A TEXT IN CONTEXT

Edward Fudge

"Christ sent me not to baptize" (I Cor. 1:17)

This text is frequently quoted to minimize baptism

in the Gospel order of things. It is taken out of con

text and given a meaning not intended by the Apos

tle. A study of the surrounding verses shows both

the misinterpretation and the correct point of the

verse.

The Corinthians had many problems. This epistle was written to correct some of them, probably inresponse to a letter from Corinth (7:1), as well aspersonal reports from various individuals there (1:11; 5:1; 16:17). Perhaps we would not even have recognized this church as a church of Christ. Yet Paul addresses them as "sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints" (1:2). But he sternly rebukes them and warns them of their fate unless they repent and reform.

The Situation at Corinth

Chapters 1-4 deal with a worldly pride in humanwisdom and a pride in human teachers. Paul says the Corinthians have actually "taken sides" with different men. One group says "We are of Paul." Another says "We are of Apollos." Others say "We are of Cephas" [Peter's Aramaic name]. And some seem to have been claiming Christ as their personal property as if He did not belong to every Christian. They said "We are of Christ" (see 1:11-12).

Paul reproves them for this division (1:10-11).

"Is Christ divided ?" he asks. "Was Paul crucified for

you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?"

(1:13). The answer to each question is No! Christ

belongs to every Christian and every Christian be

longs to Christ (3:21-23). And every Christian

should say only "I am of Christ," not "I am of Paul"

(or Apollos, or Peter, or Luther, or Wesley, or Calvin

or Campbell).

"Sent Not to Baptize"

In this context, and because of their foolish pride

in men, Paul says, "I thank God that I baptized none

of you, but Crispus and Gaius." And then he explains

why. "Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name" (1:14-15). The important thing is

not WHO baptized you, but INTO WHOM you were

baptized.

Christ sent apostles and evangelists to preach the gospel, and only then to baptize — in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Matt. 28:18-19). Paul, too, was sent primarily to preach Chr ist andHim crucified (1:17-18; 2:2). Others could personally administer baptism to those who responded infaith to the preaching. Yet on occasion Paul himself had done the baptizing also. He had baptized Crispus, Gaius and the household of Stephanus at Corinth (1:14-15). In the case of the confused Corinthians, he was glad that his personal baptizing had beenlimited. They thought they were baptized into a relationship with Paul instead of Jesus! (This is not as strange as it first sounds when we know that there were various pagan "mystery" religions in that area who practiced a sort of "initiation baptism" whichlinked the one undergoing it to the one performing it. See Kummel, Intro, to the N.T.; Arndt & Gingrich, Lexicon, p. 575.)

T his epistle does not minimize baptism for the

right purpose. It says that baptism was prefigured in

the Old Testament (10:1,2). It says that baptism is

grounded in the power (or authority) of the Holy

Spirit, and is common to every true Christian

(12:13). It says baptism is "into one body" — the

church, the Body of Christ (12:13).

Baptism in the New T estament is not the fir st

thing or most important. It has sometimes been over

emphasized in the history of the church, when men

put trust in it as an act instead of in the faith which

prompts it or the Chr ist who commands it.

But far more frequently it has been minimized or even ignored by those who put trust in faith "only,"

and who did not understand that faith must show

itself in works of obedience if it is a SAVING faith

and not a DEAD one (see Rom. 1:5; 16:26; Col. 2:12;

Jas. 2:20-24).

Let us take all the Bible says and not just a part.

And let us always seek to study the Scriptures in

their context, instead of merely grabbing phrases

here and there which appeal to our personal opinions

or preconceived notions. Only this will help us or

please God.

944 S. Geyer,

Kirkwood, Mo. 63122

STOP! LOOK! LISTEN!

We are faced, even bombarded, today, with curious regularity, by headlines and ideas such as "Bachelor (unwed — RK) Moms Keep Babies," "Experiments in Marriage," "The Youth Communes: New Way of Living Confronts the U.S.," "Generation Gap," "Ecumenism" (among denominations,also among some liberal Christians), "No inspired authority in faith and morals," etc., etc

There is the continuing need for religious publications which will stand for a "thus saith the Lord" on all i ues and which are designed to help folkstudy the Bible. Searching The Scriptures is such a publication.

Searching The Scriptures, at present a monthlpublication, has no superior in its aims and devotion to God's truth. Please consider some of these aims:

1. It aims to be provocative and positive — but not radical; 2. it aims to be scholarly in research andwriting — yet be easily understood by every reader;

3. it aims to question teachings which are at variance with God's word — yet not set itself up as the Divine authoritative standard; 4. it aims to step ontoes that need stepping on — yet give encouragement to every sincere, devoted soul; 5. it aims to discuss a wide range of subjects — that everyonemay be aided in receiving as broad a knowledge andunderstanding of God's will as po ible; and, 6. iaims to instill a conviction of and love for the truth

— yet not encourage unreasonable positions. Theeditor of Searching The Scriptures, brother H. E. Phillips, is not only a safe and sound teacher of the truth but is a man of strong convictions in regard to God's will.

My brother, sister, friend, you NEED SearchingThe Scriptures; the cost is minimal compared to the many other needs that you take care of; RIGHT NOW is the best time to sit down and send your subscription in for Searching The Scriptures. $3.00 per year.

— Rhymer H. Knight

A CHANGE OF HEART

Crime in all forms has been on the increase for more than twenty-five years. We will never solve the problem with legislation and police force. Wecan and should suppress it by enforcing law anorder, but the general picture will not be changeuntil we change the hearts of people. Jesus said,"But those things which proceed out of the mouthcome forth from the heart; and they defile the man.For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witne , blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man:but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man" (Matt. 15:18-20). He also said to lay up treasure inheaven and not upon earth, "for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:21)."Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the i ues of life" (Prov. 4:23). "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." (Prov. 23:7). "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directed his steps" (Prov. 16:9).

If we ask why murders, riots, and destruction ofproperty are on the increase, we must answer that the hearts of these people are set upon this sort of life. Why? Because of the influences and impressions made upon their hearts by evil forces. Most of them have never been shown the good way of thLord. They know little or nothing of God's word. Today nearly everything is framed in a setting osex, usually leaving the impression of favoring illicit sex relations. Nudity, profane and vulgar language are seen and heard in nearly all areas of entertainment. Drunkenne , dope addiction, and wild hippie-type parties are shown through nearly all news media in a mildly approved setting, or at the best with indifference. Men and women in powerful and influential positions in government, education, entertainment, and even religion are caught cheating, stealing, lying, adultery, drunkenne , rioting, andeven murder, and the average man just smiles and says, "E ver ybody does it; it could happen tanyone."

