Truth Magazine

By Edward O. Bragwell, Sr.

Granville W. Tyler was born September 11, 1908 at Primm Springs, Tennessee. Primm Springs is in Hickman County, about 50 miles southwest of Nashville. He passed from this life on April 13, 1996 at his home in Decatur, Alabama. On April 16, a memorial service was conducted at the meeting place of the Sommerville Road church of Christ in Decatur, with Irvin Himmel, Eugene Britnell, and this writer participating. Charles Littrell conducted the grave side service at the Roselawn Cemetery in Decatur.

Brother Tyler was the oldest of seven children born to James Edward and Mattie Derinda McGahey Tyler. His brother Leonard, now living in Longview, Texas, also be-came a well-known gospel preacher. Brother Tyler’s early education was in one, two, and four-room schools in Hickman County. After his mother’s death, his father married again. Three children were born to that union, making ten children in all.

His mother’s death had a profound effect upon him. It may have had a lot to do with turning his mind heavenward and shaping his character with so much love, compassion, and understanding. He spoke of it often, many times publicly, throughout his life. He could never speak of it without tears welling up in his eyes. In some notes, given to me by his family, he writes:

“In 1924 while at Hunter Hill, near Wrigley, at about 4 o’clock in the morning my mother died. The feeling of despair and anguish that overwhelmed us was indescribable. We, my father and his seven children, I the oldest at fifteen and Geda, the youngest at about two, stood perplexed facing a dismal future. I still cannot understand how we came through those experiences. But somehow we joined our hearts and hands and committed ourselves to the task. We older children resolved that we would look after the baby  Geda  regardless of what happened. All of this  and much more  bound us together with cords of love, compassion and understanding, and that bond remains until this day.”

Shortly after his mother died, brother Tyler went to work at a rock quarry at Wrigley, Tennessee making $1.25 per day. He later moved into the plant as oil boy, then to engineer, in charge of the pumps, turbines, and operation of the big blowing engine for the blast furnace. He writes in his notes: “For a little over two years I continued at this work. My hours at that time were from 6 to 6, twelve hours a day. We were on shift work during this time, two weeks days and two weeks nights. But the salary made it worthwhile  I was making $3.60 for the twelve hour day, which was more than many workers made at that time.”

During this time he worshiped with the church at Lyles, Tennessee. At age 16, he was asked to read the scriptures and lead public prayer for the first time. He then began to participate in the public services of the church, not only at Lyles, but visited neighboring congregations to make talks. During one of several meetings in the area, brother W.B. West, Jr. asked the young brother Tyler to preach at one of the morning services. Brother West then drove brother Tyler to Nashville to meet brother H. Leo Boles to talk about enrolling in David Lipscomb College. With only a gram-mar school education, it was thought that the young man, he was nineteen by now, might enroll as a special student taking Bible, church history, and public speaking. But, brother Boles suggested that he finish high school first and then enroll as a regular student.

His first choice was to attend the high school at Lipscomb, but found it too expensive for his means. Brother West knew of a school in Charleston, Mississippi where boys could go, work on the experimental farm connected with the school, and get their high school education. So, in September of 1929, at age 21, brother Tyler quit his job at Wrigley and enrolled in Tallahatchie Agricultural High School to, in his words, “begin my education and my life’s work as a preacher of the gospel.” He lived in the school dorm and ate in the school cafeteria. The principle of the school, a member of a denomination, learned that brother Tyler wanted to preach. He insisted that brother Tyler have time to study, so he of-ten excused him from work chores on the farm so that he could study. Brother Tyler was given credit toward his school expenses for the time that he spent in study in lieu of farm work. While at the school he filled preaching appointments at several small churches around Charleston. After high school, he went to David Lipscomb and Harding Colleges.

Between David Lipscomb and Harding, he worked for a year (1934) with the Washington Avenue church in Russellville, Alabama. At Harding he met and married his beloved Francis Elliott who preceded him in death by a little less than fourteen months.

