Truth Magazine

By Larry Ray Hafley

This is a reply to Ben F. Vick, Jr’s. article, “Answering Hafley’s ‘African Christian Hospital Foundation,”‘ which is printed in this issue of GOT. See the January 3, 1991, issue of GOT for my article, “African Christian Hospitals Foundation.”

Brother Vick’s title is a misnomer. He advertizes his article as an answer to mine, but he provided no answers to the questions posed in my initial article. For example, (1) assuming that a missionary society were to be arranged like the African Christian Hospital Foundation (ACHF), I asked, “If this were done, would it be scriptural for churches of Christ to fund and finance that organization? If not, why not? Will any of our institutional brethren say yea or nay?” Brother Vick’s article purports to be “Answering Hafley,” but he did not say yea or nay to that question. Inquiring minds wonder why.

(2) Assuming that a veterinary clinic is scriptural (It is not, but I “authorized” one from the Scriptures on the same basis that ACHF was “authorized”) and granting that it be organized as is ACHF, I asked, “What say ye brethren? Would such an organization be ‘Scripturally Sound’?” Brother Vick claims to be “Answering Hafley, ” but he did not give an answer to whether or not a veterinary clinic, organized like the hospital, would be scriptural. So, we still do not know what brother Vick’s answer is. Will inquiring minds ever know?

(3) Remember, brother Vick is supposed to be “Answering Hafley.” In my article, I constructed a “Christian Recreation Foundation” and arranged it exactly like the ACHE Then I asked if such a recreational foundation would be scriptural – “Will our institutional brethren . . . endorse or divorce such a proposal? On what grounds do they do so? Are the medical foundations (both human and animal, physical and veterinary) parallel to the social and recreational? If not, how do they differ? Can one accept one foundation and reject the others? If so, on what basis?” Brother Vick’s article has no answer to those questions. He totally ignored that which deals directly with the issues between us, yet he is supposed to be “Answering Hafley.”

(4) Next, as my January 3, 1991, article shows, I asked if “institutional orphan homes” were arranged and organized like the ACHF, could they … avoid being’ a missionary society if they insisted that each missionary was sent by a sponsoring church?” I added, “Perhaps Ben F. Vick Jr. . . . could tell us whether such an ‘organizational arrangement’ would be ‘Scripturally Sound.”‘ While allegedly “Answering Hafley,” brother Vick conveniently overlooked this question also.

(5) Finally, I proposed a “Christian College Foundation” which was to “be supported on the same basis as the ACHF.” I asked, “Could churches contribute to kindergartens and colleges and avoid being a missionary society in so doing?” Brother Vick’s article contains no answer to that question, either; yet, he would have us believe that he is “Answering Hafley.”

Inquiring minds may be wondering why brother Vick did not answer those questions. Oh, he can answer them, but if he does, he will be faced with certain difficulties. Brother Vick believes the local church, as the Lord ordered, ordained and organized it, is God’s missionary society (1 Tim. 3:15). He believes the church, not a human organization, is to preach the gospel. Brother Vick does not believe that churches of Christ may build and maintain missionary organizations to do the work God assigned to the church (Acts 11:22; 1 Thess. 1:8). He does not believe that churches should form human boards and societies and fund and finance those organizations to do that work. In this, brother Vick occupies scriptural ground. The church is sufficient to do the work God gave it to do (Eph. 4:8-16). There is no scriptural authority for churches of Christ to form or fund a human institution to do the work of gospel preaching.

However, brother Vick believes that a church may contribute to a benevolent society to relieve the needy. The church has a benevolent responsibility (Acts 6:1-6; 1 Tim. 5:16). Brother Vick believes that churches of Christ may fund benevolent societies which exist “to provide for the care of” the needy. In principle, what he disavows in evangelism, he allows in benevolence.

Thus, brother Vick has to tread lightly when he would criticize an organization separate and apart from the church which is designed to do the work God assigned to the church. This is part, but only a part, of the reason why he is hesitant and squeamish about answering questions regarding the scripturalness of such institutions.

Brother Vick is confronted with the same dilemma regarding church sponsored dining rooms, banquet facilities, cafeterias (a.k.a. “fellowship halls”). He contends for these things on a limited basis but opposes churches building Family Life Centers, gymnasiums, camp grounds, health spas and related items such as the Gospel Advocate and Furman Kearley advocate. However, that line of distinction between a “fellowship hall” and a gym is only one phase of his difficulties.

