Truth Magazine

By Michael Baggett

That there are cowards in the church is no new discovery. Paul, the apostle had many friends among the brethren until “the sun was up, and when they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away” (Matt. 13:6). Such were Phygellus and Hermogenes: “This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes” (2 Tim. 1: 15); and Demas: “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia” (2 Tim. 4:10). And at Paul’s first answer before Caesar, he said, “No man stood with me, but all men forsook me” (2 Tim. 4:16). “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me” (2 Tim. 4:17). Men with frail back-bones are certainly not new discoveries in the Church. It is a shame, however, that a preacher often learns who his “spineless” brethren are when he has already come “under fire” for standing up for the truth!

When I was in the “liberal” church, “out on a limb sawing off my support for my family” by proclaiming the truth concerning the work of the church and the invasion of human organizations into the treasury of the church, some of my good brethren said, “We will stand with you,” but backed down in the heat of the fire! One couple whom I had recently helped restore to the Lord said, “What you are teaching is the truth; there is no Bible authority for local churches to support human organizations to do the work the Lord has assigned to them.” They said I was teaching the truth! Yet, they let no one know they were on my side! Another family said, “We will go with you if the church fires you. ” They too, ducked down and hid themselves from the heat of battle! One of my best friends, who had helped me secure this work in the first place, agreed with what I taught “privately,” but denied me in the heat of combat! He simply sat by while the brethren in the meeting decided what my fate would be! The sad point of it all is that these brethren knew I had taught the truth on the issues but were too “spineless” to stand with me in support of the whole truth of God! However, two fine sisters did leave with my family. They are now worshiping with us at Laws Hill. These two women have more true backbone than any of the “men” left behind!

Recently, a good preaching friend of mine, and brother in the Lord, fought the “continual cleansing” error, which had erupted in the congregation where he preached, almost single-handedly! Instead of the so called ‘!faithful” brethren backing him up, most of them left the congregation! What a bunch of “men “! It is easy just to leave! But it takes real “backbone” to stay and face false teachers face to face! This congregation which was a year ago “60” strong, fell off to around “25” people in less than a year. In fact, some of the members fled to the large “institutional church” across town! Why all of this cowardice? Because there are some among us that can’t stand a little discomfort, and a little heat! Learn this: when you become a Christian, there is going to be a little fire from time to time! Note: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). Those who will not endure “the rising of the sun” will not “endure unto the end”! “And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Mk. 13:13). These, therefore, will not be saved. God’s promises of eternal life are only to those who will stand up under the “pressure cooking” sometimes associated with living the Christian life. “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).

God demands soldiers who are able to “endure hardships.” “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3). God requires his soldier to take up the “spiritual sword,” and the whole “armor of God,” and do battle against Satan, darkness, and all forms of error (Eph. 6:10-18)! “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is in the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” Are you a soldier for Christ? Do you have the “backbone” to fight a spiritual warfare?

Paul, the apostle, wrote in 1 Corinthians 16:13: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” This language describes a courage soldier. A soldier whose eyes are open and alert to all signs of danger; a soldier who has his feet firmly planted in the faith, who doesn’t move from the front lines of the battle. He is a soldier who “acts like a man” (Young’s – “quit”), and is “strong.” He has backbone!

We need servants of God today, who, like Joshua and Caleb will declare: “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it”, and: “Only rebel not ye against the Lord neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not” (Num. 13:30; 14:9)! We need men like Paul, who declared at death’s door: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Are you a soldier with this kind of backbone? Then always stand up and be counted when the truth comes under fire!

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 7, pp. 213-214
April 4, 1991

By Ron Halbrook

When Paul wrote to the saints in Rome, he relayed greetings from other “churches of Christ” (Rom. 16:16). Each of these churches were made up of Christians in a given locality who gathered to worship God under the leadership of local bishops or elders, and with the help of special servants called deacons. Christ alone was head of each church without any interlocking structure, centralized agency, denominational bureau, or human headquarters (Phil. 1:1; Eph. 1:22-23). Each church was designed by God to sound out “the word of the Lord” both far and near. Several churches sometimes cooperated in supporting a gospel preacher in the field, but without centralizing their funds through a single church or any kind of human board (1 Thess. 1:8; 2 Cor. 11:8-9).

