Truth Magazine

By Ron Halbrook

Elders must be good communicators. This is necessary in order to be “apt to teach” and able ” to exhort and to convince the gainsayers” (1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:9). Some are especially gifted and given to public preaching and teaching-laboring “in the word and doctrine” (1 Tim. 5:17). Not only must an elder be sound in the faith, but also he must be able to speak and teach clearly and effectively. But his leadership is not limited to public teaching.

If he is to pastor and oversee the church, he must be a leader of men with the ability to communicate clearly and effectively in setting goals, in expressing mature judgment on a wide range of matters, and in generally giving direction, encouragement, and counsel. That lesson can be learned from the terms which define the essence of the office: elder, pastor (or shepherd), and bishop (or overseer). This is essential if elders are to “take care of the church of God,” 94rule well,” and “watch for . . . souls” (1 Tim. 3:4-5; 5:17; Heb, 13:17).

There are some men in the church with hearts of gold, but who cannot communicate with others in the public teaching of the word. Such men cannot scriptually serve as elders and yet they can find other ways to serve the cause of Christ. They are no less vital to the Lord’s work, and no less due our love and respect, than are elders. Other men can prepare and teach a public lesson, but do not have the ability to express themselves clearly so as to be able to lead in matters of direction, judgment, and counsel. Some do not have the patience to consider different options in decision making, or else are not sufficiently decisive and firm in reaching a decision. In such cases, real guidance and leadership will be missing if such men are appointed elders. It is a sign of maturity for such a man to find other ways to serve and glorify God, rather than aspiring to a work for which he is not suited.

Sometimes men who are fully and truly qualified are appointed as elders, but they do not fully utilize their opportunities or do not fully develop their potential for leading the church. They may even do an excellent job in teaching the word. Their failure to provide strong leadership may be in the area of communicating with the church in matters of direction, judgment, and counsel.

Neglect in this area can lead to stagnation in the church’s program of work – evangelism, edification, or benevolence. Another result may be that some person or persons in the church with strong opinions and dominant personalities will in effect steal away the reins of leadership from the elders. When elders conduct all of their work “behind closed doors” and neglect avenues of open communication with the church, they cut themselves off from the help of good brethren and stunt their growth while also giving some Diotrephes plausible grounds upon which to lead a rebellion. Elders everywhere need to be convinced of the importance of good communication with the church.

It has been my good fortune through the years to work with elders who wanted to improve their work and who were open to suggestions in the area of communication. There are many means and methods by which elders can properly communicate with their brethren, No one plan of procedure is final and absolute. As the result of discussing this matter with the elders here about six years ago, we outlined “A Plan of Communication Between Elders and other Brethren” and distributed it to the church. It provides for a flow of communication through several avenues and in both directions – i.e. elders toward the brethren and vice versa. The plan has worked well for us and it is submitted here in the hope that other brethren will consider making similar efforts.

It should be noted that this plan is not designed to replace the divine pattern for oversight and rule by elders with some form of democratic government government. This is purely a matter of communicating as elders, To give our readers further ideas on “Elders and Communication,” we will publish soon three letters prepared at the direction of the elders to illustrate “Gathering Information for a Decision,” “Setting Higher Goals,” and “Evaluating a Program.” We welcome additional thoughts and ideas from any of our readers.

A Plan of Communication Between Elders and Other Brethren

Elders’ Work

1. General Oversight

2. Decision Making

3. Communication

Announcements

Reports

Suggestions

Questions

Discussion

Encouragement

All Other Brethren

The Elders Want to Keep the Following Avenues of Communication Open:

1. Regular Announcements. By making the regular announcements most of the time, the elders can have most direct communication with brethren. People who have announcements which need to be made will know to bring them to one of the elders. This will also give the elders regular opportunities to offer to the church exhortation and encouragement.

2. Meetings with the men. These meetings will be planned on a quarterly basis. Each meeting will be announced in advance. The elders will give reports and exhortations, then open the floor to suggestions and discussion. To help the elders in planning profitable meetings, brethren who want to discuss some point would be wise to write it out briefly and hand the written note to one of the elders well in advance of the meeting. This will help the elders to have any needed information on hand.

These meetings will be planned and conducted in such a manner as to cultivate communication in both directions, from the elders to the men and from the men to the elders. The elders wil not shirk their duty to make final decisions nor will they try to settle matters by having a vote taken, The meetings are designed for communication and not for decision making.

3. Elders Meetings. The elders are meeting at least once a month and more often when needed in order to oversee the work of the church on a constant basis. If the elders need to meet with someone or if someone wants to meet with them, the elders will always be ready to arrange such meetings. Anyone is free to make suggestions to the elders at any time.

4. Elders and deacons to meet. The elders plan monthly meetings with the deacons in order to work with them as closely as possible.

