Truth Magazine

By Donald P. Ames

Over the past several years, like others, I have been agonizing over the immorality that is becoming so prevalent amongst those who call themselves gospel preachers. I have seen those caught in such deny it until everyone else is convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt. I’ve known some where the whole community knew about it before members of the church knew. Then, when it is finally exposed, they try to minimize it or blame everyone else. Or, they agree to quietly resign (even though the community also knows about it) and move on. And, usually glad to have “the problem” resolved, some will give them a recommendation for their preaching, and rejoice that “that problem” is now resolved and “we can get back to preaching the gospel again.”

Meanwhile, at the church where the problem arose, many new and weak Christians are left with their faith badly shaken. Many of the local young people quit the church completely, turned off by the hypocrisy of one standing up there telling them these things are wrong, yet engaged in the same disgraceful sins while doing so. The community is full of gossip about “what has happened at that church,” with some vowing they will never have anything to do with such a church “if that’s what Christianity is all about.” And the church spends the next ten years trying to overcome the problems one immoral preacher has wrought upon them. Usually a whole generation is lost and/or wasted by one such exposed action.

As for the preacher, he quietly moves on, and may repeat the same sin at two or three more places until his reputation finally catches up with him (1 Tim. 5:24-25), at which time he may leave the church completely and go off into sin. Of course he has destroyed several churches, turned many young people and prospects away from the gospel, destroyed several marriages (plus his own, and the souls of his own children  Matthew 18:7). It is usually “everyone else’s fault,” and he resents those who finally exposed him, rather than bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance (Acts 26:20).

Someone says, “But that could happen to anyone!” True, but let’s be honest. Those in positions of leadership should be aware of such dangers and their con-sequences (James 3:1). Most preachers know when they are in a bad situation. If they don’t, they shouldn’t be preachers trying to warn others of such dangers ! Did not Paul say, “You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach your-self?… You who say, `Do not commit adultery,’ do you commit adultery.. .You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?” (Rom. 2:21-24) They also know what they should do in such a situation (1 Cor. 6:18; Gen. 39:6-12). If not, they need to quit preaching until they learn more! How can they teach others those dangers and how to avoid them if they have no idea what to do themselves? Let’s get serious! And, when found guilty, they need to confess their sin, turn from it, quit blaming others, and resign from preaching until brethren feel confident a change has occurred and they can again recommend him (and his life) to others.

Brother David Padfield of Zion, Illinois, recently penned the following in his bulletin (August 1995). I commend it and him for the courage to speak out:

It is a sad fact that many gospel preachers have been guilty of adultery. I cannot understand why some brethren want them to keep preaching. Should preachers who have been guilty of adultery go back to “making tents” for a living? They cannot be trusted by their spouse. Do you trust them? They have proven themselves to be liars and covenant breakers, and now they want elders and other brethren to have confidence in them? It is amazing that some who are the most discerning in detecting “heresy” among us are men who have had trouble finding their own bedroom. Maybe they think that by focusing on some current doctrinal issue brethren might forget how they broke their wedding vows, ruined their reputation, lied to both God and their spouse and caused another man’s wife to commit this “heinous crime” with them.

When a preacher commits adultery it effects every member of the congregation where he labors. A preacher where I grew up committed adultery. He left the Lord and his spouse and the brethren withdrew fellowship from him. After he left, the brethren looked differently at all preachers. It took more than a decade before those brethren were able to look at any preacher without suspicion.

Sometimes men caught in adultery claim they are just like King David of Israel and therefore we should just over-look their transgressions. I have read of King David. David was a friend of God. These men are not King David! When Nathan confronted David with his sin, David humbly and meekly repented. David did not deny his adultery nor seek to censure Nathan. I have never known an adulterer like David. Everyone I have ever heard of who was accused of adultery first tried to deny the crime. Then, after proof was brought forth, they tried to minimize the seriousness of their crime or blame someone else. Many speak ill of the ones who try to bring them to repentance.

Solomon wrote, “Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away” (Prov. 6:32-33). We are not going to solve this problem by sweeping it under the rug and quietly passing the offender on to other congregations for him to destroy again and again. The time has come to clean house! If they have no more moral self-control than that, they don’t need to be in the pulpit! As for those who “might get discouraged and quit the church” (and many eventually do this anyway when their sin is exposed), if they have no more convictions than that, how many more must they take with them first? How did Paul deal with the hypocrisy of Peter in Galatians 2? If forced to “count the cost,” maybe they would think more seriously about such before beginning such activities. If not, better they be exposed now than later (1 John 2:19)! Too many times we are not dealing with a “one time mistake,” but when revealed, a pat-tern or habit that has occurred more than once, and in some cases has gone on for several years.