When the Lord planted these churches and equipped them to preach the gospel, society suffered from many social, economic, political, and educational problems. The Lord did not equip his church to conduct reform movements to resolve those crises. Whether those difficulties are solved or not, man must save his soul. “All have sinned” and Christ shed his blood “for the remission of sins” (Rom. 3:23-24; Matt. 26:28). As “the pillar and ground of the truth,” the church brings men face to face with the crucified and risen Savior (1 Tim. 3:15-16). Men must hear that they can be saved by grace through faith when they repent of their sins, confess Christ, and are baptized in water (Acts 2:38; 19:5; Eph. 2:8-9).

Restoration vs. Rise of Social Gospel

In the first half of the 1800s, many people turned away from denominationalism and lives of sin. They searched the Scriptures, obeyed the gospel in its original purity, and restored New Testament churches. During the same time period, social reform movements were being promoted by some traditional denominations, by rising liberals, and by secular rationalists. They had the idea that churches could both save souls and help to build a great American republic. An interchurch program in Boston in 1826 aimed to alleviate urban poverty. Educational reforms were emphasized and man church-related colleges organized. Other crusades included women’s rights, improved prisons, better hospitals, and a world peace movement. Many denominations got caught up in the national debate of the 1850s-70s over the nature of America’s political union, slavery and anti-slavery, the War Between the States, and the reconstruction era.

In the meantime, true churches of Christ kept preaching the gospel and saving souls as God ordained. They had no social agenda, no poverty program, no colleges, and no political platform. They preached Christ to rich and poor, high and low, male and female, free and slave, Northerner and Southerner, Easterner and Westerner.

During 1880-1920, urban poverty and other social problems increased with growing immigration and industrialization. Also, Darwin’s theory of evolution and other attacks on the accuracy of the Bible were becoming more popular. A full-fledged Social Gospel emerged. The Social Gospel shifted the emphasis of religion from the enduring problem of man’s sinful ways to the prospect of his perfectibility; from the Bible as the solution for man’s sinfulness to human sources of learning about how to improve mankind (study political science, economics, sociology, psychology, etc.); and from the goal of heaven as man’s all-consuming desire to the goal of better living conditions here and now. The Social Gospel “was always chiefly concerned to find out the truth about society, and on the basis of that knowledge to chart programs for ameliorating the country’s social woes” (Sydney E. Ahlstrom, A Religious History of the American People [New Haven: Yale Univ. Press, 1972], p. 796).

Although the Social Gospel movement of this period included spokesmen ranging from religious conservatives to moderates to socialists, it was the preeminent message of many theological liberals who denied the accuracy of the Bible. Not all liberals shared the Social Gospel vision of man’s perfectibility, but they generally shared its humanitarian impulse. Both liberalism and the Social Gospel exalt man, his carnal needs, and his rational powers at the expense of God. True churches of Christ have continued to oppose these false movements so that men may continue to hear and obey the gospel of Christ to the saving of their souls.

The Social Gospel Among Churches of Christ

The Lord organized local churches of Christians to focus on the work of spreading the gospel, worshiping God and edifying saints, and caring for needy brethren. The church is perfectly organized by the Bible pattern to accomplish the work God gave it to do, with elders, deacons, and other Christians cooperating together. God’s simple plan of local church organization is perfectly adapted to the mission of the church, and the mission perfectly suited to the divine plan of organization. More organization would be needed only if the mission were expanded beyond Bible limits, and expanding the mission would require additional organization.

The Holy Spirit warned through Paul that some elders would pervert the truth and lead brethren to practice error. Satan stays busy promoting apostasy in the church in every generation. Some who “depart from the faith” do not quit professing religion and claiming to be faithful to God (Acts 20:28-30; 2 Thess. 2; 1 Tim. 4:1). Some ardently claim they are only adjusting the gospel to the times, expanding the mission of the church to win more people, and adapting the organization to meet the needs of modern culture. John condemned such “progress”: “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (2 Jn. 9).

