Truth Magazine

By Leon Mauldin

The time has come when we need to know what the Bible teaches.

For too long the church has been plagued with elders who do not know what the Bible teaches. Men have been appointed who were friendly and “mixed well” with folks (sometimes unfortunately somewhat like politicians). Or, have there not been occasions when, because it was observed that one was successful in his business, it was therefore assumed that he would make a good elder? Obviously the question has not always been, “Does this man whom we are considering for the work of an elder know what the Bible teaches?” (Tit. 1:9) Just think what would happen if elders in every church had a real working knowledge of God’s Word. They would be able to apply God’s Word to every situation in life as they went about shepherding God’s people. Isn’t that God’s plan? The time has come when we need elders who know what the Bible teaches!

The time has come when we need preachers who know what the Bible teaches. While topical preaching can be very edifying, there are too many preachers who are unable to take each book of the Bible, and know what its thrust is (theme and purpose, etc.), its major divisions, and give its contents. We need to see the continuity of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. We need to be at home in every part of God’s Word. It is easy for preachers to wind up with huge gaps in their Bible knowledge. Disciplined study will cure that.

The time has come when we need Bible class teachers who know what the Bible teaches. If the Bible class teacher does not understand the theme of the Bible, the unfolding of God’s plan of redemption, and how God’s Word all “fits together”; if he or she does not understand the context of the lesson text, and how that text fits in with the rest of the Bible, how can the teacher communicate these truths to the students? One cannot teach what he himself does not know.

The time has come when parents need to know what the Bible teaches. This has always been God’s plan (Deut. 6:5-7). God has wasted no space in his Word. There is no part of it that we do not need. There is no portion which your children do not need to know, that it might also govern their lives. But how often have we let our children down (and thus let the Lord down) because we as parents have not concerned ourselves enough with the business of knowing what the Bible teaches!

The time has come when we all need to know what the Bible teaches. It is an attainable objective for you to begin with a book of the Bible you are currently studying, and within a matter of weeks be able to tell what the book is about, its major divisions, and give the content of each chapter (from memory, without consulting notes). You can do that with every book of the Bible, by taking one at a time. It has been a joy to me personally to see brethren of varying ages and occupations, undertake this kind of study. We rejoice to see brethren grow in confidence as they surprise themselves at what they can learn and retain.

Knowledge is never an end in itself. But it is essential. For too long folks have tried “short-cuts” that leave out this vital element. But it is knowing with a view to doing that must be stressed. Only when knowledge is translated into action in our hearts and lives is God pleased. Our objective therefore in knowing what the Bible teaches is that we might be better Christians, and better equipped to serve God. Knowing what the Bible teaches will have the effect of making us better husbands and fathers, and better wives and mothers. It will make us better Bible class teachers, better personal workers, and better preachers. When folks think in terms of qualifying men to serve as elders, immediately the course of action is for the preacher to present lessons on the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. This is important, and more teaching on these texts needs to be done. But developing elders is an ongoing work. When a young man can take a book of the Bible, tell you its contents backward and forward (with an equally intense determination to apply it), is he not on the right track in preparing himself to serve as an elder?

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 21, p. 659
November 2, 1989

By Larry Ray Hafley

Think of all the advantages the Ephesian saints possessed. An apostle had founded the church and worked with them for three years (Acts 20:31). After that, Timothy worked with them (1 Tim. 1:3). Some of them “spake with tongues, and prophesied” after the apostle laid his hands upon them (Acts 19:6; cf. 8:18). They had “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 13; 2:6). They had been “sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13). Paul wrote a letter to them. Just imagine that all these things had occurred where you worship! What would your reaction be? How great would be your expectations? Then, suppose the church was active, alive aggressive and that the Lord himself knew of their tireless, tedious toil. What kind of church would it be? Great! Wonderful! Fantastic! Right?

Wrong. The Lord wrote a letter to he Ephesian church described above. With all of their positive aspects and glorious past history, with all of their diligent devotion, listen to what the Lord said to them:

I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent (Rev. 2:2-5).