A dark, pe imistic picture, you say? Yes, but it is true. It is a very real problem in society today andno one can deny it. It is axiomatic that every effect has a cause. Until we know where the problem originates and begin to do something about it, things will grow worse.

Since man's conduct originates in his heart, it is obvious that his heart must be changed in order to really change his conduct. "A good man out of thegood treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil, for othe abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh" (Luke 6:45). Why do young men and women acceptthe low standards of morality, become criminals and act like wild animals ? It is because of what they see,hear and read. Certain publishers are making millions on pornography, novels on sex orgies and crime. Movie producers are seducing millions of young people by actually showing nudity and adultery on thescreen. Television is almost entirely sex oriented;comedy, drama, and personality shows are builtaround illicit sex and sin, and are shown in the most favorable light

The entertainment industry has decided that one of the greatest causes of violence in America is the impre ion left upon the young and old by television programs that show violence. They realize that what people see and hear they think and do. Why can notthey realize that immorality, broken marriages,unwed mothers, venereal diseases, dope addiction,and nudity are the results of the same impressions made upon the heartsof people ?

Satan works through lust of the heart and such are lost to God. "Wherefore God also gave them upto uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts,to dishonour their own bodies between themselves" (Rom. 1:24). They are "alienated from the life ofGod through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" (Eph. 4:18). Persistent sin hardens the heart so that it is impenitenttoward God (Rom. 2:5). The continual sin of Israel is pictured in these words: "By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: for this people's heart is waxed gro , and their ears are dull of hearing, andtheir eyes they have closed; lest at any time theshould see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them" (Matt.13:14,15)

The function of the heart is divided into three parts, not considering the conscience. The intellect is that part which thinks (Matt. 9:4), reasons (Mark 2:8), understands (Matt. 13:15), and believes(Rom. 10:9,10). This function depends entirely uponevidence received through the senses. The strongest impressions are made through sight and hearing

The process of thinking and reasoning acts uponthe emotion. Desire is created by the thought process stimulated by impressions made upon the intellect. Love and hate, sorrow and rejoicing, are emotional actions of the heart that grow out ofreasoning upon something seen or heard. The heart may be "pricked" by what one hears and believes. Those on Pentecost who heard Peter tell of Christ were "pricked in their heart" and this resulted in their cr y: "What shall we do?" T he emotion of"love" for sin results in "hate" for righteousness;the "love" for truth and righteousness will result in "hate" for every evil way. Whatever the emotionalstate of the heart, it is produced by hearing, seeing,understanding, reasoning and believing

The will is a function of the heart that normallygrows out of our emotional state. One may "resist" (Matt. 28:27) because of his feelings (emotion)about a certain thing. Sin is a matter of will. Because of the pleasure and joy of sinful practices, manwill not see, hear and understand, lest they changtheir minds (will) and obey the truth (Matt. 15:1719). The heart intends — plans, purposes — the conduct of life and the words of mouth (Heb. 4:12;II Cor. 9:7; Acts 11:23)

What one deliberately does, good or bad, he does by his own will. His will to do or not do a certain thing is the direct result of his "feelings" (emotion) regarding the matter. His love, desire and rejoicingwill lead him to will to do that thing. His hate, condemnation and sorrow will lead him to will to oppose the thing. His "feelings" are created by the function of his intellectual powers which are brought intooperation by what one sees, hears and reads.

The real cause of sin is the impression made uponthe heart by the "god of this world" who blinds the minds of them which believe not (II Cor. 4:4), "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that nowworketh in the children of disobedience" (Eph. 2:2).Sin is pictured as a beautiful life of "freedom" and "happiness" that can never be realized by followingthe word of God. The heart of the person who accepts this will act in accord with his acceptance of right and wrong. The only way to change his life is to change his heart. The only power in this world to change the heart from sin is the living word of God; not a part of it, not a perverted version, but all ofit and nothing more.

The good and honest heart seeks for truth. When he finds it he will accept it and enjoy a life never before realized. The heart is purified by faith (Acts 15:9), by obeying the truth (I Pet. 1:22), bfleeing youthful lusts and following r ighteousness (II Tim. 2:22).

Do you really believe a normal young man owoman can sincerely abhor the emphasis on sinful sex indulgence, despise the nudity and vulgarity so common today, the unlawful rioting and rebellion of many today, and the immoral conduct of peoplein high places? Well, they can! Thousands do. The reason is that they have been taught what is goodand right. They have received this into the "goodand honest heart" and out of love for good, and thedesire to serve God, they will "flee also youthfulusts" and "follow righteousness, faith, charity,peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (II Tim. 2:22).

If you are one who considers this person who follows the will of God "a square" you are right! He is just as square as the word of God. He is just square enough to make this world a little better because he has passed this way. He is just square enough tosave some soul from eternal hell. He is just square enough to reject this philosophy of life that is "so round, so firm, so fully packed" with sin and iniquity!

My brother and friend, the best contribution yocan make to society today to make this a better world in which to live, and to make life healthier and happier, and to save millions from an untimeldeath and hell is to feed the hearts of as many aspo ible with the word of God. Give your children something to read besides filthy magazines. Provide yourself with reading material that will make yothink in clean and right channels. Offer your relatives, friends and neighbors something to read that will expose the filthy trash upon which their hearts are fed through most avenues of communication,and give them something righteous to think about.

Searching The Scriptures is devoted to encouraging a study of the word of God. It is designed tprovoke study on the part of each individual and tomake him think, believe, love and practice the righteousness revealed in God's word. You can do much at a little cost to help yourself and those you know. Subscribe to this magazine today for only $3.00 per year for a single subscription. Send it into four homes for only $10.00. You can send as many as 30 subscriptions for one year for the low cost of $2.00each, paid at one time, $60.00, or at the rate of $5.00 per month. T his is below the cost of the paper, but we want to do good and you can help by increasingthe circulation of this paper.

Send a club of four today for only $10.00, or send the names and addresses of 30 and pay $5.00 per month for one year. 65 subscr iptions may be sent for only $10.00 per month. Just remember, we willnot change the deplorable conditions in society untilwe change the hearts of people. We will not changethe hearts until we provide something to read andstudy besides that which is supplied in abundanceon news stands and bookstores today. We believyou need this magazine. Thousands need your help,and we need your help. Send your subscriptions today.