He returned to Russellville to work with the church again for four years (1937-1941). He then moved to work with the Central church in McMinnville, Tennessee for two years (1941-1943). While here, he and Francis became the proud parents of their only child, Elliott (June 24, 1942). He then worked with the Red Bank church in Chattanooga, Tennessee for two years (1944-1946); the Washington Avenue church in Russellville, Alabama, again for some over three years (1946-1950); the 77th Street church in Birmingham, Alabama for three years (1950-1953); a church in Pampa, Texas for a year (1954-1955); West Helena, Arkansas for three years (1955-1958). In September of 1958 he moved to work with the Sommerville Road church in Decatur, Alabama where he remained until his death. About twenty years or so ago, he “retired” from the local work at Sommerville Road to devote full time to meeting work, but he remained a member there and helped with the work in various capacities when not away in meetings.

Brother Tyler probably held more meetings than any other man in this century. Brother Eugene Britnell, at the funeral, recalled hearing him say that he had held more than twenty meetings at the Market Street church in Athens, Alabama alone. While he held many meetings all over the country, most of his meetings were in the Southeastern section of the country. There is no way to tell how many churches have used and are still using his popular workbook series.

When the institutional issues arose in the 1950s brother Tyler studied the issues carefully and then took his stand. After taking his stand, he never wavered. Many of his closest friends did not come to the same conclusions as he did. However, virtually all of them still maintained a good friend-ship with him. It would have been hard for anyone not to be friends with one who showed himself so friendly. His stand cost in canceled meetings, but he had to stand by and preach his convictions.

He was well known for his keen mind and quick wit. Often his wit was aimed at those that he loved most. No man ever loved a brother more than he loved his younger brother, S. Leonard Tyler. He loved to argue Bible questions with Leonard. He also loved to make him the object of a joke. One night after Leonard had preached with Granville in the audience, someone asked Granville if he had given Leonard the outline that he had preached. As quick as a flash, Granville replied, “As a matter of fact, I did. But I forgot to tell him that it was supposed to be a series.” Not only will people in this part of the country miss the preaching of brother Tyler, they will miss the hilariously funny stories that he told in many a gathering of friends in private homes about characters that he knew during his younger days in Tennessee. As he told the stories, he would imitate their gestures and speech patterns, making his audience hold their sides with laughter. He and country comedienne, Minnie Pearl, grew up in the same county. They must have breathed the same air and drunk the same water.

However, in his preaching, he was deadly serious. Some-times he would inject a humorous illustration, never for the sake of humor, but to make his point more clear. His sermons were simple, Scripture filled efforts to teach men and women God’s will and urge them to obey it. He could challenge the minds and touch the hearts of people with his lessons as well as any man this writer has ever known. He was keenly aware, and often said so, that he would have to give an account for each sermon that he preached. He also reminded his audiences that they would have to give an account for their response to the things he spoke  if he spoke the truth. He also reminded them often that if he did speak the truth that they would give account for not correcting him.

He touched the lives of so many of us. We will miss him.

Anyone wishing to send a card to his son and daughter-in-law, may send it to Elliott and Kay Tyler, 814 Britwood, Dr. SW, Decatur, AL 35601.

Guardian of Truth XL: 11 p. 14-15
June 6, 1996

By Clinton D. Hamilton

Question: The question for consideration in this column is couched in the following quotation: “In 1 Timothy 2:15, women shall be preserved through the bearing of children. Does that mean women must have children in order to be saved?”

Response: Often the major point in a passage and the limitations of the context are stripped aside so as to permit the focusing on a subordinate issue. We must be careful lest this be the case with this passage. In the context of this passage, the issue is the relation of the woman to man. In verse 9, the women should adorn themselves in orderly clothing with modesty and sobriety, not with plaiting and gold or pearls or costly raiment. Paul continues in verse 10 by stating that it suits women professing godliness “with good works,” di’ ergon agathon. Accordingly, a woman is to learn in silence in all subjection (v. 11). But to teach I do not permit a woman nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in silence (v. 12). Because Adam was first formed then Eve (v. 13). And Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived has become the transgressor (v. 14). But she shall be saved through her childbearing, if they remain in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety (v. 15). What has just been presented is a somewhat literal translation of the section (1 Tim. 2:10-15) for the purpose of setting the context for the statement in 2:15. This passage is not at its heart about childbearing, but is about the proper relation of woman to man however this may express itself in behavior.