Churches of Christ in the early decades of the 20th century roundly condemned the Social Gospel’s carnality, exaltation of man at God’s expense, and this-worldly focus. One phase of the Social Gospel movement was the “institutional” church, a term referring to the desire to organize committees, departments, experts, ministries, and services “to cover the entire life of man” (Aaron I. Abell, The Urban Impact on American Protestantism 1865-1900 [Cambridge: Harvard Univ. Press, 1943], p. 137). The broadest program opened the church doors all day every day to provide meals, entertainment, athletics, gymnastics, kindergarten, legal training, police matrons and rescue missions to keep people out of prisons, day nurseries, coffee houses, libraries, health and first-aid instructions, medical clinics, job training and employment bureaus, special services for immigrants – the list is endless.

Institutional churches organized services on local, regional, and even national bases through clubs, societies, boards, bureaus, leagues, and associations of every kind. Facilities were built for child care, abandoned women, schools, and summer vacations for the needy. Church architecture shifted from providing a place for the spiritual work of teaching and worship to accommodate the explosion of new services and programs. Doctrinal concerns were sacrificed in favor of interdenominational cooperation in social ministries and community services.

The Social Gospel and institutional church concepts left their mark on American religion, taking souls further away from New Testament Christianity. After World War II, many churches of Christ began drifting away from the Bible pattern into apostasy. Some have left the spiritual mission God gave his church and are doing anything and everything the denominations do – providing facilities for day care, secular education, gymnastics, and all sorts of social activities. The list is endless. One Texas church sends a van and team out to aid fire fighters on the scene. Churches conduct suppers, parties and banquets galore.

Some churches disguise their facilities for food, fun, and frolic under such names as “fellowship hall,” “all-purpose room,” or “family life center.” A Church of Christ in Angleton, Texas often promotes dinners, picnics, and banquets in its bulletin. A front page “gospel meeting” announcement emphasized before even giving the lesson subjects, “‘Sunday lunch after services for all our families and all our visitors!” After the church’s “Wild Game Dinner” and several other March meals, the editor exulted, “I believe we have eaten more meals as a congregation than we have eaten at home” (Angelton Accents, 21 Feb.-28 Mar. 1989 issues). Rubel Shelly tells the Woodmont Hills church in Nashville, Tenn. their new facility is not so much “a church building” as “a place to feed and house homeless people,” a place for “community service to take place all day, every day” (Love Lines, 15 Feb. 1989).

True churches of Christ must preach and practice the spiritual gospel of Christ, not the social gospel of man-made religions (Matt. 21:25).

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 7, pp. 206-207
April 4, 1991

By Thomas G. O’Neal

(Note: The following article by Tom O’Neal was written for Walking In Truth in May 1973 and published again in 1976. Brother O’Neal was dealing with the false teaching of the grace-unity movement under the leadership of Carl Ketcherside and Leroy Garrett, specifically promoted among us by Edward Fudge. We think the article needs to be reproduced because some are still confused about who are false teachers.)

To some there is no such thing as a false teacher, thus there could be no such thing as false doctrine.

Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves . . . Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:15-20). In these verses Jesus said (1) false teachers exist, (2) they do not appear as false teachers, they are deceptive, (3) they produce fruit and (4) we can know who they are by their fruit.

Paul said some were “false apostles” (2 Cor. 11: 13). Jesus said there would be “false Christs” (Matt. 24:5,24). Christ said there would be “false prophets” (Matt. 24:11,24).

Living False Teachers

The fact that Christ and the apostles warned of false teachers does not mean that all false teachers died in the first century and none are living today. The average religious paper comes from a false teacher. The average religious radio or TV program is sponsored by false teachers. In fact, most all religious instruction today is coming from false teachers.

False teachers will not admit to being false teachers However, John says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 Jn. 4:1).

Just how then can one identify false teachers? I may recognize one and not his name. One can recognize a policeman and not know his name. So it is with a false teacher. Let us notice some ways not to identify a false teacher and then some ways by which we may know them.

Not By

(1) Appearance. This does not tell us whether or not one is a false teacher. Jesus said wolves would appear as sheep (Matt. 7:15). Paul said false apostles would appear to be apostles of Christ (2 Cor. 11:13-14).

(2) Voice. How one sounds does not identify as to “sound doctrine.” Paul said “by good words and fair speeches” the “hearts of the simple” are “deceived” (Rom. 16:18).

