Truth Magazine

By Don Partain

An expedient is a spiritually profitable or advantageous method for carrying out the Lord’s instructions to us. To be a true expedient the practice must first be lawful – that is, it must lie within the scope of direct statement/command, apostolic example, or implication of either of these. Then, too, it must not cause any to stumble (1 Cor. 10:23f), must be spiritually profitable (though not necessarily convenient), and must be selected with consideration for the feelings and needs of all concerned.

Several years ago, members of a large congregation were wanting to use an overhead projector to aid in teaching and preaching. But for no real reason, the elders refused. When the leaders of another large church were considering a change in Sunday evening meeting times from 6:00 to 4:00 for reasons of expediency, several members threatened to pull away. Many more examples could be listed to illustrate the difficulty many brethren have when it comes to accepting expedients they are not used to.

What are some reasons for such resistance?

1. Ignorance about how to test the scripturalness of a practice. In other words, members are not confident in their ability to establish scriptural authority for a practice. This lack of confidence produces a kind of paranoia about any practice they are riot used to. So, such brethren simply cling to whatever expedients they have traditionally used (thus, placing their faith in their tradition). Or, they also look to expedients practiced by churches they consider faithful (and thus, place their faith in the practices of these churches). The unhealthiness either of relying upon church tradition or relying upon other churches’ judgment as to what is scriptural should be obvious.

Forty years ago, we were stressing the need to teach brethren how to establish scriptural authority so that they could recognize the unscripturalness of institutionalism. But we have still another reason for such teaching – namely, so that brethren will also know how to recognize what is scriptural, whether it has been traditionally practiced or not. Thus, they would not be found condemning (or at least shying away from) perfectly scriptural practices just because such expedients are unfamiliar to them. And, on the positive side, they would be able to take advantage of the benefits these expedients could afford them.

2. Complacency and laziness. As he anticipated one of the hindrances to replacing the Old Covenant with the New, Jesus made a very astute observation on human nature: “And no one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough'” (Lk. 5:39). In a word, having settled into one way of doing things, we do not want to go to the trouble of changing and having to re-adjust. It’s just too much trouble of changing and having to readjust. It’s just too much trouble to do things differently from the way they have been done – even in cases where doing them differently would be better. It just requires too much thinking. It’s the law of inertia operating in the church – “a body at rest tends to remain at rest.”

Having done things the same way over and over, we no longer have to think in order to do them. We can pray the same prayers, sing the same songs – and in the same order, and mumble the same remarks before the Lord’s Supper. Easier to worship. Yes. But edifying? “In spirit and truth”?

3. Making commonly used expedients into law. When we limit ourselves to using only the same expedients year after year and decade after decade, we tend to promote our expedients to the status of law. That is, we begin to think that all other congregations should use the same expedients we use – not adding to or taking from them. Thus, we begin to bind where God has not bound. In fact, this was one of the errors of the Pharisees Jesus exposed. Over the centuries, they had come up with a number of religious practices as expedients to their religion. Some of these traditions were in themselves unlawful, such as, “Corban” (Matt. 15:5). But others were, in themselves, at least innocent. For example, there was nothing wrong with washing one’s hands before eating. And there was certainly nothing wrong with observing the sabbath’s day journey restriction. But what was wrong was that the Jews began to bind these traditions as law. We see this as the Pharisees and scribes rebuked Jesus for not requiring his disciples to wash their hands before eating bread (Matt. 15:2). Yet, we dare not denounce these Jewish leaders, and then turn around and do essentially the same thing ourselves!

4. Denominational thinking. In order for an expedient to be acceptable to them and beyond suspicion, it must first have been practiced by most other congregations. In effect, an expedient must be “standardized” by the brotherhood before it can be totally acceptable to them. On this basis, many brethren (at least in the past) prima facie rejected any translation other than the KJV. Here in Missoula, the church uses a notebook collection of hand-written songs in addition to using a standard hymnal. Most of these songs contain lyrics straight from Scripture, and they are sung in an orderly and reverent manner. Yet, because this collection has not been standardized by use throughout the brotherhood, some of our visiting brethren (including a preacher’s wife) have expressed at least serious concern. Such brethren do not understand local church autonomy. Rather, they think of the church as a collectivity of congregations governed by an unwritten, yet real, set of rules that tell us which expedients we can and cannot use. Such thinking is indeed denominational.

Have any of the above hindrances kept you from considering expedients that could prove to be more edifying to your congregation?