The most serious problem again involves the organization that provides such things. Without discussing the limit or extent of the church’s involvement in providing social and recreational activities, we grant, for sake of argument, that the church has such a duty. (It has to be granted, for it cannot be scripturally established in the New Testament.) Having granted that the church may provide social and recreational facilities, we ask: May the church contribute to a human organization which is set up to provide social, recreational and entertainment activities for churches of Christ?

If the church had a duty to provide such items, it could do so by using its own people, power and organization. That is what brother Vick and his brethren do. They select the men, mission, methods and minister the work. They do this without a human board, without creating a separate social society. Churches do not comnoute to a YMCA type organization and let it provide the social functions or “fellowship.” No, the churches do their own work. They promote and perform their own recreation and entertainment. If the work were scriptural, there would be no question about it.

But this question is raised: May churches of Christ build and maintain social and/or recreational organizations which provide the facilities (“fellowship halls,” kitchens, gyms, volleyball nets, basketballs, etc.)? May churches do this?

The parallel is uncomfortable for brother Vick and his brethren. In relieving the needy, they contend that a church may contribute to a benevolent society. This organization is separate and apart from the church. It does the work of relieving the needy which God assigned to the church (1 Tim. 5:16). So, may churches fund similar organizations in providing “fellowship halls” and gymnasiums? If the answer is “no,” then why is a benevolent society acceptable? The church is as able to provide social and recreational “fellowship” activities as it is to provide relief for the needy (Acts 6:1-6). If benevolence may be done by the church contributing to a human organization, why not “fellowship halls” and recreation? It is hard to answer and be consistent. Accept one, accept the other. Deny one, deny the other. Brother Vick accepts one (benevolent society), but denies the other (YMCA).

Guardian of Truth

Observe brother Vick’s attempt to parallel the “Guardian Of Truth Foundation.” First, GOT is not supported by churches, neither indeed can be. It is not the function of the church to print and publish materials for sale. Guardian of Truth, like the Firm Foundation or Gospel Advocate Co., is a private business enterprise. Churches may buy services from such organizations to do their work as they buy the services of electric power companies, but the church has no business funding such enterprises.

Vick quotes a description of services offered by the GOT and asks, “Now does that sound like the work of the church?” Suppose we describe the services offered by the Electric Power Company this way: “Provides lighting for worship assemblies and Bible study, makes possible the public proclamation of the truth (power for microphones, overhead projectors, tape recorders), aids in arrangements to carry the gospel into the homes of the lost (film strips, radio and TV programs, etc.).” Now, brother Vick, does that sound like the work of the church? The power company provides electricity which both churches and individuals can use to spread the gospel. But (1) there is no authority for the church to make financial donations to the power company, and (2) the power company does not conduct work or function in any sense as the church. The very same thing is true of GOT. Inquiring minds can understand this; unbalanced minds, trying to cloud an issue, pretend they cannot.

Second, “The Informer,” the bulletin published by the Shelbyville Road church of Christ where brother Vick preaches, is a means that church uses to preach the gospel. We all agree that it is scriptural. It is a way, a “how,” a means or method of that church’s fulfilling its responsibility to sound out the word of the Lord (1 Thess. 1:8).

However, should the Shelbyville Rd. church decide to turn its preaching work over to a Church Bulletin Foundation and let that organization do the work (writing, editing, arranging material), we (and brother Vick, too, I suspect) would object. The Shelbyville Rd. church is not a printing company, but it may acquire the equipment, purchase the paper, hire the workers and publish its paper, “The Informer. ” It may not set up an organization with a board of directors and send its fifth Sunday contribution to that organization and let it do the work of publishing their bulletin.

Finally, brother Vick wonders if the “anti-Bible literature brethren” might “accuse Hafley and his bunch” of being responsible for liberalism in literature. Well, brother Vick, if they do, they surely will not put their charges in print! Regarding the abuse of the N.T. pattern of church support of evangelism (2 Cor. 11:8, 9; Phil. 4:15-17; Acts 11:22; 15:3), brother Vick cites an abuse. Could not the same thing be done to sponsoring churches? Could one milk and bilk a plurality of sponsoring churches just as well as he could take advantage of scripturally functioning churches?