(3) Personality. A false teacher will always put forth the very best he has. Paul said some would transform themselves into “ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:15). The personality of a false teacher is one of his powerful assets. Put the false teacher under the searchlight of God’s word and watch his personality change into that of viciousness. When exposed by God’s word that false, thin veneer of sweetness is gone and the real wolf is then exposed. I have never seen a false teacher yet, when put under the pressure of God’s word, that didn’t lose his sweetness.

(4) Numbers. One can not learn who is a false teacher by how many follow him. Peter warns us that “many shall follow their pernicious ways” (2 Pet. 2:2). The majority has always on any question been on the side of the Devil from the beginning of God’s dealing with man. The way to destruction is the broad way which “many there be which go in thereat” (Matt. 7:13).

(5) Claims. Jesus said many would claim to have worked in his name but Christ said, “I never knew you . . . ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:23). False teachers have always made such claims (see Matt. 24:5,24-26).

How to Identify a False Teacher

(1) Who Enjoys Their Message? John said, “They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them” (1 Jn. 4:5). The world will approve the message of the false teacher. Men like Billy Graham can always have a crowd to listen to their false doctrine but a faithful gospel preacher in the same town would have few to listen to the Lord’s message of salvation.

(2) What Fruit Do They Yield? Jesus said in Matthew 7:15-20 that a false teacher was a “corrupt tree” that brought “forth evil fruit.” Christ said a “corrupt tree” could not “bring forth good fruit.” The logical consequence of all false teaching is the practice of false doctrine in life. Jesus calls false teachers “corrupt trees” because of the fruit they produce (Matt. 7:17).

(3) What Is Their Authority? Jesus said all religious teaching is either from (1) heaven or (2) men (Matt. 21:25). What authority does a false teacher give for his doctrine? Not the word of God. Paul said some gave heed to “fables and commandments of men” (Tit. 1:14). John said that those who knew God “heareth us” that is, they will hear the apostles (1 Jn. 4:6). The individual “that is not of God heareth not us” (1 Jn. 4:6). Paul said that if one claimed in his day that he was a prophet or had some spiritual gift that he was to “acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37). What Christ or the apostles said means nothing to a false teacher. Any false teacher will avoid the plain statement of Scripture. Read the word of God to a false teacher and he will take the commandments of men any time before he will take the word of God. Try it and see.

(4) Who Associates With Them? John said the false teachers “are of the world” (1 Jn. 4:5). They speak “of the world” (1 Jn. 4:5). The world will hear the false teacher. The world will always side with the false teacher; the false teacher will always side with the world. The false teachers will always join together with the world to oppose the teaching of Christ. False teachers who do not agree with each other, who will at times oppose each other, will band together when a gospel preacher starts opposing false doctrine. False teachers admire men’s person because of the advantage they are given by them (Jude 16). Paul said, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5: 11).

How Should I Regard False Teachers?

(1) Love Their Souls. God loves all men and wants them to be saved (Jn. 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:3-4; 2 Pet. 3:9). This includes the false teachers; God would that they repent and be saved. I should love them (Matt. 5:44) and want them to be saved by gospel obedience.

(2) Beware of Them. Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets” (Matt. 7:15). We would beware of a rattlesnake because of the physical harm it would do to us. A false preacher is just as dangerous to us spiritually as a rattlesnake is to us physically.

(3) Do Not Fellowship Them. Paul said, “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph. 5:11). False teachers can not be fellowshipped. I will not announce a service in which a known false teacher is the speaker. What good does it do to announce such, and then turn around in almost the same breath and say that he will teach some things with which one might not agree?

(4) Avoid Them. Paul said, “Mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Rom. 16:17).

(5) Rebuke Them. Of certain false teachers Paul said, “Rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith” (Tit. 1: 13). Paul said instead of fellowshipping with them we should “rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11).

(6) Don’t Bid Them God Speed. John said, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed; For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” (2 Jn. 9-11).

(7) Watch for Them. Paul told Timothy, “Watch thou in all things.” The reason was: “for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim. 4:1-5). One should keep his eyes open for false teachers.

To watch the dip stick of your car motor will keep you from burning up the engine; to watch for false teachers and doctrine will keep one from being taken by them. The result of false teachers and doctrine is destruction (Matt. 15:14).

Every teacher that one sees will not be a false teacher. When one goes squirrel hunting, every animal seen in the woods is not a squirrel, but the hunter is looking for and quickly identifies one.