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 10, pp. 296, 301
May 16, 1991

By Larry Ray Hafley

When angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner that repenteth (Lk. 15:7, 10), we can know that “the holy Spirit of God has been offended, grieved, made sad by sin” (Eph. 4:30; Psa. 78:40; Isa. 63: 10). Jesus keenly, deeply and emotionally felt pain as he saw blind eyes, hardened hearts and closed minds (Isa. 53:3; Mk. 3:5). It is no less true today. Angels have rejoiced over me and over you, but only after “the holy Spirit of God” has been greatly grieved.

It is by one Spirit that we have access or entrance unto the Father (Eph. 2:18). That access is implemented by the Spirit through the gospel (Eph. 3:6; 6:17; 2 Thess. 2:13,14). This gospel is that which “the holy apostles and prophets” preached “with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven” (1 Pet. 1:12), Hence, through an obedient faith we are made fellow heirs (partakers, sharers) of the Spirit’s promise in Christ (Eph. 3:6; Rom. 5:2; 1 Pet. 1:22). No wonder, therefore, that we read of “the communion of the Holy Spirit” (2 Cor. 13:14). It is a common, shared relationship, an inheritance, executed by the “holy spirit of God” in, by and through the gospel (Jn. 14:26; 15:26,27; 16:13; 17:17,20).

Every spiritual blessing, every morsel of hope, every mountain of mercy and every ray of grace that we have comes through the Spirit in his law, the gospel (Rom. 1: 16; 8:2; 16:25,26; Eph. 2:18; 3:6). With an “everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,” how do we dare to grieve “the holy Spirit of God”? Surely, only a vile, depraved wretch would curse his aged, loving mother and scorn a sacrificing father. How low am 1, then when I do despite and insult unto the Spirit of grace? That is what I do when I sin. I spurn the only One who has never done an ill thing toward me, the only One who would die for me and gently apply the soothing balm of the gospel when I need it most but deserve it not at all.

So, the next time you are tempted to lie or to lust, to hate or to hurt another, reflect on the grief you will bring, not only to yourself and your soul, but also to “the holy Spirit of God.” Certainly, such thoughts should stifle your tongue when it would lash out in anger; such remembrances should purify your heart from its pride and bitterness and cleanse your hands of evil. “Grieve not,” my brother, “the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 10, p. 295
May 16, 1991

By Harry R. Osborne

Patience is one of those grand virtues which we as human beings universally admire, but scarcely practice. In our daily lives, the priority of patience is often forgotten in our quest for instant gratification. The rush of the moment and the desire for instant response make patience to be forgotten.

Even in the search to acquire patience we too often resemble the frantic child. The story is told of the child who repeatedly demanded his supper before his mother could complete its preparation. Finally the mother turned to the child and said, “What you need is a big helping of patience!” The child replied, “Okay, but I want it right now!” Patience can only be acquired by patience.

The word translated “patience” in our Bible is an interesting word in the original language. It is a combination of the Greek word meaning “under” and the word meaning “to abide.” Of course, words are formed by people in order to convey or picture an intended idea. Therefore, the Greek idea of patience was to abide under a matter or situation.

Please notice that the idea conveyed is not pictured as a “pause” under or a “momentarily delay” under, but “to abide” under. From the very word itself, we should understand that patience demands time to develop. It is not a virtue which is fully matured the day after we decide such is needed in our character. Let’s spend a few moments in our Bibles to study what God says about the matter of developing patience.

Before we go any further, it should be clear that patience is a necessary part of the Christian’s character. In 2 Peter 1:5-11, the apostle lists patience among those essential components of the one who is to make his “calling and election sure.” It is not, therefore, an optional attribute. As Christians, we must be characterized by patience – our soul’s destiny depends upon it!

Peter begins by noting that all of the listed attributes are to be sought with “diligence.” A diligent pursuit demands that one press on through the difficulties to accomplish the task. Furthermore, diligence requires a concentration upon the goal sought and the road to that goal. No language could more aptly describe how one attains patience. If we are to enlist patience into our character as it ought to be, we must do so in a means which parallels the nature of the virtue itself.

Various passages in the Scriptures relate patience to the tribulations around us. In Romans 12:12, Paul uses the term “patient in tribulation.” James writes of this saying, “Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations, knowing that the proving of your faith works patience. And let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing” (Jas. 1:2-4).