Please note that regarding the scriptural practice of direct support of preachers by the churches, brother Vick says, “But it may not be the best way to support the preacher.” Let that sink in. 2 Corinthians 11:8,9, and Philippians 4:15-17 “may not be the best way” to support a preacher, but it has the decided advantage of being the scriptural way!

One wonders if a benevolent society might not also take in more money than it actually needs. Have the institutional orphan homes ever begged for money and made their situation sound desperate when in reality they were financially sound?

Contending for the New Testament pattern of work and worship does not beget extremes. However, a little liberalism leavens and liberalizes a large lump. The apostasies of the 19th and 20th centuries among churches of Christ are prime examples. The Missionary Society was the worm from the germ of institutional “churchhood” concepts that led to the development of the Disciples of Christ denomination. Church support of colleges, benevolent societies, “fellowship halls,” and the “Herald Of Truth” sponsoring church arrangement of the 1940s and 1950s have spawned the riptide of liberal digression that threatens to engulf and envelope men like brother Vick, Roy Deaver, Tom Warren, Dub McClish, Johnny Ramsey and such like. They may not see it or admitted it, but it is the truth. They are isolated from Abilene to Pepperdine. They are too conservative, too much like those hated and berated “antis” to be comfortably accepted on the pages of the Gospel Advocate or on the platform of a Harding lecture program. The principles of Abilene begat Crossroads and Boston. The principles underlying the defense of “fellowship halls” and the snide jokes about worried “Wee Willie the Water Cooler” begat Family Life Centers, camp grounds and health spas owned by the churches. The “poor, starving orphan” argument that sought contributions to benevolent societies is now used to beg money for “Medical Missions” and “Christian Hospitals.”

Will brother Vick affirm that “churches of Christ may contribute to the African Christian Hospitals Foundation, that ‘avoids being a missionary society by insisting that all missionaries be sent by a sponsoring church'”? If he will affirm it, I will deny it. I propose two such debates. One will be held in Indianapolis and one in Memphis. Perhaps then we could hear brother Vick’s answers to inquiring minds.

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 21, pp. 657-660
November 7, 1991

By Bobby Witherington

Anyone who reads the Bible should be impressed with the sanctity of the home and the God-intended permanency of the marriage union. However, anyone who reads the daily newspaper is bound to be impressed with the fact that the home in our society is in deep trouble and that many marriages are proving to be anything but permanent. Surely some serious studies on this issue are in order.

In the last article, I discussed the husband. In this article, I shall consider the wife. According to Genesis 2:18 God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” Hence, from this verse we learn it was the Creator who decided that man needed a wife. This was not something that man initially decided for himself. Concerning the wife, there are some seven points we shall make in this article.

1. According to Genesis 2:21,22 the wife was created from the rib of man or more specifically, the first woman (Eve) was created from a rib taken from the first man (Adam). It has been observed that she was not created from his head lest she rule over him, nor from his feet lest he trample upon her, but from his side that she might be near and dear to him.

2. According to Genesis 2:23 the wife whom God created for Adam was “called woman, because she was taken out of man.” Originally, as we learn from 1 Corinthians 11:8, “the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.”

3. In the husband-wife relationship the woman is given a subordinate role. In Genesis 3:16 God said to the woman, “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” According to 1 Timothy 2:12-14 there are two reasons why the wife is to be in subjection to the husband: (1) Because of the order of creation; “Adam was first formed, then Eve,” and (2) because of the fall, for the Scripture says, “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived fell into transgression.”

4. Because of the fall, woman experiences pain when bearing children, for to the woman God said, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children” (Gen. 3:16).

5. Woman is the proper supplement to man, for in Genesis 2:18 she was called his “helper comparable to him.” God did not create an animal to be man’s helper; hence, the Bible condemns bestiality. Nor did God create another man to be man’s helper; hence the Bible condemns homosexuality.

6. Woman was designed to be a good thing, for in Proverbs 18:22 the wise man said, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.” Surely, in view of the fact that it is not “good that the man should be alone,” then man without woman is incomplete; hence, as Solomon said, “he who finds a wife finds a good thing.”

