amen, and amen!

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 23, p. 8-9
December 5, 1996

By Steven F. Deaton

During the thirties and forties a false teaching called premillennialism was making inroads into the body of Christ. It was a turbulent time, one in which many faithful men of God stood arm-in-arm to push back the error threatening the church. A prominent man in this fight was Foy E. Wallace, Jr. He was at the forefront of exposing the false theory of premillennialism, using his paper The Bible Banner, as well as preaching from the pulpit. It is from the latter that God’s Prophetic Word was taken. It was originally a series of addresses in Houston, Texas, January 21-28, 1945.

God’s Prophetic Word is a thorough examination and refutation of the premillennial theory. Brother Wallace takes all major points, and several minor arguments, and puts them to the test in light of the word of God. It may be seen as one reads through the book that “no stone is left unturned.” In fact, many times the same point and passage are covered more than once. The book may be broken down into two main sections: (1) The Word of God itself as infallible, once delivered, and its prophetic nature (chapters 1-3); (2) Specific tenets of premillennialism exposed (chapters 4-12).

In the first section, brother Wallace lays the ground-work for the remainder of the book. In chapter one he establishes the fact that the Bible is divinely inspired, and therefore infallible and reliable. A plethora of evidence is given to the reader for his contemplation. Several subject areas are listed, including history and archaeology. For instance, in the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles and 1 and 2 Kings, there are numerous mentionings of kings who lived and reigned over their kingdoms. While the majority of them had been found in secular history, forty-seven of them were not, and, therefore, unbelievers concluded the Bible to be legendary. How-ever, “The spade brought forth the evidence” (p. 20). All forty-seven disputed kings eventually were found by archaeologists as they unearthed ancient treasures.

Chapter two goes on to discuss “the faith once delivered” (Jude 3). Worth note is the section on “the dogmatic faith.” The author exclaims that Jude speaks in reference to maintaining doctrinal purity within the church and we must be adamant about it. He shows the text establishes four things: (1) the reality of an organized body of faith, (2) the completeness of this faith, (3) the absolute authority of this faith, and (4) the trustees of the faith, “the saints.”

The third chapter, which carries the name of the book, deals with the prophetic nature of God’s divine word. This is a chapter of transition. It begins to point out in detail some of the specific errors of the pre-millennial theory. One area in which the millennialists err is in not understanding the purpose of prophecy. They say the purpose of prophecy in the Old Testament was to point toward a time when Christ would set up a temporal kingdom on earth, but inspired men of the New Testament contradict them. Brother Wallace cites an example of this in Acts 26:22-23, where Paul stands on trial before King Agrippa. In this speech, Paul pointed out that the “climatic purpose of prophecy” was to declare “that the Christ should suffer, be raised from the dead, and give light to all people” (p. 67). “Premillennialists to the contrary notwithstanding” (p. 83).

Now, we come to the second main section of God’s Prophetic Word which explores specific errors of the premillennial theory. It covers nine chapters, consisting of 440 pages, there-fore, only the main points will be covered.

First, millennialists claim that the land promise made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1 was never fulfilled. Therefore, the Jews must yet occupy the “promised land.” The book shows that the Bible contradicts this. The land promise was fulfilled in Joshua. Genesis 15:18 shows the extent of possession; Deuteronomy 1:7-8 says that they possessed it; Joshua 21:43 says that they possessed all of it; 2 Samuel 8:3 says they later recovered it; 1 Kings 14:12 says Solomon reigned over it; Nehemiah 9:7-8 says God performed all of his promise (p. 126).

Next, the promoters of the false theory say that Christ will one day be king, sitting on the throne of David in Jerusalem. However, the word of God says that the earthly kingship set up over Israel was against God’s will (Hos. 13:9-11). “Israel demanded a king and got one. But Israel sinned and God was angry. That kingdom was destroyed, was taken from them and perished, but the millennialists do not like it and want to give it back to Israel” (p. 125).

Further, millennialists believe that the Old Testament prophecies of the coming kingdom have not been fulfilled. One kingdom prophecy is found in Daniel 2, where Daniel is telling the king of Babylon the correct interpretation of his dream. The point made is that during the days of the fourth kingdom, Rome, God would set up a kingdom that would consume all others and last forever. Premillennialists say this has not happened because “the Jews did not accept it. And without them Jesus could not set it up  the Jews had the veto power over Jesus Christ and all the prophets” (p. 171). Hebrews 12:28 tells us that the kingdom has been received. In the same chapter you can see that the “kingdom which cannot be moved” is the same as the “church of the firstborn” (Heb. 12:23, 28).

Among the gross errors of millennialism, there lies the idea that we can tell when the Lord will return by the signs which he gave us and for which we are to watch. They say this because “error capitalizes on ignorance” (p. 227). These false teachers turn to Matthew 24, and its parallel passages, to prove that Jesus gave the signs of his second coming, and then they try to apply it to current events. After telling of the coming destruction of the temple, Jesus’ disciples ask him three questions (though they believe them to be one): (1) “When shall these things be?”, (2) “What shall be the sign of thy coming?, and (3) of the end of the world?” (Matt. 24:3). Jesus answers the latter in verses 36-41, saying, “Of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” The premillennial theory completely ignores the passages and overwhelming historical information that shows Matthew 24:4-35 applies to the destruction of Jerusalem.

Also, on the second coming of Christ, these false teachers insist that it is premillennial. That is, they say that when the Lord returns he will reign upon the earth for a thousand years. In supporting this notion, they will turn to Revelation 20:4

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

There are numerous problems with this attempt to sup-port their theory. If their accusation is correct, then, only those beheaded can reign with Christ and they will only live a thousand years. Moreover, one can look at the context of Revelation 20:1-6 and see that it does not mention the second coming of Christ  does not mention a bodily resurrection  does not mention a reign on earth  does not mention the throne of David  does not mention either Jerusalem or Palestine, and does not mention Christ on earth. (p. 284).

Many other biblical arguments from the book can be offered in order to show the fallaciousness of premillennialism. Brother Wallace does an excellent job of defending the truth from those who would “pull the wool” over our eyes. Among churches of Christ, premillennialism was mainly a problem in the thirties and forties, but it is still prudent to study the issue because virtually all denominations thrive on it and we need to be able to teach them out of it. Also, we need not think that a false teaching which was defeated among the people of God in the past will re-main defeated and not cause trouble in the future. “Therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip” (Heb. 2:1).

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 23, p. 6-7
December 5, 1996