Difficulties of every kind will come our way as children of God. We must learn to “abide under” them and let them bring about good in our character. If it is physical hardship which confronts us, we must learn the priority of the “inward man which is renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). The most handicapped person in the word can through patience be joyful in recognizing the glory he has as a new man in Christ waiting for a spiritual body “conformed to the body of his glory” (Phil. 3:21; 2 Cor. 5:17).

If it is emotional turmoil that confronts us, we must learn to cast all of our anxiety upon the Lord in prayer recognizing that he cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7; Phil. 4:6). The most heart-burdened Christian ever can through patience be joyful in recognizing that “God will take care of you.” If it is spiritual trial that confronts us, we must learn to look for the way of escape as temptations occur (1 Cor. 10:13). As Satan’s darts are hurled around us, we can be joyful, knowing that overcoming evil now helps us overcome it in the future.

Jesus is our perfect example in patience and all other things. The Hebrew letter says that he was “in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). Imagine that! Satan used all of his weapons on Jesus, but none was successful. We sometimes think of Jesus as being isolated from the effects of temptation since he never sinned. Actually, the opposite is true. You and I have never felt the full effect of temptation in the points where we sinned. Satan did not have to keep intensifying the pressure because we gave in early. Jesus is the only one ever in human history to feel the full effect of temptation. He is the perfect example of patience! He “abided under” the burden, let it have “its perfect work,” and he was “perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.”

To this point, we have discussed patience in its passive sense. In other words, we have considered how patience causes us to deal with things happening to us. But patience also has an active side. It is the persistence or perseverance in well doing (Rom. 2:7), in bearing fruit (Lk. 8:15), or in running the appointed race (Heb. 12:1). (See W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of N. T. Words 3:168.) Patience demands of us that we understand the constant nature of our service to God. It is not a sprint, but a marathon. We cannot decide to declare an intermission in our service to the Lord’s cause. Sometimes, we find our zeal on the wane and our strength at a low, but patience causes us to press on to the task. No human battle was ever won by an army full of soldiers without any fatigue, but by armies full of men bone-tired and weary who fought on to win the victory. Our service to Christ in the war for the soul is the same.

A wonderful picture of patience is painted in the words of James 5:7:

Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord, Behold the husbandman (farmer) waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receive the early and latter rain.

The illustration is of the farmer who realizes that even after he has done all he can, he has to wait for the rain over which he has no control. He waits, not just for the early rain which would prepare the ground and provide for sprouting, but also for the latter rain which made possible the maturing of the crop. That crop could not grow and mature in a day no matter how hard the farmer worked.

Patience will cause us to see that the fruit of spiritual service is not an overnight matter either. That farmer has a great deal invested in the crop that impetuousness could ruin. Brethren, how much more is at stake in the cause which we serve? How terribly tragic it would be for impatience to squander what Christ shed his blood to achieve. We must “abide under” both the tribulations which come our way and the work we must do.

In a very real sense, we need to see that patience depends on the trials and problems before us. Without them, we could not “abide under” anything. If not for the trials, we would have no need to “give diligence” to our life and service to God. If patience could not so be learned, we would never realize the joy that God prepared for his children in serving him. Our lives would be dependent on self and our surroundings for pleasure instead of God and his grace. Indeed, “count it all joy, my brethren, when you fall into manifold temptations, knowing that the proving of your faith works patience. And let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.”

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 10, pp. 291-292
May 16, 1991

By Clinton D. Hamilton

A reader poses several questions in a letter to me which he desires to have addressed in this column. Basically the questions center around a Christian’s having business dealings with a non-Christian or with one who is a wayward Christian. These questions are considered in this article.

Question: May Christians utilize facilities owned/operated by denominations or “liberal” churches of Christ?

In pinpointing the issues he wishes discussed, the querist gives examples. “Is it right for a Christian to buy material from a ‘Baptist Bookstore’?” Then he gives another, “May a Christian obtain a degree from a ‘Baptist’ college?” He then adds, “If yes, may parents (Christians’ send their children to a preschool which is part of a denomination’s or ‘liberal’ church’s local work?” In further amplification, he adds these comments: “If it’s wrong for churches to operate or maintain orphanages, wouldn’t it be equally wrong to use them for adoption purposes? Is it not inconsistent for one to not buy clothes from the Salvation Army but allow them to assist you in need?”

Response: Paul said, “I wrote unto you in my epistle to have no company with fornicators; not at all meaning with the fornicators of this world, or with covetous and extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world: but as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat. ” In these words are embodied some principles of behavior that should prove helpful in consideration of the question posed.