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QUESTION: Why was Barnabas called an apostle in Acts 14:14? I understand that Paul was an apostle in addition to the twelve chosen by Jesus, butwere there others ? — A. B.

ANSWER: The above questions grow out of failure to understand the meaning of the word "apostle" and its use in the New Testament.

The word "apostle" is from the Greek word "apos

tolos" and, literally, means "one sent forth" (W. E.

Vine).

During our Lord's earthly ministry he chose twelve men and sent them forth under the "Limited Commi ion" (Matt. 10:5-7) and, later, the "Great Commi ion" (Matt 28:16-20). Because Judas "btransgression fell" (Acts 1:25), and, therefore,could not carry out his "part of this ministry"(Acts 1:17) Matthias was chosen to take his place(Acts 1:15-26). That his appointment as an apostle met with divine approval is clearly indicated from the Scriptures. It was in fulfillment of prophec(Acts 1:20). The Holy Spirit through the inspired historian, Luke, counted twelve apostles on Pentecost (Acts 2:14) and again through Paul in a letter to Corinth (I Cor. 15:5). All of these possessed the qualifications of Acts 1:21,22. They were able to"witne ," in the primary sense of that term — bear "first hand" testimony — to the fact of his resurrection. Their intimate association with Jesus both before and after death enabled them to know beyonddoubt that the one they saw after his resurrection was the same one they had known so well beforehis death.

To the above list of apostles must be added another, namely, Paul. He was not made an apostle of Christ in the natural way (Acts 1:21,22), but was, nevertheless, qualified to "witne ," in the primary sense of that word, to the resurrection of Jesus byvirtue of his miraculous experience on the Damascus road (Acts 22:14,15; 26:15-18). Thus, he becamean apostle of Christ "as one born out of due time" (I Cor. 15:8). The marginal reading says, "Or, an abortive" birth. In other words, he was not made an apostle in the natural way. Neverthele , he was an apostle of Christ, primarily to the Gentiles, endowedwith full apostolic authority (Rom. 11:13; I Cor. 1:1; 9:1,2; II Cor. 1:1; 11:5; 12:11; Gal. 1:1). Thus,Paul, together with the twelve, served in the apostolic office with certain qualifications, endowments,and responsibilities peculiar to "this ministry" assigned by the Lord. They were His apostles — He sent them forth — with a definite yet comprehensive

mission, the fullness of which we will not discuss here.

T he wor d "apostle" is also applied to other men in the New T estament. T his does not mean that they were apostles of Christ — of the apostolic office ap-pointed by Christ, but rather, one whowas "sent forth" by men, or by a church, or by some other power. There were times when Paul distinguished himself from such, e.g., Gal. 1:1.Again, in Heb. 3:1 it is used of Jesus Christ. Hewas "sent forth" from God. In Acts 13:3,4 wefind that "Barnabas and Saul" were "sent forth" by the Holy Spirit and the chur ch in Antioch. Nodoubt, this is the sense in which the wor d "apostle" is used in the verse sub-mitted by our querist. Paul, in addition to being an apostle in the sense her e under consider ation, was also an apostle of Christ along with the twelve. When Paul distinguished himself from the apostles of men in Gal. 1:1, he was talking about apostolic author ity r eceived from Chr ist. Indeed, this wasnot of men!

Sometimes the word translated "messenger" is from the same Greek word elsewhere translated "apostle" — e.g., II Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25. Hence,in the light of the original text, the men here referred to were also apostles. This is true, because they were "sent forth" by the churches.

NO MORE WAR?

L. A. Mott, Jr.

Consider two passages:

... and they shall beat their swor ds into plow

shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they lear n war any mor e (I sa.

2:4b-c).

Beat your plowshares into swords, and your

pruning-hooks into spears (Joel 3:10a). What is ther e about these passages to keep them from clashing?Is there a difference in the time to which theyapply? No. Joel is speaking of the Christian era. Consider "afterward" (in 2:28) which Peter explains as "in the last days" (Acts 2:17), and compare "in those days, and in that time" (Joel 3:1) and "in that day" (3:18). Isaiah also is speaking of "the latter days" (2:2). Therefore, both passages r elated to the same period.Is there a difference in the place or the realm in which the passages apply? Yes. And this is the key. Isaiah is speaking of the church, God's spiritual house (I Cor. 3:16), "the house of the God of Jacob," and of the peace that would obtain in the kingdom of God (cf Eph. 2:11-22). In this r ealm nations would not go to war to settle differences but would submit them to the judgment of God. But Joel is speaking of conditions outside this spiritual realm — i.e., affairs among thenations of the world. No other explanation of these passages will avoid a conflict between them.Therefore. Isaiah 2:4 is not a pr ediction of politi-cal peace on earth. Box 155 Romulus, Mich. 48174

NATURAL DIVISIONS OF PALESTINE

Palestine is a small country. Turned sideways across the state of Florida, Western Palestine, theterritory between the Mediterranean Sea and theRiver Jordan, would fit easily into the central part of the state.

To be more specific, the distance from Dan to Beersheba, i.e., from north to south, is slightly less than 150 miles, and east to west the land var ies in size from 28 miles across at the Sea of Galilee to 54 miles across between Gaza and the Dead Sea.

In Palestine one sees an amazingly rich variety oflandscape. Modern means of transportation wouldmake it po ible to crowd into one busy day an early morning swim in the beautiful Mediterranean, astroll through the market place in Jerusalem, a drive through the barren wilderness of Judea to Jericho and the Dead Sea, a drink from Jacob's well, a meal of delicious fish by the Sea of Galilee, and a refreshing rest at the end of the day on snow-capped Mt. Hermon, hushed to sleep by the rippling sound ofrushing waters beginning their long descent into the Jordan Valley

In ancient times, however travel was difficult andslow. The mountains, the rivers, the marsh lands,and the desert impeded progress. Robbers, scorpions,snakes, and wild beasts inhabited the desolate places. Although Palestine may seem small to the modern traveler, the land was large enough to dwarf its inhabitants.

The easiest way to describe this country is by means of the four traditionally famous vertical divisions: (1) the Coastal Plain, (2) the Central Highlands, (3) the Jordan Valley and (4) Transjordan.

The Coastal Plain

This plain stretches along the entire coastline ofPalestine and is broken only by Mt. Carmel, thplace where Elijah encountered the prophets of Baal (I Kings 18:17-40). An ancient Egyptian inscription refers to Palestine as the "Land of the Gazelle's Nose." The Egyptians may have given this name to the land because of the way Mt. Carmel protrudes into the Sea.

