Truth Magazine

By William C. Sexton

Paul has a long chapter dealing with some important matters in 1 Corinthians 7. Many aspects of the marriage relationship in a time “of distress,” or difficulty, are touched upon. Prayerful and serious consideration should be given to them. Let us desire to know the truth and be determined to practice it when we see it.

In verses 27-28 there’s a principle that gives some trouble. I wish for us to ponder the idea that is presented there. The way it is translated in the KJV it may appear to say something that is out of harmony with other Scriptures. It reads:

Art thou bound to a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. But if thou marry, thou has not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh; but I spare you.

To some at first the word loosed may seem to mean that you have been bound (married) and then set free, by way of divorce, when they read the second part of the verse where the word loosed means “divorce.” However, it can be and is translated:

Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this (NIV).

In this way of translating the verse, it makes sense, and is in harmony with what is stated elsewhere. Matthew 19:9, points to the necessity of staying married, with but one exception, that of “fornication” or unfaithfulness on the part of one. If such violation has occurred (fornication), the other is able to marry again without the sin of adultery. That same principle has been restated in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 along with Romans 7:1-4. If the verse was read to mean that loosed means divorced in verse 27 for any cause without qualification, then it would be saying that they can remarry without sin. That is contrary to all that the Lord says on the subject, and thus cannot mean that. Rather it is talking about the unmarried, not having a wife. For the present distress, troubling times, it would be better to remain unmarried, as is stated in the first verse of the chapter.

Let us read God’s word in context, and with the flow of divine thought that is in harmony with all that God says on the subject. This is an important matter that is disregarded by many in and out of the church today, with grave consequences. We challenge each to see the meaning of the Lord’s teachings and to determine to abide within their bounds.

Such activity is possible and profitable. When we look into the perfect law of liberty (Jas. 1:25) and continue therein, doing what we are directed to do, we are in good condition. When we fail to walk according to the teachings, we are off on our own and will perish.

Beloved in our day there is much trouble in our nation and in the church due to a violation of God’s law given to regulate the family. We shall be able to help only when we read carefully so as to understand what God says, and then have deep enough conviction to live by it and to place it clearly before others, asking them to consider the teachings and the fruit of being governed by the “law of Christ” (1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2).

I know of nothing in our land to-day that is so destructive to the souls of people and produces more heart-ache than the breakup of the family. It is occurring in and out of the church, due to a lack of teaching and respect for God’s will. The ills that we see everywhere shall continue to grow, till people in leadership roles stand up, speak out, and hold their ground on this vital matter.

I recognize that not all who hear the truth will believe and practice it, but they can’t possibly do right if they are ignorant of God’s teachings. Who has the responsibility/privilege to make it known? Will we step for-ward and discharge our responsibility or shall we remain in the shadows claiming we have no duty to speak out?

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 11, p. 5
June 3, 1993

By P.J. Casebolt

“Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit” (Eccl. 6:9).

Not only does the wisdom of Solomon recommend contentment, but the Holy Spirit also stresses the need for this commodity in the New Testament (Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:6-8; Heb. 13:5). Some cannot be content with little, and some cannot be content even with prosperity.

Children dream of fair lands where they eat what they want, play when they want, sleep when they want, and are accountable to no one. They can afford to dream. They have a place to sleep, plenty to eat and wear, and someone else to be responsible when things don’t go well. They can always turn to “the sight of the eyes” their parents.

Children will be children, but some adults have never outgrown their childhood.

A wife or mother may dream of a handsome man who will buy her nice things, whisper magic phrases, hire maids and servants to do all the chores, while she goes places and does things to her heart’s desire.

She can afford to engage in “the wandering of the desire” while she is waiting for her knight in shining armor to “take her away from all this.” Her husband is a hard worker and a good provider. She has healthy children, a comfortable home, and all the convenience anyone could want or need if her goal were to be a good wife and mother.

Her husband dreams of meeting an exciting waitress, a clerk, a successful business woman, a free spirit who is attractively clothed (or unclothed), charming, flattering, and has nothing to hold her down. She is “foot-loose and fancy-free” and would make an ideal companion to take on a vacation to some exotic land.