The woman is to reach her goal by obedience in maintaining the role God assigned to her. It is not to teach the man, nor to exercise dominion over him. Hers is by way of submission. It is by fulfilling this mission as God designed it that she reaches full happiness and true freedom in relation to God (vv. 11-12). After Eve had transgressed, God announced, “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee” (Gen. 3:16). This is the mission assigned to woman in the scheme of things in the social order of humankind. Adam called her Eve because she was the mother of all living (Gen. 3:20).

Sothesetai, “she shall be saved,” is future passive indicative third person singular of the verb sozo, “save, deliver, preserve, etc.” It has reference first to the woman in v. 14 (Eve) but in this context also to females who are members of the class of whom Eve was the first. Paul is speaking generally of the class of woman. “In childbearing” comes from dia tes teknogonias. What does this mean? Teknogonia, “bearing children,” appears only in this pas-sage in the NT. It is translated very literally in the KJV. The class of females of whom Eve was one fulfills its purpose among other things in childbearing as God decreed (Gen. 3:16). To younger women Paul gave this instruction: “marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully” (1 Tim. 5:14). These two passages fit well with Genesis 3:16. However, on another occasion, Paul spoke of circumstances in which it may be better for a woman to remain unmarried in order to care for the things of the Lord (1 Cor. 7:26-38). He could not give this advice if it were a condition of being saved eternally that a woman bear children. If she bears children out of wedlock, she commits fornication or adultery both of which are forbidden. It becomes obvious that Paul is speaking of the general role or mission of woman in 1 Timothy 2:15, and not specifically of childbearing as a precondition of salvation from sin and the wrath of God to come.

It should not be overlooked that Paul immediately changes from the singular number to plural in his succeeding statements in the passage under study. The next statement is can meinosin en pistei kai agape kai hagiasm meta sphrosunes, “if they remain in faith and love and sanctification with sobriety.” Ean is a conditional particle that introduces some-thing future and is here used with the subjunctive, as will be presently pointed out (see Thayer 162). Meinosin is aorist active subjunctive of the verb meno, “abide.” There is contemplated the condition of their being characterized by certain qualities of spiritual nature. They must remain in faith, love, and sanctification; these are the issues with respect to the higher sense of “save” that are under consideration. Childbearing is not the means of salvation. The expiatory death of Christ is the means of salvation or deliverance from the guilt of sin and the wrath of God. Those who are acquitted of sin are those who believe; they are people of faith (Rom. 1:16-17) and that person’s faith is reckoned for justification or acquittal (Rom. 4:5; Gen. 15:6). Love is essential to salvation if one is to walk by faith (2 Pet. 1:4-11; 1 John 4:7-8, 16, 19-21). Without sanctification, no one can see God (Heb. 12:14). Women can safely bear children and although this is part of the curse placed on them, they ultimately can be redeemed if they are characterized by faith, love, and sanctification.

To say that childbearing is the means of salvation is to wrest this statement out of context in 1 Timothy 2, and to ignore the context of other Scriptures also. Woman fits into the social fabric of humankind by maintaining the proper relation to man by being in submission and fulfilling the role of childbearing. The latter is painful and difficult. The salvation of men and women alike is through the atoning sacrifice of Christ, and not in procreating or bearing children as the case of the sexes may be. Alford well points out that Christians are saved by fire (1 Cor. 3:15). Dia puros in this verse does not mean that the fire of trial is the means of salvation, any more than dia teknogonias has the sense of the means of salvation in 1 Timothy 2:15. Likewise, neither is di’ ergon agathon, “with good works,” the means of salvation (2:10). All of us may go through severe trials as by fire, but we are saved through Jesus Christ the Lord. Those who would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12). Women may go through childbearing as the general role given to them. But this does not mean that childbearing is essential to salvation. In the normal process and general plan, she is to bear children as part of her mission. There may be circumstances in which she is barren, bearing no children, as was Sarah through no fault of her own. This does not mean that she cannot be saved. One may be basically incapacitated to do good works by accident or disease. This does not mean that the person cannot be saved. One must be careful to exegete, not eisegete the text.