Phoenicia

North of Mt. Carmel the Coastal Plain is narrow and unsuitable for extensive agricultural pursuits. In ancient times it was occupied by the Phoenicians,a people who engaged extensively in trade and commerce. The Phoenicians were valiant seamen who turned their attention westward across the Mediterranean.

The two great cities of Phoenicia were Sidon andType, both of which were prominent in the Old Testament. Since Israel had no adequate harbors south of Carmel, its kings depended heavily on these northern ports. The Phoenicians were accomplished artisans in addition to being masters of the sea. KinSolomon enlisted both Phoenician sailors to helman his navy that operated out of the Gulf of Aqabah on the Red Sea (I Kings 9:26-28) and Phoenician craftsmen to help build the Temple in Jerusalem (I Kings chs. 5-7)

The Israelites never ruled over Phoenicia, but the prophets predicted the complete overthrow of Sidon and Tyre (Isa. 23:1-18; Ezek. 26:1-28:26). Todaythese cities that once bustled with business lie in ruins.

"COMMON," (KOINOS)Cognate Words

As it was observed in a previous article on theword "holy," the Greek adjective "common"

(koinos) is also a member of a rather large family

There are several of the so-called koin words: "com

mon," "participant," "fellowship," "one who shares."

Of course, there are also verb forms such as "to make

common," etc. Such words as "distribution," ad

"contribution" are sometimes found as translation!

of the noun "fellowship" (koinonia), inasmuch as the

contribution was looked upon as an outward expres

sion of the inward koinonia.

Koinos in Secular Greek

In secular Greek, koinos was descriptive of things

and of men. In the former sense, koinos was the op

posite of the term idios ("belonging to one," "one's

own"). Hence, if something was koinos it could be

owned by others, or shared with others. The term

was especially used in reference to legal matters.

Property shared by a husband and wife might b

described as koinos. Philosophically, information or

ideas shared by all might be described as koinos.

There is a great deal of secular Greek literature

regarding the idea of a common sharing of the goods

of society. (For further study of the foregoing

thoughts, one might consult vol. 3 of Kittel's Theo

logical Dictionary of the New Testament.)

As it will be seen shortly in this study, in BiblicalGreek the adjective koinos is used, religiously, as the opposite of the term hagios ("holy"). When it is soused it might be translated "profane." I have notfound this use of koinos in secular Greek.

In secular Greek, when koinos is used of men it

denotes "participant," etc. A related word (koinonos)

is used in this manner in the New Testament.

Koinos in the Bible

As in secular Greek, the Bible uses koinos as the opposite of idios (one's own) ; hence, something that is koinos is something that is not exclusively theproperty of one person. Consequently, we read of the "common" faith, T itus 1:4; the "common" salvation,Jude 3; "common" possessions, Acts 2:44; 4:32. This last passage is especially good as an example of the opposite meanings inherent in koinos and idios. The early Christians did not look upon their possessions as strictly idios (belonging to them exclusively), but,to the contrary, their possessions were looked upon

as koinos (sharable)

As it was noted earlier, koinos was used in a reli

gious sense as the opposite of hagios ("holy") ; that

is, something that was hagios belonged to God or to

God's service, whereas something that was koinos

could be used by man, provided that it was "clean."

See this religious sense of koinos ("profane") in Rev.

21:27; Heb. 10:29, etc.

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HOW THE CHURCH WAS ORGANIZED

One of the most remarkable characteristics of the apostolic church was the unity which existed in the Jerusalem church at the beginning. Expressions describing this unity are: "All that believed were together," "with one accord," and "with gladness and singleness of heart."

T hat it might function effectively as a united body, God ordained a simple and adequate plan or organization for each local body of Christians. Forexample, we read, "Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Chr ist, to all the saints in Chr ist Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons" (Phil. 1:1). The Lord's plan was that men meeting certain qualifications (I Tim. 3) were to be appointedto serve as elders or bishops in each church. These men were to oversee, guide, teach, and protect themembers of the congregation. They were assisted by the deacons (I Tim. 3:8-13).

The evangelistic program of the apostolic church involved going, preaching the gospel, converting thelost to Christ, confirming them in the faith, and organizing them into congregations in each community. "And when they had ordained them elders in every church . . ." (Acts 14:23). "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in everycity" (Titus 1:5). There was a plurality of elders in each church. The New Testament does not provide for any human being or combination of men to govern God's people other than the elders of the localchurch, and they serve under the authority of Christ (Acts 20:32). The work of elders is clearly outlineand circumscribed in the New Testament. They are limited to the flock among them; the flock over which they have been appointed (I Pet. 5:2; Acts 20:28)

Men have always been impatient with the simplicity of this scriptural organization and have dreamed up all kinds of boards, synods and conferences toexercise control over congregations or areas. The Bible knows nothing of a pope, cardinal, diocesan or state bishop, or brotherhood eldership. Any such attempt on the part of anyone to supervise, control,or meddle in the affairs of local congregations is unscriptural. Good men may properly exercise influence throughout the church or world througteaching and godly living, but this does not implyany right to govern, supervise, or control.

In the universal sense, the church cannot function,for it has no organization through or by which ican be activated. Therefore, any attempt to activate the congregations of a county, state, or the world through one organization (either a board or a congregation) is without divine authority

The work of the church is evangelism, edification,and benevolence. The local congregation, with its bishops and deacons, is all-sufficient to provide andoversee all the essentials in doing this work, and,therefore, must not work through any otherorganization.

Brethren and friends, let us not stumble over the simplicity of God's arrangement. His plan will work,if we will work His plan!

THE NASHVILLE DENOMINATIONALCHURCH OF CHRIST

For the last several months I have been reviewing a sermon which was preached on May 12, 1968, bbrother John McRay at the Otter Creek Road church in Nashville, Tenn. This sermon is full of liberalism and my purpose in this review has been to point outjust how far some of the liberal minded brethren have gone. With this article I bring to a close the review of the above mentioned sermon.

Speaking about unity McRay says, "It seems to me that if we ever hope to achieve the kind of unitywe have preached across the years, we are obligatedto come with some willingness to make conce ions ourselves; not simply to find people who are willingto give up all their opinions and accept ours. It is a matter of finding out what we can understand andfeel in common. How much are we willing to give upin the interest of unity ? ... We are talking aboutraditions, customs, mores, opinions. How much of our tradition would we be willing to forego in thinterest of uniting the brethren ? .. . I am sayinthat unless we are willing to lay something on theline as Paul did, something of our traditions, we can talk unity all we want but nobody is listening. Wemust be willing to come half way.... It does means that there needs to be a willingness to surrender opinions and traditions in the interest of unity."