7. The wife, whose character and conduct is according to God’s will, has tremendous influence for good. It was a Sarah who gave birth to Isaac, a Hannah who gave birth to Samuel, and a Mary who gave birth to Jesus. Who could doubt that the ladies, each with a meek and quiet spirit, through their offspring, greatly influenced the world for good? What we need today is not more secular career women, but more women who make it their career to be good wives and mothers.

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 21, p. 653
November 7, 1991

By Norman E. Fultz

Departing Kansas City on April 22, I met John Humphries and Jerry Parks in Chicago to travel with them to the Philippines. Having long thought of making the trip, but having never been there, it was my desire to go with someone who had been before so that I might profit from his experience. The long trip over would afford many opportunities to ask of them every question I could think of as to how to make the effort the most profitable possible.

There are several things that a trip of one month’s duration in the Philippines will not accomplish. It will not qualify one as an authority on the condition of all the churches (there are so many of them) throughout that island nation. It will not qualify one as a judge of the worthiness of support of all the preachers, either of those who make their appeal in person or who write (Oh, how many of them will write!) when the visiting American has returned to the States. It will not fully qualify one as to the true condition of the Philippine economy, especially as it affects the poorer classes, in which group most of our brethren are found. It will not allow one to settle all the disputes or areas of discussion that exist among the Filipino brethren. It will not allow one to even begin to meet all the benevolent needs that he sees first hand.

But there are some things that such a trip can accomplish, especially for one who has had a long-time interest in the Filipinos and who has tried to learn as much as he could from others who have gone there to preach and to encourage the saints. Such is my own interest in the Filipino work. Not only have I for many years read the reports of the American brethren who have gone there over a period of some twenty years and talked with several of them about their experiences and the conditions they found, but I have personally tried to verify the worthiness of different men from time to time. Having satisfied my own mind as to their worthiness, I have assisted in raising support for them. In several instances, I have raised funds to help alleviate some of the dire needs arising from catastrophes that seem to strike some parts of the islands with increasing frequency – typhoons, drought, and earthquakes. The latest catastrophe to strike is the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo’s volcano, wreaking devastation over a wide area, crushing their small homes and burying their fields under inches of ash.

I have delayed this writing until the high emotion that builds in one from such an experience has had a chance to subside. That with a view to being as objective as possible in that which is written. My intent is not to give a day by day accounting, but to present some of the conditions that exist and some ways in which individuals and churches may help.

Other brethren had spoken to me of the culture shock one will receive, but until it is experienced, it remains, for the most part, a phrase which in no way prepares one for what he is about to witness. Even those of us who were reared in extremely poor circumstances in this country are in for a real awakening upon arrival there. My amazement began within the first hour after touch-down at Manila’s Aquino International Airport, but the full impact of it was not felt until some four or five days later. When it did occur, it was a feeling like I simply have not yet been able to describe. One thing I know. Culture shock is not just a phrase. It is for real.

There were five American preachers in the Philippines over a period of about two and a half months. Keith Burnett of Russellville, KY and Carl McMurray of Brownsburg, IN preceded John and Jerry (both of Louisville at the time Jerry has now moved) and myself by about a month. Their stay overlapped ours by a couple of weeks, allowing our paths to cross and affording us the opportunity to compare impressions and find out about each other’s efforts. The one time we were all together at Ben Cruz’s in Manila for a very short time took on the flavor of a family reunion, so joyous was it.

Some who are not familiar with the Philippines might second guess the wisdom of five men being there at the same time. Believe me, when one sees the amount of work to be done, the great number of churches existing, the distances involved and the means of getting to some of the areas, the question becomes elementary indeed. Most of the time we were all working in different regions, and everywhere we went there were those pleading with us to visit their area. It was difficult to make some of them understand that we just cannot go everywhere. But they are so desirous that the work they are doing be seen. Of course, I know that some of that is with a view to hopefully being able to secure support. However, that within itself is not to be faulted. Do American preachers do much differently when trying to raise support to go into some field of labor for which they do not have support?