Later in the querist’s letter, he mentioned the need to look at the question of fellowship. He raised this fellowship issue in particular with some other matters which will be dealt with in this article in due course. Fellowship in the New Testament is from two basic words: koinonia and metoche. Their sense or meaning is crucial to a correct understanding. Koinonia is a sharing jointly in something, a sharing in common, joint participation, or communion. It is obvious that some action is the predicate on which the sharing rests. Early Christians had a bond of being children of God through obedience to the gospel (Acts 2:37-38,41) that was indeed fellowship or a sharing together (Acts 2:42). But this joint participation was predicated on their acts that enable them thus to share. Christians are called by the gospel into fellowship of God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Cor. 1:9). Without one’s responding to the call of God through the gospel (2 Thess. 2:13-14), he cannot be in fellowship with the Son. One’s action of obedience to the gospel is the predicate for that sharing or communion with the Son of God.

Since light and darkness in the moral or spiritual world are antithetical, there can be no sharing between them (2 Cor. 6:14). For this reason, Christians are not to participate as a child of light in the works of darkness (2 Cor. 6:17-7:1). Unless one does or endorses the works of darkness, he has no fellowship with darkness.

Metoche means a sharing, communion, or partnership. Both koinonia and metoche are used in 2 Corinthians 6:14. In speaking of righteousness and lawlessness, Paul said there is no metoche, or sharing. Conforming to the standard of right shares nothing with violations of it. In speaking of light and darkness morally or spiritually, he said there is no koinonia or communion between them. Sharing, participation, or partnership is established by two individuals doing or endorsing the same thing.

Another term that needs attention is the term company appearing in 1 Corinthians 5:9,11 and 2 Thessalonians 3:14. It is translated from sunanamignumi. It is compounded of three terms: sun, together or with; ana, up; mignumi, to mix or mingle. With Christians who are obstinate in rebellion to God in that they participate in the works of darkness, one is not to mix and mingle so that they do not come to the conclusion that their conduct is acceptable. However, there is to be some contact because one is instructed to “count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thess. 3:15). Fellowshipping or sharing in the work or deed is one thing and not mixing up with or mingling with is another thing.

If one comes teaching something other than the doctrine of Christ, one is not to tell such a person to rejoice in that work because if he does, then he becomes a partaker of his evil deeds (2 Jn. 10-11). Partaker is from koinoneo, to share with or take part in. One who teaches error or endorses one who does and encourages him in that endeavor is a sharer of the evil work.

Certain principles of truth should be clear from the preceding discussion. First, one can associate with people in the world in a way or manner in which he is not so to do with Christians. One in the world has not established a relation in the Lord common with the one who has obeyed the gospel. Accordingly, their association is predicated on a different basis altogether than the fellowship or sharing in Christ common to Christians.

Second, there is a difference in fellowship and company. One must do or endorse a work of darkness to be in fellowship with it. On the other hand, one shares in righteousness or light when one does righteousness and walks in light. “If we say that we have fellowship (koinonia) with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1 Jn. 1:6). One can refrain from being in fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5: 11) but can keep company with an unbeliever who does fellowship darkness.

Third, Christians engage in business dealings with people of the world. When one buys a product and exchanges money for it because he believes the product has the value to him in the amount he pays for it, there is no endorsement or encouragement of the individual from whom he buys it in his religious, personal acts. The business transaction is independent of any predicate of sharing in spiritual issues.

Fourth, another principle is that the context in which a deed is done has relevance to whether one is right or wrong in the doing of it. For instance, one in Corinth might go to an unbeliever’s home and eat any food set before him but if the one providing it says that it has been offered to an idol, then he was not to eat for the sake of the conscience of the one who showed it (1 Cor. 10:27-28).

May one buy a product from a Baptist Bookstore? If that product is exchanged for an equivalent value, then one may buy the product without endorsing error. May one utilize a facility owned or operated by Baptists? Let us take the instance of a college partially supported by Baptists. If the college offers a program of higher education of which one desires to avail himself and he exchanges money for the instruction and services received, then the transaction has no relevance to endorsing a religious doctrine or giving God speed to the false doctrine. If one buys goods or clothing from one who denies that Jesus is the Son of God, that does not cause one to participate in the person’s infidelity. The predicate for the transaction – the buying of goods – does not set up the context of endorsing or supporting infidelity. Rather, it is in the context of the exchange of money for a product perceived to be of at least the value for which it was exchanged. Conceivably there could be a context established in which one could not execute the transaction. That would be special to the occasion and one would have to make the determination of what to do when faced with it.