Kind of scary, is it not? Look at the compliments and the words of praise. They were real, sincere, genuine. What would we say of a church today that was equally enthusiastic and “on fire for the Lord”? Here was a church that was debating false teachers, especially false apostles, and “posed them as “liars.” Note the terms that show hard work; observe their steadfastness, their endurance. How would we describe such a church today? There are no words in our vocabulary sufficient to praise such a congregation! Back to the frightening part – see the words of rebuke. The Lord says, in effect, “I am ready to cease recognizing you as one of my churches” (Rev. 2:5; 1:20b).

It had only been a few years since Paul and Timothy walked and worked among them. They possessed zeal, but they were about to be extinguished. What happened? What was the problem? The Lord said, “Thou hast left thy first love.”

Have you left your first love? It is not enough to charge the church with having done so. Have you left your first love? Pointing fingers is easy. “If we only had a good preacher.” “If we only had elders.” “If we only had other elders.” “If our singing was better.” “If brother and sister Snobby would just leave.” “If only brother and sister Friendly worshiped here instead of across town.” “If only” will not build a strong church. Pointing fingers does not solve problems. Blaming others and hurling excuses only compounds the difficulty. Evidently, the church at Ephesus had all the “if onlys.” They had it all. But the Lord said, “Thou hast left thy first love.”

What Does That Mean?

What does it mean when it says they had left their first love? Consider a marriage. The couple is together. They have a comfortable life. “Things” are essentially good. He has a job. The house runs smoothly most of the time. Meals are on the table. The children are doing fairly well. So, what is the trouble? “I don’t know. I just feel listless, unhappy, unfulfilled. All is well. The same things are going on day after day. Nothing has really changed, but our marriage is dull, dead and boring. ” This imaginary couple is going through the motions. They have left their first love.

It can happen to Christians and to churches. What is the answer? What is the solution? It is not a small thing. It is a serious matter. The marriage partners must renew and rekindle their courtship. They must get back to the basics of love, duty and responsibility. Kindness, courtesy and consideration have ceased. As a result, the marriage is stale, dry and undesirable. So it is with faith. Disciples go through the motions of spirituality. They attend services; they give money; they perform token efforts of “good works.” They draw near the Lord with their mouth; they honor him with their lips, but their heart is far from him. Their worship is vain, empty, lifeless (Matt. 15:8,9). “Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Eph. 5:14). The child of God is commanded to be “renewed in the spirit of (his) mind,” and to be “transformed by the renewing of (his) mind” (Eph. 4:23; Rom. 12:2).

You will search in vain for a “spiritual high. ” There is no cure to be found in a “Pentecostal Pep Pill.” There is no shot that some religious “Doctor” can inject that will give you a “boost” from your lethargy and apathy. You must seize the initiative, “and Christ shall give you light.” Quit blaming others. Repent. Pray fervently and frequently. Feed on God’s word. Seek to serve and save others. You will be better in no time.

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 22, pp. 675-676
November 16, 1989

By Randy Cavender

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things yes, the deep things, of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of man which Is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not In words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual (1 Cor. 2:10-12).

After reading this passage of Scripture, would it not be fair to say there are some things that God wants us to know? The Bible was written so all could understand its message. Paul wrote, “. . . how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I wrote before in a few words, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets” (Eph. 3:3-5). God has a message that he wants all to understand. God’s word is plain and simple. Man’s eternal well being depends on those things that God has given in his word! I would like to show you what God’s simple message to man is. What are some things that God wants us to know?

1. God wants us to know that he desires all people to be saved. “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezek. 33:11) This was God’s message to the children of Israel! Does it sound like God hated his people? Certainly God hates all sin, but he does love the sinner and his desire is that all men will be saved! Paul wrote to Timothy, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:3,4). Sinner friend, God will not accept you while you persist in your sinful ways, but if you will turn from your past life of sin through humble obedience to God’s will, he will then graciously accept you as his child. My friends, God wants to save you! Why not let him?