I have no false illusions such an article as this will please all who read it. Nor is the process going to be painless. Some may be affected I do not even know. But, brethren, “Do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bond servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). We need to be concerned about the Lord, and the souls of the victims; rather than just seeking to appease the offender who, by his actions, “despises the commandment of the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:9-10).

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: No. 20, p. 18-19
October 19, 1995

By Kenneth D. Sils

Among all the religious confusion and division we see in our country, the true church of our Lord Jesus Christ is alive and can still be found today. Sadly, while pursuing the truth, many sincere people have been so overwhelmed by denominational error that they conclude that one church is just as good as another. Jesus teaches us that we don’t have to give up. In Matthew 7:7, he says, “Seek, and you will find.” Jesus promised, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). If one is searching for the truth about the church Jesus built, he must go back to the Bible and accept its absolute authority. Paul said only the Scriptures are “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

The foundation of the church of our Lord can be found, understood and built upon. In Ephesians 2:19-22, we learn that the foundation was poured with Jesus being the chief cornerstone and the rest of its foundation was laid by the apostles and prophets of God in the first century. The apostle Peter teaches in 2 Peter 1:3 that our God has delivered to us “all things pertaining to life and godliness.” Surely, the church of our Lord must come under this heading of “godliness.” In the first century men knew all the doctrine of Christ’s church. Christians understood and fully accepted the names given by God in his sacred writings for the church. This is my plea for all people today. It is my duty to persuade men to come back to God’s writing, the New Testament, for within it lies the key for all people to escape man’s divisions and be a part of the church which Jesus built.

Within the doctrine of Christ, the New Testament Scriptures, the names for the church of our Lord can be found. Yes, the names for the church. The New Testament is very clear that Jesus built one church. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church.” This term is obviously singular and designed to stay that way. In Ephesians 1:22-23, we learn that Jesus has been made head of the church which is his body. Later, in this same letter, Paul tells us there is one body (Eph. 4:4). I do not shrink from, nor apologize for, this truth of God. Our Lord built one body, the church; yet at the same time, we should also recognize andunderstand that God has given many descriptive names for the church of our Lord. Here is a listing of eight prominent names given by God to describe the church our Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament:

1. The church (Acts 5:11). This name is most commonly used to describe the people who have been “called out” of darkness and translated in the kingdom of God’s dear son, Jesus Christ. In Acts 2:47, the Scriptures tell us, “God added to the church (called out) daily those who were being saved.” The church is simply the people, not a physical building that man erects. These followers of Jesus in Acts made up the church of our Lord.

2. The churches of Christ (Rom. 16:16; Matt. 16:18). Let’s not forget that Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that he was going to build his church. The church belongs to Jesus, no other. It is totally his possession for he is the head of the body, the church. When Paul was telling the Romans, “the churches of Christ salute you,” he was sending them greetings from congregations all across the world. This does not endorse denominational division. It expresses nothing more than “called out” groups separated by location who assembled with only Jesus as their head and lawgiver.

3. The body of Christ (Coll :18f; Eph. 1:22-23). These terms “church” and “body” are used interchangeably and for good reason; both accurately describe a particular aspect of the members. The body of Christ is the one place where the “called out” contact the life saving blood of Jesus, for his blood is in his body. The body of Christ is not made up of man-made denominations, but only members individually (1 Cor. 12:27).

4. The bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23-32; Rev. 21:9). The Ephesian writer tells us that Christ became “one flesh” with his church. Jesus gave himself for her to wash her of her sins and present to himself a glorious church. In Philippians 1:1, Paul refers to Christians as “saints”  “holy ones” for they were made holy by the love of their husband, Jesus Christ. Paul reminds the body of Christ in Ephesus that they were “members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones.” Again, God has chosen another descriptive name for the purpose of expressing his affection, care and love placed upon true disciples in the church of Christ.