5. Elders and teachers to meet. The elders plan quarterly meetings to encourage the teachers and to share communication with them.

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 17, pp. 522-523
September 6, 1990

By Jimmy Tuten

A. The book of Romans is the most profound of all N.T. books. It is viewed as a “masterpiece” among the inspired writings of Paul.

B. Romans 12 is called “The Little Bible” because of its coverage of life in conformity to the doctrine of Christ. The word “therefore” connects the doctrinal section of Romans 1:18-11:36 to the practical application of chapters 12:1-15:13. What has been said is this:

1. The world needed salvation (1:18-3:23).

2. Salvation is through justification in Christ Jesus (3:21-5:21).

3. The obedient believer (6:17) is now sanctified and set apart from sin by the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:1-11:36). This is what is meant by “the mercies of God” (12:1).

C. Since the mind of the Apostle sweeps infinities, but always comes to an ending with ethical demands, it is no small wonder that the vast mercies of God are summarized by: “for of him and through him and unto him are all things” (11:36) as a foundation for a devoted, dedicated life in Christ.

1 . On this foundation the inspired writer builds a description of the kind of life that will be wellpleasing to the heavenly Father.

2. Note the words “I beseech you ” (Gr. parakaleo, implore, urge, beg you) and the fact that they are not written to the lost, but to the saved, to “brethren.”

3. There are certain things that the brethren are strongly urged to do.

4. What brethren are urged to do involves things that constitute the counter culture of God in whatever the society is in which we live.

Body:

I. N.T. Christianity has changed over the past few decades.

A. Brethren have let things slip and have not given due attention to matters that cause us to drift away from the kind of life that the Lord expects of us (Heb. 2:1).

B. Beginning about 1840 the church was growing and denominational people were challenging it on every hand. Debates and discussions were numerous. As we move into the last part of this century we see the church generally as an accepted part of a “Christian Society.”

1. When the whole society (including the church) is thought of as “Christian,” the church loses its sense of conviction and identity.

2. In a very disturbing way we have become assimilated to the rest of society to the point that many (by “many” I mean our brethren) do not see the N. T. church as it should be, i.e. ~ an alternate type of society.

3. Until individuals who make up the body of Christ recognize the counter culture of God described in Romans 12 we will continue to conform to the world and the church will lose its identity.

C. When Deitrich Bonhoeffer wrote The Cost of Discipleship before his execution in 1944, he wrote a moving criticism of the Christianity he saw in Germany.

1. He saw churches that for the most part had given lip service to “Christianity,” that had yielded to the prevailing winds of society, where no one wished to pay the price of discipleship. The climate was a culture where the church seemed to demand nothing. He described the problem as a belief in “cheap grace.”

2. He went on to point out that in N.T. times things were different in that Christians knew that they were the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world” (Matt. 5:13-14) and they did not blend in with the world.

D. Our brethren must never lose sight of who we are, of the need to “walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8) and of the demand to “be without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation” (Phil. 2:15).

1. Like first century Christians we must pay the cost of discipleship and be willing to become displaced persons in the cities in which we live (“strangers in the world,” 1 Pet. 1:1).

2. We must, in a world of:

a. Disrespect for marriage and family, various kinds of promiscuity, exposure to unwanted babies, unethical concerns for truth and righteousness, lying and cheating, disrespect for parents, etc. dare to be different! Romans 12 demands this of us.

b. Critical moral issues should cause us to take Christian living seriously, desire to be strangers in our own land and realize that we march to the sound of a different drummer, Jehovah himself (Rom. 12:1-2).

II. Three distinct marks of God’s counter culture.

A. The church (God’s people) considers its relationship to Christ in the body a solemn responsibility.

1. They know they must “walk humbly with God” (Mic. 6:8).

2. They know they must “walk by this rule” (Gal. 6:16).

3. They know they must “walk in the light” (1 Jn. 1:5-10).

4. They must not encourage error (2 Jn. 9-10).

5. They know they must “press on” (Phil. 3:12-16).

B. The church must keep its identity (God’s counter culture) as a moral society:

1. Her members know that they do not derive their standard from the world (Gal. 5:16-26, they walk after the Spirit).

2. They keep themselves separated (2 Cor. 6:14-18).

3. They do not love the world (1 Jn. 2:15-17).

C. The church, as afamily, must sincerely care for one another (Rom. 12:9-10; Jas. 2:1; 3:13-18).

Illustration: A book Outward Bound (by Verner Eller) suggests two kinds of churches: (1) Commissary – where membership means only a card carrier, someone who has been certified to enjoy the privileges offered by the institution. (2) Caravan where membership is seen in an anatomical sense: a limb, appendage, or an organ as an integral, functional and functioning constituent without which the body cannot be the body it was intended to be (Rom. 12:4-8).