2. God wants us to know where salvation is! Have you ever thought about where salvation is? No, I am not speaking of any certain countries, states or towns. I am speaking of Christ Jesus. You must be in Christ in order to be saved! Peter revealed, “Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10-12). The plain, simple truth of the gospel is that salvation is in, and only in, Christ Jesus, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn. 14:6). Salvation is not in man or any of man’s devices (including denominationalism)! Without Christ, there would be nowhere to go for salvation (Jn. 6:63-68)!

3. God wants us to know how to get into his Son. God has not given us his only Son and then not told us how to get in him. No Bible-believing person would deny the fact that one must be in Christ to be saved! However, there is disagreement on how one gets into Christ. All we must do is go to God’s word and read what God has said about the matter. God is not the author of confusion and he has given us just two verses of Scripture that teach us what we must do to get into Christ. Romans 6:34 – “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Also Galatians 3:26,27 “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” There you have it, the only two passages that teach us how to get into Christ where salvation is! No, this is not to say that faith, repentance, or confession is less important! But it is what God said must be done. Will you not follow the will of God?

4. God wants us to know that we must continue in Christ in order to be saved. It is not enough to get into Christ and then depart. Those of us who are Christians must live our lives in Christ Jesus. Please notice some of the passages that show this. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 8:1). There should be no doubt in our minds about this point! I must continue in the steps of Christ to be saved! In fact, Jesus himself reveals to us how this is to be done. “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed'” (Jn. 8:31). As I abide in God’s word, obeying his commands, I am in the Son of God, where salvation is! Are you abiding in God’s Son?

5. God wants us to know the consequences of disobedience to his will. “Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me” (Prov. 1:24-28). Oh how sad it will be for those who have refused to come and humbly submit to God! As we mentioned earlier, God is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Pet. 3:9), but we must consider the severity of God (Rom. 11:22). Are you prepared to meet God in judgment? If you are not in Christ, you’re unprepared! If you are not continuing in Christ, you will be lost eternally! The desire of God, his Son, and all Christians is that sinners will freely submit themselves to God in humble obedience. But be it known that if you refuse to come to God, you will be punished with everlasting destruction (2 Thess. 1:8,9)!

You see, the Bible was given to us in order that we might know the mind of God! God has revealed all of these things to us. Indeed let us all be thankful to God for “the grace of God that brings salvation” (Tit. 2:12).

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 22, pp. 673, 695
November 16, 1989

By Lowell Sallee

For a man to serve in the office (work) of a deacon he must meet the qualifications given by the Holy Spirit. These qualifications are listed in Acts 6:1-6 and I Timothy 3:8-13. First, let’s take a closer look at the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.

1 Timothy 3:8-13

For one to serve in the office of a deacon, he must first of all be a man. The Scripture says, “Likewise must the deacons. . . ” (1 Tim. 3:8) and “likewise” indicates that the subjects that Paul is addressing are men, which he introduced in 1 Timothy 3:1, “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office. . . . ” The New American Standard Version (NASB) says, “Deacons likewise must be men of dignity” (1 Tim. 3:8). We see further that deacons are men when the Holy Spirit says, “Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:12). A women then cannot serve in the office of a deacon.

Deacons must be grave (1 Tim. 3:8, KJV) or “men of dignity” (NASB). The Greek word is semnous which means “august, venerable, reverend; to be venerated for character, honorable. ” A deacon must then be an honorable man; one that is serious, dignified.

Deacons are not to be double-tongued (1 Tim. 3:8). In the Greek, the phrase is ma dilogous (ma – “not, by no means, never at any time”; dilogous – “double-tongued, double in speech, saying one thing with one person, another with another (with intent to deceive).” Thus a deacon is not to be a tale-bearer, but rather a straight-forward man and by no means a gossip.