Arriving in Manila about 1:15 a.m. Thursday, we were met at the airport by a good contingent of Christians who took us to our respective places of stay while in Manila. Both Carl McMurray and I were guests of Noli and Ruena Villamor, both of us being there at the same time only a couple of nights. The Ben Cruz home was John and Jerry’s “hotel,” and it was also the sight of a number of studies when as many as twenty-five or thirty persons would gather. The Vic Tibayans put up Keith I believe. Those good families are so careful to do all they can to make the stay of American preachers a pleasant one. And both Ben and Vic render a valuable service in using their vehicles running back and forth to the airport or to the bus station as the Americans come and go from one region to another.

Whether on Luzon, Mindanao, Cebu or Leyte, or other islands, the Filipino people endeared themselves to us. At Davao City where John and I conducted studies for four days we stayed in the home of Juanito and Erlinda Balbin who expended no small effort in showing hospitality to a house full of others who were present for the studies. At Pagadian City, Ed and Sol Ramiro graciously made their home available to me and J. R. Tibayan, a Filipino preacher who accompanied me, while I presented studies for five days at Sto. Nino district where Jun Apatan preaches. And at Baybay, Leyte, Alberto and Juanita Vivero showed J. R. and me great hospitality as I presented studies for three or four days.

I don’t know the exact number of persons baptized during the efforts in which the five of us were involved. It was estimated at around 200. But we didn’t go there to baptize. Now I’ll admit it was a pleasant experience to wade out into the briny waters of Davao Gulf, Ormoc Bay or the river at Pagadian City and assist people in their obedience to Christ. But our major objective was to visit and strengthen the churches and to encourage and edify the preachers who resorted to the studies. As a novice in that kind of work, I did not have as good a feel for their actual needs as did those who had been there on other trips. I was especially impressed with John Humphries’ great capabilities. Co-working with him in the Davao studies and sitting in two or three other studies he conducted in Manila, I concluded that he had a good grasp of areas of needed study, and he knew how to present it forcefully. I only got to hear Jerry present one lesson, a very good one. On one’s first trip he does the best he can t6 be of the most help he can, his awareness of areas of needed teaching and instruction growing from one field of endeavor to the next. I certainly feel that I have a far better realization of some definite needs now as I look back and think through the experience.

The standard of living for most of the people is beyond the ability of most here to comprehend. The contribution of the churches may run no more than the equivalent of $3 to $5 dollars. Therefore they are not able to do much of anything in the way of assistance to the preachers nor in meeting benevolent needs among themselves. For example, in Pagadian City with the Sto. Nino church, Jun Apaton announced after the Lord’s day morning service that a brother was very sick and needed to go to the hospital but had no money. A special offering was taken. Beside that which I was able to give from the funds U.S. brethren had given me for such cases, the collection was only 92 pesos. The conversion rate in Pagadian was 28 pesos per dollar at the time, so you can easily see the small amount they were able to give.

While much more could be said, let me share just one other thought. What can folks here, either individually or as a congregation, do? There are many capable preachers adjugded worthy of support who are presently receiving none. Any of the American preachers who have been there has a list of some such preachers. There are many cases of financial need among the members from time to time due to misfortune or natural catastrophe as those mentioned earlier in this treatise. And one of the greatest needs, in my judgment, is for good study and teaching materials Bibles, books, tracts, etc. Even good used song books are a welcomed item to the Filipinos.

Shipping books con be somewhat costly. But the post office has what is known as M-Bag Service. It has a minimum of 15 lbs. or a maximum of 66 lbs. per sack limit, and shipped by surface mail is S.72 per lb. By air it is $5.76 per lb. Talk to your post office for full explanation. Of course, the surface mail will take many weeks to arrive, but the items will serve no less benefit when they do get on site.

I have composed an “Information Questionnaire” which I believe could be of help to those who receive letters of appeal for support from preachers in the Philippines. I would be happy to send a copy of it to any who desires it.

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 21, pp. 648-649
November 7, 1991

By Joe R. Price

Paul H. Dunn, former member of the “Presidency of the First Quorum of Seventy” in the LDS Church now holding emeritus status as a general authority, has been the focus of a controversy within the Mormon Church for the past couple of years. It seems that Dunn, one of the most popular LDS lecturers and writers, has been telling exaggerated (if not fabricated) personal stories about his heroism in the Korean War and his experiences as a professional baseball player. The verdict is still out on how much or for how long the LDS Church leaders knew about the deceptive stories of Dunn. Did they let him continue because he was “in demand”?