Conclusion:

1 . 2 Peter 1:4; 1 Peter 1:13-15.

2. God’s counter culture (the church) is competing in its influence over the world, knowing all the while that experience teaches that corrupting influences are more apt to prevail than redemptive influence of good (disease is more contagious than health).

3. Nothing is hidden from God; he knows all and judges us (Heb. 4:13).

4. “Save yourselves from this untoward generation” (Acts 2, repent and be baptized).

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 17, pp. 524-525
September 6, 1990

By Mark Mayberry

“Do you understand yourself well enough to make the most of your potential? Are you lucky in love? . . . To all these questions and many more, the stars have the answers.” So affirms Joan Quigley in Astrology for Adults, a book which has sold over 500,000 copies and is due to be reprinted soon.

What is astrology? Why are people willing to pay between $50 and $500 to have a personal consultation with one of the more than 10,000 astrologers in this country? The popularity of astrology is evidenced by the fact that daily horoscopes are printed in over 1,200 newspapers nationwide. Is there any evidence that astrology really works? Is it based on voodoo, art, science, magic, fraud, or what? There is probably no other major delusion that is more easily examined and shown to be totally without any logical basis. Yet remarkably, its hold on the public is stronger today than ever!

The Definition of Astrology

First, we must distinguish between astronomy and astrology. Both fields of study are concerned with the heavenly bodies. Astronomy, a legitimate science, is the study of the movement and nature of the universe beyond the earth’s atmosphere. Astrology is a pseudo-science that “assumes and attempts to interpret the influence of the heavenly bodies on human affairs.”(1)Astrology affirms that the movement of the sun, moon, stars and planets affects mankind and shapes the course of life’s events. It is claimed that the position of the Earth relative to the celestial bodies at the moment of one’s birth influences one’s life and personality.

The Zodiac is “an imaginary belt in the heavens, extending about 8 degrees on each side of the ecliptic, within which are the apparent paths of the sun, moon, and the principal planets. It contains twelve constellations and hence twelve divisions called the signs of the zodiac.”(2) The twelve zodiac signs are as follows: Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 19), Taurus (Apr. 20-May 20), Gemini (May 21-June 21), Cancer (June 22-July 23), Leo (July 24-August 23), Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23), Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23), Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22), Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21), Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20), Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 1), and Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20). Analysis of these signs is said to reveal specific personality traits and characteristics.

A horoscope is a diagram of the heavens, showing the relative position of the planets and the signs of the zodiac. Astrologers use these diagrams to predict future events and give personal advice to their clients. The horoscopes which appear in newspapers are based on a simplified and generalized form of astrology. They imply that all people born under the same sign anywhere in the world share common characteristics and that their daily activities should be so guided. Individual analysis is said to be possible when an astrologer draws up a horoscope by relating the signs of the Zodiac and the positions of the sun, moon and planets to the time and place of a person’s birth.(3)

The History of Astrology

The mystical superstition can be traced back to antiquity when man looked up to the heavens with reverence and awe. “Astrology originated in ancient Babylonia and spread from there to China, India, and the West, where different but related traditions grew up.”(4) The Babylonians and Assyrians developed a highly complex astrological system. Biblical references show its strong influence in later Old Testament history (Isa. 47:13; Dan. 1:20; 2: 10; etc.). Astrology came to ancient Greece as a mixture of star-gazing and magic. The Greeks changed its character from an oriental religion, adding their own philosophy and science. Thus astrology was legitimated with reason and logic. The earliest known horoscope using the principles of mature astrology dates from 409 B.C. The zodiac signs were codified by Ptolemy in the 2nd century A.D.

Astrology was once a more stately business than it is today. In antiquity, it was not concerned with housewives and hair-dressers; it was the exclusive domain of kings and emperors. Rulers would consult astrologers to find out if the time was ripe to move against their enemies. Astrology was the link between earthly kings and the gods of the heavens. It governed the course of nations.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, astrology declined in the West but flourished in the East. With the advance of Christianity, faith in astrology began to diminish. Pagan superstitions were renounced in favor of the gospel. In the twelfth century, however, astrology began to prosper once again in Western Europe. It flourished during the Dark Ages, a period in which knowledge, science and truth were suppressed by the Catholic Church.