He thinks of the plain woman who “let’s herself go” after the honeymoon, and especially after the children came along. She’s always tired, gets behind in the housework, paying the bills, shopping, running errands and mowing the lawn. She doesn’t seem to have the time to comb her hair, put on makeup, and seldom wears attractive clothes around the house.

This fortunate husband can afford to indulge in “the wandering of the desire” while he watches TV, goes hunting or fishing, associates with the “boys” at the local hang-out, or chases other women.

His clothes are washed, his meals cooked, people brag on his children, and his financial broker (his wife), has juggled the paycheck to buy food, clothing, pay all the other bills and even have some left for the husband to spend on his favorite indulgence.

No wonder a man has time to dream. He has a queen without a throne.

The congregation has seen worse days. Times were hard when it struggled to rent the store building, buy a piece of ground, and finally build a modest but adequate church building. The congregation even suffered through the services of part-time preachers whose bodily presence was weak and their speech and manner unpolished (cf. 2 Cor. 10:10).

But, now the congregation has prospered, and it is time to think about its status in the community. It is time to dream of a more elaborate building and a “pastor” who can win friends and influence the wise, the mighty, and the noble with “good words and fair speeches” (1 Cor. 1:26; Rom. 16:18).

The congregation can afford to satisfy “the wandering of the desire,” because sacrificing members and down-to-earth preaching made all this possible.

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 10, p. 24-25
May 20, 1993

By Gailen E. Evans

In order to support some modern claims that are being heard among the preachers of our day, some will be happy to hear that the following letter has been discovered in the ancient ruins of Corinth:

Paul the Apostle Spring, 57 A.D. Somewhere in Macedonia

Dear brother Paul,

We received the nice letter you wrote to us from Ephesus, and it was so good to hear from you. There is no doubt that we have problems here, but you know the changes do not take place overnight. While we fully intend to do what is right, we do not want to move too fast lest some might become discouraged.

In regard to your plans to return to Corinth this winter, we would like to make some requests of you. It is common knowledge that one of our good members is living in an unwholesome relationship with his stepmother. We are hoping that by continuing to have fellowship with them, rather than drawing any lines of fellow-ship, we will win them to the truth. For this reason we would appreciate it if you would refrain from preaching or teaching anything on the subject of sexual immorality when you are here the next time. We know that you will understand the awkward position you will put us in if you should happen to mention this in any of your lessons.

Yours for the sake of Love and Peace
I.M. Soft
for the church of God at Corinth

Surely finding this letter will bring great comfort to many today who are not ready to “draw the line” when it comes to false teaching. But  we are sorry to say, that in going through the trash bins of Corinth, another letter was discovered! Apparently it was a letter sent between first and second Corinthians. Its contents are found below:

I/II Corinthians

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ unto the church of God which is at Corinth. My brethren, it obvious that you have not given careful attention to the fifth chapter of my last epistle (the one was 1 Corinthians at the top of the first page!) I told you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; in fact I said not even to eat with such a person. I was sure that you could understand from this that 1 was commanding you to cease from any familiar relationships with brethren who were endangering the purity of the church by their words and actions! I really didn’t think that my words were that difficult to understand. Now you tell me that you want to continue to have fellowship with one whose soul is destined to be lost, and who will encourage others to join him!

Do you remember when I was there in Corinth back in 52 and 53 and I wrote to the church at Thessalonica? You will recall that I told them not to have any company with those who refused to obey what we commanded in the epistles! Now I have written to you and commanded you to purge out the old leaven! Must I come in person to make this point any clearer? Just how do you expect to get a man to repent when you continue to have fellowship with him while he persists in such a sin? It is time for you to wake up to the fact that sin which is persisted in will of necessity draw the line between those who love our Lord and those who refuse to obey him!

It is your duty to deliver this one to Satan, that his spirit might be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus! Unless you are willing to carry this out, your soul may indeed be lost as well!

