Truth Magazine

By Connie W Adams

We are being told by men of considerable knowledge and influence that the text of Matthew 19:9 is too ambiguous for any of us to be dogmatic about it. Others have reminded us that men of scholarship have taken at least five different positions on the passage. What that is sup-posed to prove escapes me. Men reputed as scholars have taken different views on baptism, music in worship, the nature, work and organization of the church, and a host of other things.

Scholars have been known to grind personal axes. Commentators have been known to do a pretty good job with many passages only to lose their objectivity when some passage militates against one of their theological sacred cows. Then watch out!

The church at Corinth was instructed to “deliver unto Satan” the fornicator in its midst. “Put away from among yourselves that wicked person” (1 Cor. 5:1-13). Before they could do that they had to be able to deter-mine what a fornicator actually is. In verse one Paul said this man “had his father’s wife.” He had a woman he had no right to have. That made him a fornicator. Paul knew what to do about it and taught them the same thing. We do not know if the woman’s husband was churlish or genteel. Was he much older than she and not able to gratify her sexual appetites? Had she and her husband’s son established a “meaningful relationship”? Could they both repent of the sin, then have the woman get a divorce so they could marry and live happily ever after while the brother then enjoyed the fellowship of the church at Corinth? Have I missed something here? Was the matter ambiguous to Paul? When he got through writing them what is found in chapter 5, was it ambiguous to them? The evidence from the second letter is that they clearly understood what he wrote and attended to the matter so completely that Paul then wrote them urging them to accept his repentance.

The family is generally considered the foundation of all orderly society. It was designed by God for the blessedness of mankind. Upon the basis of stable, godly families the fate of nations hangs, to say nothing of the welfare of the church. The general rule is that if a woman marries another man while her husband lives, she “shall be called an adulteress” but if he is dead she “shall not be called an adulteress” even though “married to another man” (Rom. 7:1-4). I believe I understand that. Do you?

Now, Matthew 19:9 says, “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her that is put away doth commit adultery.” Now whence come the ambiguity? Well, maybe it is the word “whosoever” for surely that does not include an alien sinner. “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17). Does that include the alien? Well, yes, but you see … Yes, I see all right. Someone has an axe to grind on Matthew 19:9 but not on Revevelation 22:17.

“Shall put away his wife.” Is that the cause of the uncertainty?

“Except it be for fornication.” Here is the exception to the general rule stated in Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18 and Romans 7:1-4. Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John. 3:3). If that “except” is ambiguous then none of us can be assured of entering the kingdom.

“And shall marry another.” Is that the area of ambiguity? Here is a man who puts away his wife and marries another. Do you get that? I think I do.

“Committeth adultery.” If I did not know better I would surely think the Lord was telling us that a man who puts away his wife and marries another commits adultery! “Except it (the putting away) be for fornication.”

“Whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” Any man who puts away his wife (except for fornication) and marries another commits adultery and whoever marries one who is put away commits adultery.

Pray tell, where is the ambiguity? You know it sounds just like the Lord said, “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” Now, brethren, you just can’t make Romans 14 elastic enough to justify either the one who puts away his wife (except for fornication) or the one who marries the one who is put away.

Since the Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures, then whose fault is it if something as serious as adultery and the stability of the marriage union is in doubt because of ambiguity? If one or ten thousand scholars take other views than what the Holy Spirit guided Matthew to write, then we would do well to ignore them and stick with what the text says.

Too ambiguous for any of us to be dogmatic! What next?

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 20, p. 3-4
October 17, 1996

By Robert F. Turner

In my boyhood days my hometown in Kentucky was a trade center. Each Saturday and on county court Mondays farmers brought their produce to town for sale. They used the opportunity to trade pocket knives, hound dogs, two-dollar pistols, and hard liquor.

Most farmers were proud of their products. They guaranteed fresh eggs, and if you wanted a watermelon you could “plug it” before you paid for it. That sweet red sliver from deep inside the melon was your earnest of good things to come.

Even today a reputable dealer stands behind his merchandise. He is happy to have you investigate his wares, for he believes in them. What would you think of a store that refused to allow its weights and measures to be checked against the standards? Who is angered by your desire to “plug” his product? Hmmmmm!!

But you and I know churches that are angered if their practice is questioned in the light of God’s word, the admitted standard in religion. Is a preacher or elder to be trusted who by sheer weight of position or popular approval states his case then denies all appeals for proof fromthe Scriptures? And what of those who refuse to read or study any other view?

We hold that truth is verified by an appeal to the standard of truth. My conceptions of the church, its organization, and work will shine more brightly when investigated in the light of God’s word  if my conclusions are right. If I am wrong, yet truly desirous of serving God, the uncovering of my error is my gain  something devoutly desired.

A proper attitude (humility) welcomes investigation and correction. But the arrogant, puffed with “party” pride, and those uncertain and fearful of their position cannot afford to have their doctrines “plugged.” Plunge the sword of the Spirit into this melon, and its source of human tradition or social gospel is revealed. “Come Let Us Reason Together” is an empty slogan for decoration of bulletins, etc., but not for use. They are few who welcome the cry: “Sure, you can plug it!” (Reprint from Robert E Turner, Stuff About Things, p. 75, by permission)

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 20, p. 4
October 17, 1996

By Richie Thetford

I believe that all of us have asked at one time or an-other “what is love?” After all the definitions, stories, and other sources are used to tell what love is, it can be summed up as “a strong attachment or an affection for someone or something.” Let’s take a moment to consider and think about love.