The great reformers of the 1600s opposed astrology. It almost disappeared during the age of reason. “By the end of the 17th century . . . astrology was considered a pseudoscience by almost all learned people. . . Although astrology has persisted to the present day, enjoying greater popularity in some countries than in others, it has never attracted more than an occasional scientist to its ranks since the 17th century.”(5)

In 1898, the French encyclopedia Nouveau Larousse Illustre confidently stated, “Astrology has hardly any adherents other than swindlers who play on public credulity and even these are fast disappearing.”(6) However, those who produced this encyclopedia proved no better than latterday prophets at predicting the future, for the twentieth century has witnessed an enormous revival in the occult. Belief in the powers of fortune tellers, tarot cards, crystal balls, palm reading, numerology, astrology, ESP, mental telepathy, witchcraft, demonology, black magic, and other paranormal activity remains as prevalent today as ever, despite the lack of scientific support for such beliefs.

The Prevalence of Astrology

People from all walks of life consult the stars for guidance. An estimated 50 million Americans have starry notions about astrology. “A broadly based Temple University study in the late 1970s indicated that 42 percent of those surveyed said that horoscopes were ‘very scientific’ or ‘sort of scientific.'”(7) It is generally agreed that only a small percentage of those who read their horoscopes actually rely on astrology. However, scientists and religious leaders are concerned that even this is a dangerous trend.

More than half of all teenagers believe in astrology. A recent Gallup Poll found that 55 percent of Americans between the ages of 13 and 18 trust in astrology. This is particularly disturbing to many educators. Paul Kurtz, philosophy professor at the State University of New York, Buffalo, said that if the United States is to maintain it scientific leadership, young people must develop an understanding of the physical universe based upon reliable evidence instead of believing in “outdated mythologies.”(8)

Astrology even is used in making business decisions. According to a recent survey, 48 percent of Wall Street investors admitted that they consulted the stars on buy-sell decisions.(9)

Surveys have found that women are twice as likely as men to believe in astrology and other phenomena. In 1984, Psychology Today magazine said a poll of its readers found that 43 percent of the women acknowledged their belief that the positions of the planets and stars affected their lives, but only 24 percent of the men agreed.(10)

The Appeal of Astrology

What is the appeal of astrology? Why are people so quick to believe? In many ways, the world has grown too large for us, too complicated to understand. We feel overwhelmed by modern life. Astrology acts as an emotional crutch for many. It seems to make the events in life a little more predictable, giving order to a world filled with chaos. It relieves some of our anxiety over the future. It gives each individual a sense of belonging. Moreover, it is fun, mysterious and intriguing.

The human mind is intrigued by mystic connections, and longs to understand the “enfolding weave of synchronicities.”(11) Astrology “offers a seeing of the unseen, and hears pitches of significance that the ear cannot detect. An elaborate counterworld whispers its order into the human mess. “(12) “Periods of resurgence may correspond with times of uncertainty, especially when science and technology seem unable to provide acceptable solutions to pressing problems and when many people seem to seek a more mystical and spiritual mode of understanding the world.”(13)

In our next article, we will see how astrology fails the test of science.

Endnotes

1. Random House Dictionary of the English Language, 2nd Ed. Unabridged, s.v., “Astrology.”

2. Random House Dictionary of the English Language, 2nd Ed. Unabridged, s.v., “Zodiac.”

3. Academic American Encyclopedia (Arte Publishing Co., Inc., Feb. 1987), s.v. “Astrology.” Downloaded from Knowledge Index on July 18, 1988 from the Reference Section (REFRI) Database.

4. Academic American Encyclopedia, s.v., “Astrology.”

5. Academic American Encyclopedia,. s.v. “Astrology.”

6. Daniel Cohen, “Jeane Dixon: Psychic Star of the Year,” Nation, December 13, 1965, p. 472.

7. Curtis J. Silomer, “Astrology’s Allure Seen As Insidious,” The Christian Science Monitor, May 10, 1988, p. 2.

8. UPI News Release, Dateline: Stanford, CA, November 10, 1984 (United Press International, c1988). All UPI articles are downloaded from Knowledge Index on September 4, 1988 from the News Section (NEWS3) Database.

9. UPI News Release, Dateline: Washington, DC, May 11, 1988.

10. UPI News Release, Dateline: New York, NY, August 27, 1984.

11. Lance Morrow, ”The Five-and-Dime Charms of Astrology,” Time, May 16, 1988, p. 100.

12. Morrow, p. 100.

13. Academic American Encyclopedia, s.v. “Astrology.”

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 17, pp. 518-519
September 6, 1990

By Lester A. Doyle, Jr.

The Lord’s Day

Today there are a lot of people confused. Different people have different days and occasions they think are most important to celebrate. But to us, as Christians, this day, the Lord’s day, stands above all. This day we come together in one mind and one body to worship our Lord. On this day we come around our Lord’s table in remembrance of his death.

Before we partake of the bread and the cup, which is the body and the blood of our Savior, we need to read Colossians 1:20-22: “. . . and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and irreproachable in His sight:”

Let us give thanks for the blessings that we have in Christ.

Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 17, p. 523
September 6, 1990