As for your request with regard to my preaching there in Corinth, I would like to remind you of a few important points. As a minister of the Gospel of Christ, it is my duty to declare the whole counsel of God to those whose souls may be in danger. I told the elders from Ephesus this in 52 before my last visit with you in Corinth. Now you are telling me not to preach on a subject that needs to be dealt with! What would you think if brother Luke was to come to Corinth, and start bandaging the fingers of those whose heads were bleeding? Would you consider him to be a capable physician? Think about our blessed Lord: when he went in-to the temple and the synagogues, he preached what was needed by those of whom he spoke. Remember what Matthew recorded in the 23rd chapter of his gospel? Jesus called the Scribes and the Pharisees hypocrites! He did not avoid dealing with the problem of sin that afflicted them! Now, how can you expect me to come to Corinth and ignore preaching on a subject that will eventually cause every member of that congregation to lose his soul? I am sorry, but unless you do as I have commanded before this winter, I will find it necessary to come and expose the sin that is being practiced and encouraged in the church there!

You may think that this seems harsh and that it would be much easier to continue in fellowship with people such as this, but somewhere in the next forty years, the Lord will inspire the beloved John to warn you not to lend encouragement to anyone who does not adhere to the doctrine of Christ! The reason is plain: if you encourage someone who is teaching false doctrine, or living in sin, you share in his guilt! Are you prepared to be held accountable for the actions of the immoral person in your midst?

May our God help you to stand boldly against all who would compromise his word, that you might stand blameless before him in judgment, and save the souls of those who may yet be captives of sin!

Your humble Servant in Christ,

Paul of Tarsus

Of course, neither of these letters was actually found, but the tenor of the letter from Corinth has some of the same “uncertain sounds” we are hearing from supposedly “sound brethren” today. And the letter from Paul certainly follows in the way Paul dealt with sin among brethren in his lifetime.

If Paul were writing a letter to the church where you worship, what would he have to say? Would he commend your preacher for not being “too controversial”? Would he commend you for allowing men to fill the pulpit who do not teach the truth on vital subjects such as divorce and remarriage? Be honest: Not being willing to “draw the line” is another way of saying you are not willing to honor the line that the Lord has already drawn. “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him” (I Kgs. 18:21). It is time for us to stand on the Lord’s side, and reject all who refuse to stand with him.

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 10, p. 20-21
May 20, 1993

By Andy Alexander

While shopping in Wal-Mart recently with my wife Joy, we ran into a school teacher that had worked with her. She stated that she was eligible for retirement, but she kept on working because of the potential good influence she could have over her students. This is a quality that every good teacher possesses, the desire to help others.

During the short conversations that we had with this teacher she stated that out of twenty students in her class only four had two parents at home. That is right here in middle Tennessee, not some distant state or country. The family as God would have it is quickly disintegrating in our country, our state, and even our own town. There are a lot of factors that may figure into this problem, but the major one is the absence of God in most people’s lives.

The first chapter of Romans describes the downward spiral of those who reject God. It is an ugly picture and one that has been repeated time after time throughout history. If we would only learn from history as God would have us to, then we would not have to suffer through so many heart-wrenching situations in our lives.

The family, as many of us who are older know it, is vanishing. More and more children are being raised by one of their parents or by their grand-parents. This is not healthy for the children involved, the parent, the grandparents, or society in general.

God’s word teaches that fathers and mothers are to raise their own children (Eph. 6:4; Titus 2:4-5). These children are to grow, marry, and have a family of their own (Gen. 2:24). There are circumstances that require one parent to raise the children alone, such as the death of one of the parents. In this case, it is better for the widow to remarry and continue to live as God’s word teaches (1 Tim. 5:14).

Even in many two-parent families today the children are not raised by the parents. A babysitter, pre-school, or someone other than the parents are doing the majority of the rearing of the children; thus they are having more influence over the children than the parents. Parents comfort them-selves by rationalizing that the little time they do spend with their children is “quality” time. However, a generation is raised that does not know what real family life is like and when they become parents, they will likely continue the lifestyle they have been taught.

Where is the family? Dad’s working overtime. Mom has a job that she’s going to quit soon. The children are engaged in activities designed to keep them busy till mom and dad get home. And, with all the things that mom and dad are able to buy with their extra money, the children ought to be happy. In fact, if mom and dad have time this summer and are able to take their vacations at the same time, the family may spend a week together.

How many “Christian” households does this sound like? As Paul told the Ephesians, “wake up” and redeem the time that has been wasted. Our children will soon be grown and gone. What will we have taught them? Think on these things!

Guardian of Truth XXXVII: 11, p. 1
June 3, 1993