God Shows Us Love

Our heavenly Father showed us the greatest example of love when he sent his only Son to this earth. John writes: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Jesus walked among men while teaching what one must do to be saved (Mark 16:15-16). He then took all the sins of man to the cross with him where he suffered and died and arose again so that we might have forgiveness of sin. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). God certainly showed us what love is, in that out of a strong affection for man, he sent his Son to save man.

The Love We Show

There are many individuals around us that show their affection to Jesus by the way they live. But often times we are too busy to notice the love exemplified by those individuals even though they are in our “own backyard.” We have not stopped to “smell the roses” as we travel down life’s highway. Look around, what do we see? Do we notice those in our congregation that are letting their light shine for Christ as evidenced by their love? If so, based on their strong affection to serve him, in what ways do we see Jesus living in them? There certainly is love out there among us, we just have to look for it. One of our sisters in Christ, Ellen Kyle, stopped long enough to see what love is as she penned this beautiful poem.

My Own Back Yard

I was sitting and wondering what is love,

The kind described by God above,

How will I know it, how will I see,

God please show this love to me.

I was wondering, hoping for an answer to my prayer,

Then suddenly I understood, it was everywhere.

I saw it in a couple who had a loved one slip away,

And came to worship that very same day.

I saw it in a woman struggling with ill health,

And never once showed she felt sorry for herself.

I saw it in a couple so elderly and frail,

Who always are so friendly and attend without fail.

I saw it in a man who gives his time to teach,

Because the lost he loves and wants so much to reach.

I saw it in a preacher who’s not afraid to cry,

And say how much he loves us and for heaven we must try.

I saw it in his wife, who tries God’s ways to live,

I saw her daily walk and that she has so much to give.

I saw it in a woman that who through unfailing love,

Has done so very much to help me know God above.

I saw it in the families who teach their children right,

And have not given up the struggle no matter how hard the fight.

I saw it in the teens who gave in to their peers,

And came and repented, their eyes filled with tears.

I saw it in the ones who always come alone,

When their spouses chose to just stay home.

I saw it in friends that have done so much for me,

They are always there to encourage and to uplift me.

Lord help me to remember when my search for love seems hard,

I only need to look in my own backyard.

Ellen Kyle

When we are doing our part for Jesus Christ then our light (love) will shine brightly. Jesus said: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt 5:16). It is through our love that we encourage and uplift one an-other. In this troubled world, we often only need to turn and look in our own backyard for an example of the affection that others are showing toward Christ, realizing that God gave them the greatest gift of all, and as a result, they are showing their love in return. Let us always strive to “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Heb.10:24).

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 20, p. 5
October 17, 1996

By Harry R. Osborne

While in Lithuania last spring, I saw living conditions unheard of in this country. We had classes in homes that would have been condemned even in the slum areas of our inner cities. Many people had little to eat and only one or two outfits of clothes. They accepted it as a normal fact of life, but it made me think about how materialistic American culture is today.

Our society seems obsessed with wealth and material possessions. Whether young or old, that pattern is clear to detect in the people of our time. Among some young people, peers are judged on the basis of what label is found on their shirt and jeans. Among some adults, the basis of such judgments are too often made on one’s perceived wealth and status.

Television has done much to reinforce this inflated importance of money and possessions. Commercials bombard us with the message that we can be “in” or respected if we just had the right car, fine jewelry, a more expensive house, and the list goes on. There is even a program exalting the extravagance of the wealthy, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”

Is our life to be used in pursuit of material wealth? Is the amassing of things the priority in life? Jesus said,

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt. 6:19-20).

While Jesus was here upon the earth, he talked with two different men on separate occasions about the peril of riches. They show the pull of materialism from two very distinct directions. Though the events took place almost two thou-sand years ago, the truths presented are as relevant today as they were then.

The first man experienced the pull of materialism as one who was trying to acquire wealth. He was not yet rich, but was seeking to gain through an inheritance. He came to Jesus saying, “Teacher, tell my brother to di-vide the inheritance with me.” To this Jesus replied, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” (Luke 2:14).

Jesus knew this man’s problem. The man had his priori-ties in the wrong place  on the material things rather than the eternal things. Jesus said, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15). He went on to relate the following parable:

The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, “What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?” So he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry”‘ (Luke 12:16-19).

God, however, looked at these things in a different way. Jesus declared God’s view saying, “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:20-21).

Christ wants us to understand where the true treasure may be found. It is not to be found upon this earth, but in the eternal realm. The true treasure cannot be locked up in a bank or sheltered in an investment, but is found in service to God.

The second man experienced the pull of materialism as one who was already rich and desired to maintain that wealth. He even had some interest in spiritual things. He came to Jesus asking, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18). His problem was not a total lack of desire for heavenly things, but misplaced priorities.

Jesus, understanding the man’s problem, instructed him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Luke 18:22).

The Bible then records, “But when he heard this, he be-came very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, `How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God’ (Luke 18:23-25).

Why is it so difficult for the wealthy to enter God’s kingdom? Because it demands that they place the things of God as their first priority rather than themselves or their material possessions. The apostle Paul gave the following charge in this regard:

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life (1 Tim. 6:17-19).

In this age of affluence, all of us need to examine our-selves to see how materialism is pulling on us. Let us be thankful for that which we have, but let us make sure that our true treasure is measured in spiritual terms. This will be accomplished only as we honestly and objectively examine ourselves by the standard of our Lord as revealed in his truth.

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 19, p. 14-15
October 3, 1996