Guardian of Truth XL: 11 p. 12-13
June 6, 1996

 

Go quietly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they, too, have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others you may become bitter or vain, for there will always be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of our time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery; but let this not blind you to what virtue there is.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune, but do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here, and whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God. And what-ever your labors and aspiration, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

ANONYMOUS

Guardian of Truth XL: 11 p. 13
June 6, 1996

By Ferrell Jenkins

Northeast of Van we took highway E99 toward Dogubayazit (pronounced doe-BYE-a-zit). We stopped to look at a beautiful waterfall at Muradiye. Some of the guide books say that this road is bad, but we found it to be one of the best we traveled. This may be because it is used by the military who patrol the area. For several miles the road runs parallel to the Iranian border. In the highest elevation it was cold and there was snow along the highway  we stopped for Curtis and Kyle to throw some snow-balls. The highest elevation was 8,668 feet. The region seems to receive much rain and is ideal for herding sheep. The lushness of the grass re-minded me of Wales.

As we came down to an elevation of 5200 feet, our first view of Mount Ararat was disappointing because the mountain was covered with dark clouds. We continued through Dogubayazit east a few miles to the Sim-Er Hotel on the Iran transit road.

We were the only guests in the hotel that night so we got the best rooms available with wonderful views of the mountain. Some of the explorers who have searched for the ark have stayed here including former astronaut Jim Irwin, whose autographed photo of his moon walk hung beside the reception desk.

Mount Ararat: Did the Ark Land Here?

Shortly after our arrival the clouds began to move away from the mountain and we had a clear view for excellent photos. The terrain around Mount Ararat (Agri Dag in Turkish) is bleak and this makes the mountain all the more impressive. Mount Ararat is known locally as Buyuk Agri (Greater Ararat) and is nearly 17,000 feet high. Snow covered the top third of the peak. The mountain is connected to Kucuk Agri (Lesser Ararat), a lower mountain which is under 13,000 feet high, by a ridge seven miles long.

The keeper of the hotel offered the services of one of his workers, Mustafa, to direct us to places of interest in the area. We headed toward the Iranian border and made beautiful photos of the now-cleared mountain. Some clouds hang around the top of the mountain most of the time, but they move constantly making every photo unique. When we came to gates across the road we turned north on a dirt road. We were at the border of Iran and only authorized vehicles, like the TIR trucks, continue east. Mustafa asked some shepherd boys for directions and we continued to see a huge crater which was made when a meteor hit the earth in 1920. More interesting at the moment was the fact that we were surrounded by Turkish soldiers with their guns pointed toward Iran.

We asked Mustafa, who was able to speak both Turkish and Kurdish but little English, to take us to a place about 17 miles south of the summit of Mount Ararat about two miles from the Iranian border, at an elevation of about 5,200 feet, where some explorers have sought the ark for the past 35 years. We saw there a formation of 515 feet by 138 feet in a stream-lined “boat shape.” Several “Archeologists,” including David Fasold, Ron Wyatt and Marvin Steffins, have been initially convinced by their investigations that this site holds promise. The Learning Channel broadcast a film July 31, 1995, about the work of Fasold, Wyatt, and John Baumgardner. The following statement was added at the end of the film: “In 1992 the boat-shaped object was finally declared an official archaeological site by the Turkish Government. The site will be excavated in the summer of 1995.” We saw no indication of any excavations when we visited on June 18.