5. The church of God (1 Cor. 1:2; Acts 20:28). This term, church of God, is not a denominational title, but a phrase which reveals the truth that Jesus is God, the Son. In Acts, Paul told the Ephesian elders, “to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with his own blood.” Only Jesus, not the Father or the Spirit, purchased the church with blood through his death on the cross. This name, church of God, reveals the eternal truth that the church belongs to none other than God, the Son.

6. The church of the Firstborn (Heb. 12:23). Once again, we have another descriptive term emphasizing that Jesus is the head of his church. In Revelation 1:18, Jesus said, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.” The church is subject to him as eternal king and priest. All Christians are members of the church of the Firstborn.

7. The house of God (1 Tim. 3:15; 2 Tim. 2:19-20). In both of these passages, Paul referred to the greatest house ever known to man as the church of the living God, Jesus Christ. Throughout the Bible, Christians are known as the children of God. Think about it! It only makes sense that if we are in God’s family, we must be living in his house. In the Ephesians letter, the household of God, the church, was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. Peter likened Christians to spiritual stones building up the walls of God’s spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:5). God’s house is still being built.

8. The churches of the Gentiles ( Rom. 16:4). This descriptive name for the church demonstrates to the world that Gentiles, as well as Jews, were meant to be a part of Christ’s church. Jesus told his apostles to, “go out into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:16). This phrase does not provide ownership to the Gen-tiles, but demonstrates God’s universal love and plea for all men to come to him and be saved from their sin. This plea still stands for all people today.

Friends, in conclusion, we’ve observed that our God has chosen descriptive names for his “called out” group, the church. These descriptive expressions present for us one glorified body, washed in the blood of Jesus. Can you find the name of the church you belong to in this list? We should oppose all organizations who have rejected God’s inspired names for his church. Man’s denominationally created names are foreign to the pattern given us in the New Testament Scriptures. Let’s be determined to let his church be his. Investigate (Acts 17:11), for the truth has no fear of investigation. Search the Scriptures for within lies the true names of the church of Christ.

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: No. 20, p. 14-15
October 19, 1995

By John R. Hurt

In the changing of every season we see powerful convincing testimony to the truthfulness of the Word of God. Note the reading of Genesis 8:22.

“While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, And cold and heat, and summer and winter, And day and night, shall not cease,”

As we see the splendor of spring, the burgeoning flowers, the green sprouts and the whole of nature come alive again, we know that God’s Word is true. Just as surely as the green sprouts grow into summer’s lush growth and each tender bud blooms into summertime’s radiant blossoms, we can rest confidently in the unshakable fact that the Bible speaks the truth. With the coming of fall and all the beautiful colors that make the hues of the greatest Italian artists pale in significance, the Word of God is authenticated. Then with the arriving of the harsh cold, the falling leaves, and the stark brown bareness of winter’s landscape, you may be assured of the indisputable fact that countless centuries shout and proclaim. While the earth remains it shall ever be so! The word of God is true!

In this tribute to the veracity of God, this miracle of his creation, do we not also see the answer to Job’s ancient question, “if a man dies will he yet live again?” (Job 14: 14) Each year we witness God take the seemingly dead lifeless plants and revive again the germ of life within them. In the explosion of new life that follows, all nature is robed in the brilliant splendor of the season. Surely then, it is but a small thing, for the Creator of this vast universe to reach down to our narrow house beneath the earth and revive again the germ of life within the soul of man. Ah, the changing of the seasons attests to the irrefutable truth of God!

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: No. 20, p. 15
October 19, 1995

By Jim McDonald

An attempt to stereotype the Philippine preacher would be as foolish as to try the same with his American counterpart. It is true that he is greatly influenced by his culture; yet it is true his American brother-preacher is influenced by his society. The Filipino preacher is a distinct individual with his own special needs, idiosyncrasies, strengths, and weaknesses. He cannot be cast into a mold so that we know he needs “X” amount for support and that he will behave in a certain way. His needs are as diverse as are the needs of preachers here. Much misunderstanding about the Philippine preacher results because the particular one we are acquainted with does not seem to “fit” what we have heard about the preachers there.