May one utilize a preschool operated by a “liberal church of Christ”? In a context that does not cause one to endorse error either in teaching or practice, one could buy the product of instruction or service. But if there is an association or conversation that could be interpreted as endorsement, then one could not engage in the transaction or deed.

May one adopt an orphan from an agency supported by a church? The adoption of an orphan to provide the orphan with parents and care is not a sinful act. One who does such is not participating in a work of darkness. One would have to examine the context in which the adoption occurs. So long as the context in which it occurs does not lead to the conclusion of the endorsing of error or the practice of it, one could execute the adoption. Situations and circumstances do vary. The principle remains clear: one does not fellowship darkness unless one participates in, or endorses, it.

The Salvation Army is a denomination such as is the Baptist Church. What the Salvation Army does typically is in a different context than say, a Baptist Bookstore. Goods sold in a Salvation Army thrift shop are contributed to support that organization’s work. The goods, however, are worth some value. Just as clothes sold by one who may take a portion of his earnings to support the teaching that Jesus is not the Christ, so may earnings from a Salvation Army thrift store be used to support Salvation Army doctrine. The contexts may be entirely different but the exchange of goods for an equivalent value in money is the same in principle. One must decide what to do on the basis of the context in which the transaction occurs.

The querist in the second half of his three and one-half page letter asks whether fellowship is to be left in the realm of individual conscience. He then comments, “Sadly brethren refuse to act on what they boldly proclaim as sin. It’s a sin to smoke – yet nothing is done about those who have heard lessons, admitted addiction, and continue to smoke (for years). It’s a sin to use mechanical instruments in worship – yet nothing is done to those who use it in their homes or sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs at civic programs at Christmas time. It’s a sin to dance but nothing is done to those who encourage their children or the children who go to the prom, etc. . . . etc.” The writer adds that he would “like to see the subject of the individual and the extent they may involve themselves with ‘institutions’ of unscriptural origin. . . . We aren’t trying to cause trouble only allow us to see we must think of our actions as individuals as well as collective.”

In Ephesians 5:11, Christians are instructed to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather to reprove them. The verb fellowship in this passage is sunkoinoneo, which is compounded of sun, together or with, and koinoneo, to share or to participate with. The idea is that if a work is one of darkness or sin a Christian is not to share in it. Rather, he is to reprove it. Reprove is from elencho, to convict or to rebuke.

It is essential that a work be tested against the teaching or doctrine of Christ to ascertain whether it is one of darkness or light. Having done this, and assuming that one is correct in his classification of the work, one is not to partake of or share in one that is of darkness. If another does, the obligation is to tax that one with the fault, which is the sense of convicting or rebuking.

If one is singing praise to God, this should be unaccompanied with a mechanical instrument of music (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19, et. al.). Jesus taught men how to pray and said after this manner pray ye (Matt. 6:9). He was teaching and not praying when he uttered the words following his exhortation. Although the words might under some circumstances be uttered as a prayer, that was not what he was doing. Rather, he was instructing them how to pray in contradiction to the way hypocrites of his day did. One may seek to learn a song and not be offering it as praise to God. The purpose or intent of the heart determines whether it is praise and to be unaccompanied by a mechanical instrument of music.

One’s obligation as a child of light is to be separate from darkness and to reprove any Christian who engages in a work of darkness. In a congregation, only a few may be in fellowship (sharing) with God (Rev. 3:4). At Sardis, there were a few who had not defiled themselves; God called them worthy and said they would walk with him in white. The obligation is not to fellowship, or share in, sin. Under some circumstances, as has been pointed out, one is not to keep company or to mix up together with some members of the body of Christ. Every Christian, in his or her context, must make this determination on whether to mix up with or to mingle with other Christians. In no event, should one participate in the sin.

One must be convinced that what one is doing is right. If there is doubt in the heart while one does something, it is a sin because Scripture says “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23). If one doubts he should engage in an act, he is condemed because it is “not of faith” (Rom. 14:23). Taken by itself the act may be permissible according to the doctrine of Christ. However, in the context of one’s personal doubt, or in the context by influence to lead one to do a sinful act (for him), one would sin to do the act (1 Cor. 8:7-13; 10:23-33).

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 10, pp. 293-295
May 16, 1991