False Teachers Inside and Out

Paul said to the Ephesian elders, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears” (Acts 20:29-31).

(1) Wolves enter. Into the flock of God Paul said wolves would enter. Here are false teachers coming from the outside of the church into the church. These false teachers need to be watched, for from time to time such will enter into the church.

They may come in the form of people coming into the Lord’s church under the notion of being converted when really they have not been. They have just transferred their membership. I have known cases when people left some denomination and were admitted into the fellowship of brethren who had never been baptized into Christ. In time, this will always cause trouble.

(2) “Also of your own seives shall men arise, speaking perverse things, ” Here are false teachers arising from within the church. Many never seem to think that false teachers could be found among the flock of God. False teachers who arise among the people of God will do more damage to the flock than those who enter from the outside.

Paul said some were “false apostles” (2 Cor. 11:13). There were “false brethren” in New Testament times (2 Cor. 11:26) and they are not all dead. Paul mentions false gospels (Gal. 1:6-9). Peter warned there would be “false teachers” (2 Pet. 2:2).

False teachers and those practicing false doctrine were named in New Testament times (1 Tim. 1: 19-20; 2 Tim. 2:17; 3:8; 4:8,14-15). False teachers today both in and out of the church should be named. It is not popular to do so now, but such is the New Testament practice.

Characteristics of False Teachers

(1) Titus 1:9-16 teaches that false teachers are unruly, vain talkers, deceivers, subverters, teach just for money, liars, instruct in fables and the commandments of men, their mind and conscience is defiled, they deny God while professing knowledge of him, and are disobedient.

(2) 2 Timothy 4:1-5 shows false brethren will not endure sound doctrine, their ears will itch and after their own desire they will find false teachers to scratch their itching ears as they turn from truth to fables.

(3) 2 Peter 2:1-3 shows false teachers among brethren will deny the Lord, bring in damnable heresies, lead astray many, they will be covetous, will use feigned words, and will make merchandise of brethren.

(4) Revelation 2:20 tells us at Thyatira was a false prophetess named Jezebel that even seduced the servants of God to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to idols. In 2 Peter 2:2 pernicious ways are lascivious ways.

Paul told Titus, “A man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition reject: knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself” (Tit.3:10-11).

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 7, pp. 210-212
April 4, 1991

By G.K. Wallace

A good leader will display tender consideration for the old, young, weak and unfortunate. Jacob knew this when he said to Esau, “I will lead on gently.” He realized, “If they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die” (Gen. 33:14). A good leader will not overdrive.

We may overdrive by continual controversy about “words to no profit” (2 Tim. 1:14). It is so easy to reject the weak if they have not reached the heights of the strong (Rom. 14:1). It is tempting to condemn the young if they do not know life as we who are older know it. We may require of the young and weak a degree of courage and other graces which in their case may be only buds.

We may “overdrive” by preaching nothing but severe truth, threatening and punishment, and never emphasize the great promises of God. It is ours to console as well as to condemn. The great comforting passages of the Bible should not be reserved for funerals only.

We may “overdrive” by manifesting austerity, suspicion and harshness toward those who disagree with us. We must do good unto all men (Gal. 6:10). To return good for evil is indeed a golden rule (Matt. 7:12). Faultfinding has a place, but not to the neglect of worthy praise.

“Fathers, provoke not your children that they be not discouraged” (Col. 3:21). We may discourage even the strong by dwelling upon the woes and trials of Christianity and saying little or nothing about its joys.

Jesus had a special place in his heart for the poor and downtrodden. He was tender and kind and to the most sinful. Even to those who would become leaders he said, “I have many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now” (Jn. 16:12). We should not drive like Jehu, but lead like Jesus. We move a lighted candle slowly lest it go out. A fire almost expiring can be put out by a strong wind. A tender plant can be watered too much. In dealing with the weak we would do well to follow the hospital rule: “Walk softly and speak quietly.” We were all little children first and had to learn to walk. “The Lord’s servant must not strive.” We must have “a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another . . . and love which is the bond of perfectness” (Col. 3:12-14). These qualities help to make a good leader. (The above article was quoted from Four State Gospel News [Feb. 1991].)

Guardian of Truth XXXV: 7, p. 212
April 4, 1991