A headline about this matter in the Salt Lake Tribune caught my attention: “Speaker Says LDS Teachings Suffer From ‘Cute’ Syndrome” (Aug. 10, 1991). Attorney Eric C. Olson (himself a Mormon) presented a paper at the 13th annual Sunstone Symposium in which he suggested that Dunn’s stories are representative of a Church Education System that “may value entertainment and reassurance over honesty, insight and accuracy.” He went on to say, “From the CES (Church Education System, jrp) perspective, no matter how real or how true a principle or, circumstance may be, it is of negligible instructional value, if it does not excite the student or fit the correlated preconception.” The article further explained, “Such a posture, he warned, can lead to a ‘vacuum of relativity’ where a principle appears to be truth only if it bears the right stamp, is spoken by the right person or serves the right purpose. ‘We start wrapping the truth in little finer packages until it is no longer truth,’ Mr. Olson said.”

Mr. Olson’s observations are, quite astute, and are applicable for New Testament Christians. Have we become a people who are interested in truth only when it entertains I am reminded of Romans 3:9-19, where the apostle Paul proposed to lay “to the charge both of Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin.” Being led by the Spirit of God (Jn. 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:10-13; 2 Tim. 3:16), he used no less than six Scriptures from the law to prove the accuracy of his teaching! I wonder if Paul could get published using that many Scriptures today, especially since he was writing to the “average Christian” (Rom. 1:7). Is truth only appeal or excites us because of the way it is presented (“packaged”) by the teacher, preacher, etc.? I am afraid this is too often the case.

For instance, upon what basis do we conclude that brother so and so preached “a great sermon”? His command of the English language? His use of metaphors, similes and anecdotes? His style and ability to enrapture an audience or “keep it in stitches”? Or, is it the clear, precise message of truth which he presents (2 Tim. 4:1-5)? Please do not misunderstand. A man who masters the ability to speak publicly is a wonderful asset to the kingdom, if he uses that ability to direct attention to the word of God and away from himself. Did you answer the question? Before you do, consider the apostle Paul, who of himself said, “But though I be rude in speech, yet am I not in knowledge” (2 Cor. 11: 6). He did not seek to please men with his preaching, but God (Gal. 1:10-12; 1 Thess. 2:3-6). He did not use flattery (1 Thess. 2:5), human wisdom (1 Cor. 2:14) or philosophy (Col. 2:8) to present truth, but a “thus saith the Lord” (Col. 3:17; 1 Thess. 2:13). Was Paul a great preacher, with great lessons? By most people’s standards, probably not. After all, he was threatened, stoned and imprisoned for his preaching (cf. Acts 9.22-24,29; 13:44-51; 14:19; 16:19-24). That is not how the world treats its “great” preachers! Maybe Paul should have wrapped his message in a “finer package!”

The Packaging or the Power of the Gospel?

Do we still trust the power of the gospel to save our souls (Rom. 1:16)? When we must have the truth of the gospel packaged in the skillfulness of men before we approve of it, we have lost our faith in the power of the gospel and built our faith upon the abilities of men. Consider a few of the ways our faith can be placed in the packaging of the truth rather than in the truth itself.

1. The appeal of intellectualism. We have nothing against obtaining a college education. To broaden one’s knowledge and appreciation of the various disciplines of learning can be of great benefit. Indeed, elders, preachers and teachers can benefit from whatever higher education they have been fortunate enough to obtain. Yet, when we are only interested in what a gospel preacher or teacher has to say if he holds a B.A., M.A. or Ph.D, we are on dangerous ground (1 Cor. 1:26-2:4).

We are stressing the wrong thing when we encourage people to hear brother so and so preach because of his intellectual attainments. When we are only interested in an “educated” man preaching for us (regardless of his knowledge of and love for the truth), is our prime objective gospel preaching? What of the man’s message? It seems as if the message of God’s word is sometimes taken for granted as we marvel over the educational achievements of the man teaching it. Have we forgotten that the power of the gospel is found in the message which is preached and not in its messenger (cf. 1 Cor. 1:17-25)? Are we interested in hearing a man preach and teach who, by the world’s standards, is unknowledgeable and unlearned? Or, do we “hold out” for the truly educated preacher? I fear we would not have desired the preaching of Peter and John, “unlearned and ignorant” as they were (Acts 4:13)! We must avoid “packaging” the word of God in the wrapping of man’s intellect before we are interested in opening it!