A man that is qualified to serve in the office of a deacon is not given to (or addicted to, NASB) much wine” (1 Tim. 3:8). In the Greek the phrase is, ma oino pollo prosechontas (ma – “not, by no means; never at any time”; oino – “wine”; polio – “abundant, plenteous, much”; prosechontas – “to be given or addicted to”). The literal meaning of the phrase is “not to be addicted to much wine.” A man cannot be a deacon if he is a wine, beer, and/or whiskey drinker, whether it be social or privately in one’s own home.

A deacon is not greedy of filthy lucre (fond of sordid gain, NASB) (1 Tim. 3:8). The Greek says ma aischrokerdas (ma -“No, by no means; never at any time”; aischrokerdas – “eager for base gain; sordid”). The idea is, a deacon is not to be a man who loves money to the point of being dishonest and greedy.

A deacon is one that is holding the mystery of the faith in a pure (clear, NASB) conscience” (1 Tim. 3:9). He is one that is standing firm in the faith of Jesus Christ and his conscience is one of conviction and application of the faith. The deacon is a man that is completely trustworthy and pure toward every scriptural doctrine and practice.

The Holy Spirit says that before a man may serve in the office of a deacon he must first be (tested, NASB) proved (1 Tim. 3:10). The Greek is de dokimazo proton (de C 6 also, moreover, also”; dokimazo – “to test, examine, prove, scrutinize”; proton – “first, at the first, in order of time”). We should be very careful who is appointed to serve as a deacon. The church should know the man well enough to have “tested” and “proved” him to be qualified. Do you know him well enough to know if he is or is not qualified? Is he a worker? Is he willing to work? We must understand that not just any man will do.

A deacon must be blameless or beyond reproach (1 Tim. 3: 10). The Greek word anepilampton means “one against whom no evil charge can be sustained; one who is above an established charge of evil.” Please understand that if there is a charge, it must be “established.” Paul said, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Cor. 13:1).

Deacons are to be the husbands of one wife (1 Tim. 3:12). If a man’s wife dies and he remarries, he still is the husband of one wife (Rom. 7:1-3). If a man has scripturally put away his wife for the cause of adultery, and then remarries, he’s still the husband of one wife (Matt. 19:9). Understanding, however, that deacons’ wives have qualifications too (1 Tim. 3:11).

Deacons are married men that are ruling (good managers) their children and their own houses well (1 Tim. 3:12). The Greek is proistamenon which means “to set over, to be over, to rule, to superintend; to preside over.” The Holy Spirit did not say that the deacon’s children had to be Christians. This implies that deacons are generally going to be younger men whose families are still young. However, the deacon must have his family under control.

Acts 6:3

Now, let’s turn our attention to the qualifications that are found in Acts 6:3. The Scripture says, “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among, you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint &er this business.”

Deacons must be men of honest report or good reputation (NASB). Deacons are men that both in the community and the Lord’s kingdom have lived such a life as to have a “good reputation.” Some men do not have good reputations because of bad business dealings or immoral conduct. A deacon must be above all these types of charges.

A deacon is one that is full of the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that a deacon must have miraculous abilities. It does mean that he “be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). All Christians are to be filled with the Spirit, that is, guided by the Spirit of God. Deacons must possess, as all Christians should, the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

A deacon must possess wisdom. Wisdom is a necessary quality for any office or work. Deacons must be men of practical knowledge and ability that can and will get the job done.

Conclusion

These qualifications were given by the Holy Spirit for a purpose, God’s purpose of attending to the physical needs of the local church. The men that serve in the office of a deacon must be qualified men. “For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 3:13).

The Lord built the church and gave it a work to do. To accomplish that work, God ordained the offices of elder, deacon, and evangelist. Each of these offices is to be filled by a scripturally qualified man who desires to serve the Lord. To serve as a deacon in the Lord’s church is one of high honor and one that each member of the body of Christ should respect. Let us all respect and honor God’s Word and his work.

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 22, pp. 680-681
November 16, 1989