McRay also said, "That does not mean a surrender of what God has commanded. It does not mean a surrender of any item of faith, no surrender of any'thus saith the Lord'."

The reader needs to keep in mind that McRay italking with a person from the Christian Church. He is talking with one from a denomination. What has been said has been said concerning denominationalism.

Note that McRay thinks in order to have unity with denominationalism that Christians must make some concessions. What shall we concede? He saysopinions, but I ask what opinions ? He says we mustgive up something in order to have unity. We are to come half way in order to have unity with thdenominations. And yet he says we must not giveup a 'thus saith the Lord.'

It is not opinions that have us and the religious world divided. It is a 'thus saith the Lord' that divides. Whether a church meets in a wood structure or brick is a matter of opinion. In most sections of the country it is tradition that church buildings are made out of red brick. But this does not divide us. We are divided over what day to have the Lord's Supper and we stay with the Bible, Acts 20:7. Should we make some conce ion and come half way on this point in order to have unity with the world ? We are divided over whether baptism saves. We believe thBible, Mark 16:16. Are we to come half way anmake a conce ion in order to have unity with thdenominations? We sing as the Bible directs, Eph.

5:19 and Col. 3:16. But most denominations have instrumental music. Are we to make conce ions here and come half way in order to have unity withthe sects? We believe the Bible teaching that there is one church, Matt. 16:18; Eph. 4:4; 1:22-23. Sectarianism is thankful to God for so many churches. Are we to concede and come half way in order to be united on this point? Denominations have speciadays, but we believe the Bible teaching on such, Gal.4:10-11. Can we desert New Testament teaching andobserve Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, PalSunday, Mother's Day, etc., with the denominations ?

McRay says we should not give up a 'thus saith the Lord' but should give up our opinions and traditions. Now what is he speaking about? What opinions? What traditions? Gospel preachers do notpreach their opinion and tradition. Gospel preachers preach the gospel (I Cor. 15:1-4; II Tim. 4:1-4). Itseems McRay is more interested in being united withthe denominations than he is in pleasing Go(Gal. 1:10).

Denominationalism has moved away from New Testament teaching. If they want unity, then lethem come back to the word of God, the common standard of religious authority, and then all will bunited. When I stand on New T estament teachinand everybody else does the same, we are united and we didn't have a unity meeting to get united. It is just that simple

What McRay and other of the liberal preachers and churches have done is to give up a 'thus saith the Lord' in order to be nearer the denominations. T hey have so compromised the gospel of Jesus Christ that in some instances it is hard to tell much difference between them and the sects. A lot of the sermons preached by liberals are so weak and watered down that they could be preached in most anydenomination without any objection. How long has it been since you have heard a liberal preacher preach Mark 16:16 and oppose the world and her denominations? Just take McRay for an examplehow long has it been since he preached on Mark

16:16 and really pointed out the error of denominationalism? How long has it been since he calledupon some denominational preacher to defend his position of 'faith only'? I know the answer. Why is this so? Because these denominational-minded preachers in the church are seeking to make thchurch into the biggest denomination on earth. The denominations are beginning to recognize this andaward the church for her departures from the faith.

With so much modernism taking over the churches, it is time that some of the preachers who have been saying they are not taking sides come forth, take the New Testament and get in the battlefor truth. It will not make one popular, but it will save the church of the Lord. These preachers need to be 'neutral against' the modernism in the church.

We would the liberal brethren would return, butsince they are going further down the stream of denominationalism, they must be opposed (Gal. 2).

ARGUMENTS ADVANCED IN PROOF

OF EVOLUTION Natural Selection (No. 4) ITS INADEQUACY. (No. 2) Prof. Paul Kammerer

of Vienna and Prof. E. W. MacBride of England (and others) who opposed Natural Selection asked the advocates of it, "How is Natural Selection going tSTART a single organ of a single organic type?They then follow this question with the taunt, "If it cannot START anything, what is the use of invoking its supposed ability to improve the structures AFTER THEY HAVE ALL BEEN BUILT? (ThePhantom of Organic Evolution, pp. 191-192). ProfRobt. Lock is quoted as saying, "No one questions the validity of Natural Selection as a means of exterminating types which are unfitted for their environment — there is a tendency for the fittest types to survive, once they have come into existence — when it is admitted that Natural Selection, directingthe accumulation of minute differences but it does not necessarily follow that it has been the method bywhich these forms have originated (ibid. 193). This is the same Prof. Lock who said, "Selection, whether natural or artificial, can have no power in creating anything new" (Variation and Heredity, p. 40). In arecent Wistar Symposium at Philadelphia, Pa. several computer mathematicians from large universities faced many noted biologists from England anAmerica. They contended that neo-Darwinism is NOT POSSIBLE from the standpoint of computer mathematics. Dr. Murray Elden of M.I.T. had this to say,"Every attempt to provide for 'computer' learning by random variation in some aspectsof the program has been spectacularly UNSUCCESSFUL, even thoughthe number of variants a computer can try can easilyrun into the billions." Prof. Schutzenberger of the University of Paris said, at the same Symposium, "It is inconceivable that Natural Selection produced the genotypes of living organisms. — Neo-Darwinism cannot explain the main phenomena of evolution onthe basis of standard physico-chemistry — we believe that ther e is a consider able gap in the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution, and we believe this gap to be of such a nature that it cannot be bridgedwithin the current conception of BIOLOGY" (# 14,pp. 11, 75 [See B.S. Newsletter, 11/15/1968, p. 2]).In EVOLUTION-THE MODERN SUPERSTI TION, by John McKellar, we read, "Natural Selection, as a progressive and CRE ATI VE agency, hasbeen riddled by Huxley's own CONFRERES. It does no more than eliminate the unfit; it is a grandiloquent phrase for a failure in adaption, but HANOTHING WHATEVER TO DO WITH THE PRODUCTION OF SPECIES AND GENERA. — If Dr. Huxley means biological progress, WITHIN thelimits of the species, it may be allowed to stand as a generalization, but THIS IS NOT THE 'EVOLUTION' FOR THE TRANSMUTATION OF SPECIES. Natural Selection as a TRANSMUTING OR TRANSFORMING agency in Nature has long been abandoned by most distinguished biologists. — At the British Association for the Advancement of Science,President D. H. Scott said, "The small Variations on which Natural Selection relied so much have proved,for the most part, to be merely fluctuations and oscillations about a mean and THEREFORE INCAPABLE OF GIVING RISE TO PERMANENT NEW TYPES" (Ev. P. M. leaflet, pp. 3-4). And in replyto Huxley, (who said even though we didn't know HOW chickens arise from an egg and do not understand the chemical machinery of the developmentwe do NOT deny that hens develop from eggs), Scott replied, "this was a wholly pointless analogy! Forwe DO know from observations and hatchings in the incubator that a chicken comes from an egg but WE DO NOT KNOW, FROM THE OBSERVATION OF 'NATURAL PROCESS', NOR FROM EXPERIMENTAL 'LABORATORY HATCHINGS', THAT HIGHER SPECIES ARISE FROM LOWER BY NATURAL SELECTION" (ibid. p. 4). No wonderthe British statistician Fisher has said, "Natural Selection is a 'mechanism' for generating an exceedingly high level of improbability." James Crow,IONIZING RADIATION AND EVOLUTION, Scientific American, Vol. 2019/1959, p. 142. The British Zoologist, J. B. S. Haldane, admits, "In fact Natural Selection with evolutionary consequences has ONLY been observed where MEN have CREATED drastically new conditions which impose a heavy SELECTION pressure" (THE EVOLUTION OF LIVING THINGS, p. 92). So Natural Selection is hardlyPROVED when it can only be demonstrated under conditions IMPOSED by MAN. This Zoologist also said, at a conference of the Biology Conference inBirmingham, E ngland in 1951, "Natural Selection weeds out extremes of all kinds, especially those caused by mutations, which are very different frothe normal. I REGRET TO INFORM YOU HOWEVER THAT NATURAL SELECTION HAS NOT BEEN OBSERVED TO CAUSE EVOLUTIONARY CHANGE." CREATION OR EVOLUTION? by Prof.