2. The pop psychology PMA approach to gospel preaching. It is a sign of the times. People want to feel good about themselves. They want reassurance that they are “o.k.” More and more brethren want the elders, preachers and teachers to help them define and emphasize this good feeling. Well, I like to feel good about myself, don’t you? And, the Bible teaches that the Christian ought to be the happiest person on this planet (Phil. 4:4-8,10-13; Eph. 1:3; Matt. 5:3-12). However, this is not what we are talking about.

There seems to be an affection on the part of some to practice “pop psychology” from the pulpit and with the pen. The positive mental attitude approach to living espoused by Norman Vincent Peale, Robert Schuller and others emphasizes man’s internal power to overcome depression, guilt and sin. Man fills his own needs, and becomes his own remedy for life’s problems. Such an approach to Christianity puts one’s faith in self rather than in Christ. It sees man as having the answers within himself to overcome the guilt of sin (cf. Jer. 10:23; Prov. 14:12). This is deceptive “packaging” which will leave a person’s soul lost in sin!

3. Emphasize the positive, eliminate the negative.” This approach teaching and teaching has influenced the religion of men for decades (if not centuries). Eventually, it becomes a call to move away from “book, chapter and verse” preaching to emphasize oratory and writing skills. Knowledge of the word of God suffers from such a concept, and so do God’s people (cf. Hos. 4:1-6). While this objective is denied (I certainly hope it is!), the effect remains, nonetheless.

The writing guidelines of one journal suggest that writers use a minimum of Scriptures. At the same time, teachers of the gospel should be at their “creative best,” embellishing their articles with various literary techniques:

Second, we hope you will write for the audience we are trying to reach. We hope to reach the “average Christian.” Each article is thus to be short and limited to one major point. Do not tell us all you know, but what you know most surely. Generally speaking, two or three passages should provide a sufficient base for such articles – perhaps even one. . .

Obviously, what we are after is a piece of journalistic writing. The thrust of the article should be practical, speaking to the real needs of people. The style of the writing should be popular. We urge you to be your creative best: think of interest-catching leads, sharp illustrations, and if appropriate, and if possible, sprinkle in a little wit (Assignment letter, Christianity Magazine, undated).

Such guidelines place more importance upon the “packaging” of the product than upon the truth being presented.

Avoiding The “Cute” Syndrome

Of course, we should do our best when preaching, teaching or writing the truth of God. We are thankful for talented writers, teachers and preachers who can effectively communicate God’s word. As God’s fellow-worker (1 Cor. 3:5-9), the preacher must do the best he can to present truth. As hearers of that word, we must demand that the truth be presented, and then fully obey it. The people of Ezekiel’s day expressed a desire to hear the word of the Lord. Some even viewed Ezekiel as a “great preacher.” But they refused to obey the word of God which he preached (Ezek. 33:30-32). However, because Ezekiel’s message would come to pass (and not because he thrilled his audience), there could be no denying that God’s prophet had proclaimed God’s word to them (v. 33). Ezekiel, Paul, or any other preacher of God’s word could only be regarded as “great” (effective) when their message was the truth of God. Effective preaching and teaching is not determined by the teacher’s flowery language, perfect prose or journalistic technique. It is defined by teaching everything which is profitable for the salvation of men, “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:20, 27; 1 Tim. 4:16; 2 Tim. 4:2).

The churches of men have long since given in to the temptation of making their message “cute.” Entertainment, excitement and reassurance is the order of the day. Mr. Olson’s assessment of the LDS Church’s educational program is an example of what can happen when one becomes more interested in impressing an audience than in accurately presenting the word of God. The truth suffers and souls are endangered as a result. We must not become victims of such devices.

Do not be deceived by the “packaging” which men often call the word of God. We must “preach the word!” The package may at times be crude, but the product must always be genuine (2 Tim. 3:16-4:5). Beware of the “cute syndrome!”

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 21, pp. 651-653
November 7, 1991