Both William H. Shea and Clifford L. Burdick wrote articles in the Creation Research Society Quarterly about this site in September 1976. Dr. John Morris of the Institute for Creation Research, who has headed a number of expeditions in search of Noah’s ark, cites Dr. John Baumgardner, a geophysicist, who disproved the hypothesis that this formation might be the ark and found nothing of archaeological significance (Impact, Sept. 1992). Baumgardner wrote an article about the “boat formation” in 1986 in which he stated that a man-made, boat-shaped object containing an organized pattern of metal underground, with location and dimensions consistent with those of the biblical ark had been found (“Noah’s Ark-Have We Found It?”, Mission Journal, May 1986). I have not yet located any more recent statements by Baumgardner.

When we returned to the hotel and cleaned up, we gathered in one of the rooms for a period of worship and study. Curtis directed our thoughts in a study about Noah and the ark. We looked at, and commented on, numerous passages which make reference to these subjects (e.g., Gen.6-9; Matt. 24:37-39; Luke 17:26-27; Heb. 11:7; 1 Pet. 3:18-21; 2 Pet. 2:5; 3:6).

The ark could have landed any-where in Urartu, the mountains of Ararat. Traditions seem always to seek the highest point. One must re-member that Agri Dagi is a large volcano which last erupted in 1840. Some have suggested that the ark, had it been hidden in the glaciers of this area, could not have survived. Discussion of the universality of the flood traditions and a history of efforts to locate the ark must wait for another time, place, or person to develop.

We Saw a Rainbow at

Mount Ararat

Kyle commented about what a wonderful trip we had enjoyed and especially how exciting it was to see Mount Ararat. He said the only thing more exciting would be to see a rain-bow. Curtis and I opined, “That would be exciting.” An hour or so later I heard Kyle yell, “There’s a rainbow!” There was. We rushed out to photo-graph it, and I am pleased to write that I got a fairly good shot.

“And God said, `This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. And it shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to re-member the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. And God said to Noah, This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth’ (Gen. 9:12-17).

Agri Dagi may not be the exact place the ark landed, but the land of beginning again for Noah, Ham, Shem, and Japheth was certainly in the region we had traveled through today  the mountains of Ararat.

During the night, I woke up about 12:30 a.m. and looked out toward the mountain. The sky was clear and star-studded; it reminded me of the night I climbed Mount Sinai. The shepherds were already moving their sheep to pasture by about 4:30 a.m. Before 5 a.m. the sun peeked over the mountain to herald a new day. The temperature outside my window was 51 degrees. In the hotel lobby was a display of rocks that had been brought from the mountain. There were also several fossilized sea shells in the collection. The men said these also came from Mount Ararat!

On the eighth day we drove north along the west side of the mountain to Igdir. This gave us an opportunity to see more of the mountain. Efforts to climb the mountain, which are presently not permitted, begin on the north side of the mountain. We were able to see into Armenia, part of the former Soviet Union.

Upon the return to Dogubayazit we encountered some rain. When we turned west on highway E80 toward Agri and Erzurum, Mount Ararat was covered with black clouds and rain. We had enjoyed a wonderful visit of the area.

A Satisfying Journey Completed

We decided to spend our last night in eastern Turkey at Erzurum, a much more modern town than we had seen for several days. The next morning we said goodbye to our rental car, in which we had traveled 1600 miles, at the airport and headed for Istanbul via Ankara. Shortly before landing in Ankara we saw the Halys River which marked the western boundary of the ancient Hittite Empire. In Istanbul we had time to visit the modern Galleria mall near our hotel. It looked just like any new mall at home; it even had a food court with McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Baskin Robins. We were nearly home!

Traveling with Curtis and Kyle was a real pleasure. Kyle was keeping a journal in preparation for a college course he was taking. Curtis, with his special interest in and knowledge of church history as well as biblical history, provided innumerable insights throughout the trip. The adventure continues in our minds and hearts.

Guardian of Truth XL: 10 p. 18-19
May 16, 1996