of Zoology, Madras, India, H. Enoch, pp. 75-76. Prof.

H. G. Cannon of Univ. of Manchester in dealing with

Natural Selection and Mutations declares, "we deal

ONLY with EXISTING characters, NEVER WITH

THE APPEARANCE OF A NEW FUNCTIONING

CHARACTER" (ibid. p. 92)The late Dr. Goldschmidt (famous geneticist)said, "But it is good to keep in mind — that nobody

has EVER SU EEDED IN PRODUCING A NEW SPECIES, NOT TO MENTION THE HIGHER CATEGORIES, BY 'SELECTION' OF MICRO-MUTATIONS" (THEORETICAL GENETICS p. 488). Robert E. D. Clark, a noted scientist, also says,DARWIN BEFORE AND AFTER p. 131, "In mutations, therefore, we have the ONLY KIND of 'heritible' variation KNOWN TO SCIENCE upon whicNATURAL SELECTION might work in order toproduce NEW varieties and species. YET AL THOUGH MANY THOUSANDS OF MUTATIONS HAVE NOW BEEN STUDIED, NOT A SINGLE CLE AR INSTANCE HAS BEEN FOUND IN WHICH A MUTATION HAS MADE AN ANIMAL MORE COMPLICATED, BROUGHT ANY NEW STRUCTURE INTO EXISTENCE OR EVEN EFFECTED ANY NEW ADAPTION OF A RADICAL NATURE." Prof. Coultre, in like manner, declares,"The most fundamental objection to the theory oNatural Selection is that it CANNOT ORIGINATE CHARACTERS; IT ONLY SELECTS AMONG CHARACTERS ALREADY EXISTING" (WHY WE BELIEVE IN CREATION, Meldau, p. 327). Inspeaking at Toronto, Canada, delivering his Presidential address to the British Association, the great biologist Prof. Bateson, said, "It is impo ible for scientists longer to agree with Darwin's theory othe Origin of Species. Varieties of many kinds wedaily witness BUT NO ORIGIN OF SPECIES.—The claims of Natural Selection, as the chief factor in the determination of species, has consequentlybeen DISCREDITED" (GOD AND THE COSMOS,

p. 304).

(To Be Concluded on N. S.)

"PLAYING IN TWO BALL PARKS"

After a long tiresome religious discu ion a manemerged and said, "That fellow and I are playing intwo different ball parks." This seems to state accurately the position of many people in regard toreligious discussions. In order for people to play balltogether, two things are indispensable. One, they must agree on the proper standard of authority andsecond, they must agree on HOW authority is established within that standard! Disagreement on either of the two will cause them to play in two different ball parks. We have been slow to comprehend this simple lesson and therefore much of our time spentin religious discu ions has been in vain.

Permit me to illustrate. Several years ago I had a discu ion with a Mormon elder. We were playingin two different ball parks. I affirmed that the Bible says this or that and he would respond by saying,"Yes, but the Book of Mormon says this or that." Since the Mormon people accept the Book of Mormon and the Bible as being equally inspired, we were playing in two ball parks. Until the day comes that we can agree with the Mormon people on the proper standard of authority any discu ion of doctrinal matters is fruitless.

Not too long ago I had a discussion with a Catholic priest. I gave scripture to vindicate the position Ihad espoused. He responded by saying, "Yes, buHogland the Bible is not the supreme court in religious matters. The church must occupy that position." He went on to say that we cannot understand the Bible alike, therefore it must be interpreted for us by men ordained in the Catholic church. We were playing in two different ball parks. Until the daycomes that we agree with the Catholic people othe proper standard of authority, we can never come within a country mile of settling doctrinal differences.

The other day I was talking with one of my brethren on certain problems within the confines of thechurch. I said, "The Bible teaches us by apostolic example that early Christians observed the Lord's supper on the first day of the week; had a pluralityof elders in every church; and sent support to their preachers direct (Acts 20:7; I Peter 5:1; II Cor. 11:8). He responded by saying, "Yes, but Hogland,I don't agree with your theory about establishingauthority by apostolic examples. I can't go alonwith you on that matter." We were playing in twdifferent ball parks! Until the day comes when allbrethren in the Body of Christ agree on HOW authority is established, we will NEVER settle our doctrinal problems in regard to organization, worship or anything else. It has been my firm conviction for years that our problem has not been the standard of authority but how authority is established within the standard! We could sit around a conference table with our liberal brethren from now until dooms day and never settle anything until we agree on how authority is established. If we say it is established by direct command, approved example andnecessary inference and they say, it is established by direct command and necessary inference only, we are still in two different ball parks. When these "i ues" came up in the church years ago, I felt that this was our problem and I am still under the same conviction.