Filipino preachers are impoverished, to be sure, but they are not ignorant. Education is greatly emphasized in the island nation and most attain high school educations and many go on to graduate from college. Philippine preachers are familiar with premillennialism, Calvinism, as well as most of the other “isms” of our time. In addition ;o this, he is familiar with the errors of the cults and denominations that are peculiar to his own nation. There are some eminently qualified men in almost every region one visits. There is a thirst for knowledge by Filipinos and this spills over to a thirst for knowledge of spiritual things emphasized in preachers among brethren there. Tracts, periodicals, and books all are avidly sought and hungrily devoured by them. Preachers or brethren here in the States who have books, especially debates on Calvinism, Pentacostalism, premil- lennialism, or Sabbatarianism and who would rather that those books be read and studied than to gather dust, would do well to seek out some “hungry-for-knowledge” brother there and send such books to him. The church in the Philippines is in an age of “inquiry,” of “zeal,” of “set for the defense of the gospel” much as characterized brethren in the early years of the restoration movement here in the States. Postage is expensive but books, Bibles, and tracts can be sent fairly reasonably by M-Bag (79″ per pound)  slow to be sure, but one of the Filipinos’ qualities is patience  they will wait.

Most Philippine preachers are first-generation Christians although there are many who come from second-generation families. These brethren come from Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists, Iglesia Ni Christo, and Pentecostals who have proven to be an exceptionally fertile soil for converts. Oft times the preacher was formerly a denominational preacher who, with his conversion, was able to convert most of his “old” congregation withhim. Elpidio Ascuncion and Martin Ibus, his father-in-law, were converted from Pentecostalism in Sinait, Ilocos Sur. Actually brother Ibus was restored. He had been baptized some years earlier. At their conversion almost the whole congregation followed with them. The work of our Lord has just been opened in northern Samar, the result of a Seventh Day Adventist preacher being converted by Ben Cruz of Manila, who was also able to bring most of that former Seventh Day Adventist church with him. Such stories as this are reported all over the Philippines. It is true that many of these preachers find it difficult to rid themselves immediately of all their denominational thinking, but it is also true they have learned the truth and were willing to surrender denominationalism to have it. To such folks the charge: “Buy the truth and sell it not” has special meaning.

The needs of the Philippine preacher are as different as there are different preachers. Perhaps he is single, as are many with whom I am familiar. Or, he may be a young married man with just a child or two; or he may have been married many years and have 6-7 children. Perhaps he or his family have health problems. Obviously, in each of these situations financial needs to sustain him are going to differ radically. Additionally, there is the “extended-family” of that preacher. Perhaps it is his aged parents, an afflicted brother or sister; perhaps it is an uncle, aunt, or grandmother. Maybe it’s nieces and nephews he’s called upon to help. Perhaps it’s the needs of brethren in the congregation. He grieves for the needs of his fellow-brethren often literally dividing the two coats, shirts, or pants he has with another who has none. Almost never does he have insurance for his family. He has no social security, no savings. Some-times he and his family will only eat twice or sometimes even just once a day  not to diet but simply because he does not have the finances to buy a supply of rice for his family to eat. He may make appeals to American brethren for his personal needs but that does not mean he is preaching for money. More often than not he has been preaching for several years having had no recompense for what he did. I have seen dozens of brethren who have never received anything for their preaching, not even for transportation. He writes to American brethren to help alleviate his need, that is true, but remember the plight he describes to you is generally true: he is in need, his family often does without the necessities of life, and we in America do live in the lap of luxury. Just one visit to the Philippines would open our eyes to their poverty and to the realization of how blessed we are. He asks because he has no one else to turn to.

There are unworthy Filipino preachers to be sure. Some are dishonest and lazy, viewing preaching the gospel as simply a “way of gain.” There are American preachers who fall into that same category. By far, however, the vast majority of preachers we found love the truth, are willing to preach intwo or three different places (without help, if necessary), share with their brethren what meager provisions they have themselves, have no real hope of ever escaping from the poverty they know but have a sincere desire and hope for a better land. When he writes you, read what he has to say. His is not just another “begging letter” but a letter from one who is your brother in Christ and who very likely is notexaggerating the condition he describes to you. Answer him. Thank God your life is not as hard as is his and just know that for all the misunderstanding some have of the work in the Philippines, that work is genuine, is growing, and it is still true that the American dollar going there for support will produce, in terms of conversion of souls, as many converts as can be seen in any place on this planet we call earth and in most instances far more! They call, as in Paul’s vision in Troas: “Come over into the Philippines and help us” and they are indeed (admittedly not exclusively so) included in Jesus’s command: “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. “Next Article: Personal glimpses.

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: No. 20, p. 12-13
October 19, 1995