The first rumbling of this matter to me was back in 1953. I was talking to a young preacher in Clarksville, Arkansas. When the matter of authority came up, he flatly denied that authority was established by approved example. He was the first I had ever heard to openly challenge the matter. Of course, I immediately asked him what we were going to dabout Acts 20:7. He replied, "I do not feel that we as Christians must eat the Lord's Supper on Sundayonly. I feel that we could eat it every day if we desired." I commended him for at least being consistent but I told him that such a denial will completelydestroy the body of Christ. I must insist that it is being destroyed where preachers deny that APOSTOLIC EXAMPLES established authority. Since the year 1953, our brethren have become more brazen in regard to this matter. One man wrote an entire article DENYING that authority is established bApostolic example. I reviewed his article in Searching the Scriptures some time ago

Sometime brethren want to know where the Bible says that authority is established by apostolic example. This is made crystal clear when Paul said,"Brethren be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample(Phil. 3:17). Then Paul says again, "Those things,which ye have both learned, and received, and heard,and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you" (Phil. 4:9). You will observe that Paul tells us that we are to FOLLOW him because he is an ensample. He also insists that we DO those things which we have seen in him. This should settle the matter for people who claim to love the Bible. Gentle reader, if you cut out Apostolic example as astandard of authority the Body of Christ will become a man-made denomination and you had better believe it.

OUTLINES OF FLORIDA COLLEGE LECTURES 1968

Detailed outlines of each speech delivered at the 1968 Florida College Lectures.

Price: $2.00

THE NEWS LETTER REPORTS

"... They rehearsed all that God had done with them..." — Acts 14:27

MATTIE PARKER MILLER CALLED BY DEATH

James P. Miller

It is with sorrow that I call the readers' attention to the pa ing of my aged mother, Mattie ParkerMiller, at Murray, Kentucky Saturday morning July

19. She was 87 years of age at the time of her death and her long life spanned much of the history of thechurch of the Lord in Kentucky. I remember hearingher tell the story of the introduction of the instrument in the church at Sebree, Kentucky when she was a small girl. Brother T. B. Larimore was in ameeting at the time and when admonished by mGrandmother, Delia Ruby Parker, to oppose it, spokefrom Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world;". This was the extent of his opposition and of course the instrument stayed in the worship

She was born on June 6, 1882 and lived the greater part of her life in the extreme western part of Kentucky. Together with my father, J. R. Miller, who slipped from this life in 1961 at the age of 86, she taught in the schools of Kentucky before I was born in 1915. My grandmother, already mentioned, madher home with her from the time of the marriage of my parents in 1906 until her death in 1918, anfound in the Jackson's Purchase a far more conservative stand by the churches. The Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers shielded the Purchase from the digression of the College of the Bible at Lexington,for it was easier to get the preachers over the N. C. & S. Railroad from Nashville. T his saved almost all of the congregation from the organ and the missionary society in that section. With the coming othe present "i ues" she made a careful study foherself and without trouble could see the truth. Although so aged that she was not able to speak for any but herself she was a great encouragement to the West Murray church and to Aude McKee, whowith Weldon Thomas, preached her funeral.

MaMaw Miller, as she was called by almost allwho knew her, has another son who is a faithful member of the church and a man prominent in theaffairs of Kentucky. Robert O. Miller is my younger brother by just over two years. He has alternated between the office of County Attorney and CountyJudge at Murray for the last 20 years, and is one of the moving forces behind the progress of theWest Murray congregation. The congregation has constructed a new building and has grown in just a few years until it is a strong self-supporting church,helping others.

Mattie Parker Miller leaves behind her a rich her itage. I n addition to Bob and myself and what we have been able to do for the Kingdom, Bob's wife, Pat, and his two oldest sons are strong in thfaith. Both Tripp and Dan can and do preach whencalled upon. Dan is an able song leader and Cris, the youngest son, obeyed the gospel just a few weeks ago. Of course, the readers of this journal alreadyknow that my wife Bobbie taught for fifteen years at Florida College and that our only child, Rodney,is a faithful preacher of the gospel in Ft. Worth,Texas.

With Mother's pa ing we lose more than just aloved one; we lose an era of the activities of thechurch of the Lord that when fought by i ues and problems, a few came forth in white robes. The curtain rings down on battles fought in that time, whatnow with her going, they seem long ago. She knewall of the great preachers of the last 70 years and fed many of them at her table, now she passes on to sit with them at tables not made with hands, buther works do follow her.

----------------o -------------

B. G. Hope, Beaver Dam, Ky. 42320 — Mr. and

Mrs. Fred E. Pollock and daughters, Mary Ann an

Susan, will arrive in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England,

July 15. Fred is on a special a ignment for Procter

and Gamble. They have bought property and plan

to live there a few years at least. Mary Ann will

return to the states in August to enter Florida College.

As far as the Pollocks know "they" will be thechurch in Newcastle. They will immediately assemble in their home at the customary hours for religious services. Their address until August 15 will be: Gosforth Park Hotel, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. Their address after August 15 will be: 4 Carlton Close 3, Kenton Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne,England. Should anyone know of a member of the church in or near Newcastle, please contact thePollocks. Mrs. Pollock is the daughter of brotherand sister B. G. Hope of Beaver Dam, Ky. — Ed.).

Roy L. Foutz, 2301 Franklin Drive, Texarkana,Arkansas 75501. On July 13, I closed six years of pleasant and profitable work with the South Houston,Texas church. During the first 6 1/2 months of this year, 15 were baptized, with 7 of them during thelast 2 1/2 weeks I was there. On July 20, I began work with the Franklin Drive church in Texarkana, anam looking forward to a good work here. Franklin Davis has done most of the preaching for this church during the few years it has been meeting, and has done a fine work. He will continue to live here and worship with us. I have preached in meetings, thus far in 1969, at Brazoria, Beaumont and Greenville,all in Texas. My next scheduled meeting will be withthe Myrtle Grove church in Pensacola, Florida onSeptember 8. Best wishes to Searching The Scriptures."

M. Fred Stacey, P.O. Box 42075, Cincinnati, Ohio

— The Blue Ash church of Christ will be in need of a preacher as of October 1st. Anyone interested inthe work here, wr ite to chur ch of Chr ist, 466Cooper Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242 or call 791-3527.

SMITH-HOLT DEBATE CANCELLED

The following is a statement that I received from Charles Holt August 23rd. "This is to advise you that I have decided to cancel my part of the 'debate' with YOU. After much thought, consideration andadvice, I think that this is in the best interest oftruth and righteousness. I have several definite,valid and honorable reasons which demand and justify my decision and action. I could give thembut in view of your past actions and reactions, iwould apparently be of no real benefit."

/s/ Charles A. Holt.

Brethren had already warned me that he wouldnot go through with it. I didn't believe them. Obviously, they were right.

J. T. Smith

Marvin E. Young, Roseville, Ohio — I will be terminating my work with the church in Roseville, Ohio after a year working with them. September 1st I will be moving to Salem, Ohio where I shall begin work with the Lord's people. Anyone who might wish tocorrespond with me, my address will be: P.O. Box 275, Salem, Ohio 44460. Also I would enjoy receivingthe bulletins which are edited by the brethren.

John Bullock, 13231 Emily Rd., Dallas, Texas75240

— Since resigning full time work with the St. Augustine Drive church here in Dallas, I am available for appointment preaching and meeting work. If anychurch within a radius of 75 miles of Dallas needs my services, please contact me at the above address, or call 235-6397 after 5:30 p.m. W. B. Logan, Sr., Rt. 1, Box 180, Steens, Miss.39766 — The Woodlawn church of Christ, Steens,Mi ., is in need of a full time preacher. We are asmall rural congregation, but we stand ready at all times to uphold nothing but sound doctrine. There is a large number of liberal churches in the area and our need is great. The church here can furnish a man a 3-bedroom house and give him $150.00 per monthtoward his support, thus it would be necessar y for him to raise the" rest of his support from other congregations. Anyone interested can contact me bphone: 356-6871 or write Route 1, Box 180, Steens,Miss. 39766.

Huston Gately, Route 2, Box 260-A, Pekin, Ill. 61554 — After working here for three enjoyable years under elders I have decided to return to working-with small groups to establish or build up thchurch. I have agreed to work with about 15 members at Indian Mound, Tennessee beginning September 1, 1969. My new address is Route 1, Indian Mound, Tenn. 37079.

DEBATE Keith E. Smothers, 1021 Sunset Drive, GrandForks, N.D. — There will be a public discu ion at

Grand Forks, North Dakota, on the work of thechurch. The debate will begin on September 8,at 7:30 p.m. and continue each evening throughSeptember 13, 1969. It will be conducted at thGrand Forks church building which meets at 1027 13th Avenue South. The disputants will be H. C.McGaghren of Levelland, Texas, who has the endorsement of the Grand Forks church, and RaFerris of Elgin, Illinois, who has the endorsement of the Grand Forks Air Base church. The propositions are as follows:

Monday and Tuesday, September 8 and 9, 7:30p.m.: "It is scriptural for one church to send funds to another church in order that the receiving church may preach the gospel in arrangements such as the Herald of Truth." H. C. McCaghren affirms and RayFerris denies.

Wednesday and Thursday, September 10 and 11

7:30 p.m.: "It is in harmony with the scriptures to send funds from the church treasury to a home such as Boles Home in order that a needy child may beproperly cared for." H. C. McCaghren affirms andRay Ferris denies.

Friday and Saturday, September 12 and 13, 7:30p.m.: "The scriptures teach that the church, from its treasury, is authorized in the field of benevolence, to care only for needy saints." Ray Ferris affirms and H. C. McCaghren denies.

We wish also to announce that a new congregation standing for the New Testament order of work and worship began meeting about four months ago aGrand Forks Air Force Base. After first meeting ihomes, we are now meeting on base in chapel No. 1, at 12:30 p.m. for Bible study and 1:30 p.m. for theworship each Sunday afternoon. Anyone knowingof people in this area who need to be contactednotify Donald Bonner, 354-A Willow Drive, Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota 58201 or call 594-2394.

James L. Denison, 3402 Henderson Blvd., Tampa,Fla. 33609 — In June I finished my first year at Henderson, during which there were 12 baptisms,10 restorations, and 42 to place membership. OJuly 19 I closed a meeting at Newport, Arkansas,with 2 baptisms and 1 restored. On July 27, closed a meeting at Batesville, Arkansas with 2 baptisms. My next meeting begins August 24 with theCove Bend congregation in Floral City, Florida.

Olan Holderby, San Pablo, Calif. 94806 — We continue to enjoy harmony and progress at 20th &Rumril Road. Since the first of the year we have baptized fifteen. Presently, the church here is supporting, in part or whole, four preachers in different parts of the country; and, have committed themselves in other areas — for as soon as arrangements can be made. Many good personal workers are amongour number, and there are several "cottage" classesin progress almost all the time. We are not forgetting that all good things come down from above.

Ralph Joiner, 1303 Overlook Terrace, Titusville,Fla. — The work in Titusville continues to be a pleasant work. The brethren's love for the truth is exemplified in their willingness to send me anywhere mypreaching is needed in gospel meetings. The meetings in which I will participate as scheduled thus far this year are: August 25-31, Frostproof, Fla.; September 22-28, Osprey, Fla.; October (dates uncertain), York, Ala. I still have room for one more meeting. Any needy churches wishing to reach me

for meeting work may call (305) 267-7778.

Jerry Bassett, 305 Lee Lane, Bend, Oregon 97701

— The last week in July I concluded work with the very fine church in Cottage Grove, Oregon anmoved to begin work with the new church just recently started in Bend, Oregon. Ben Puterbaugh is to move to Cottage Grove and should be there by thetime this report appears.

The bulk of my outside support will be providedby Cottage Grove and Antioch, California For the first six months San Pablo, California will also send help. I am deeply grateful for the interest and generosity of these good churches. The brethren in Bend are meeting on Sundays in an attractive hall owned by the Sons of Norway, located at the convergence of Harmon and Columbia Streets turning south off of tourist scenic route Century Drive.

IN THE PATH OF CAMILLE

Brother Ronald Lehde of Pascagoula, Miss., calledme to report that the fury of hurricane Camillewhich swept in from the Gulf of Mexico near Gulfport, Miss , did not take the life of any Christian and none were injured so far as he knew. One familylost their home and personal property, but churches from nearby areas have offered to supply whatever need they have. The meeting house at MississippCity (Gulfport) was slightly damaged, but they are able to meet and use it. The brethren at Pascagoula did not suffer great lo , but some damage was done to a few homes. Brother Lehde expressed his thanks and the gratitude of brethren in the stricken area for the many phone calls and letters asking if thecould be of any help. We are thankful to God that none of the saints were injured or killed

H. E. Phillips

Claude C. Truex, 176 "B" Street, Brawley, Calif. 92227 — On or about October 12, 1969, I will terminate four pleasant years of labor with the goobrethren at Second and "B" Streets in Brawley,California. It is always a pleasure to be a ociated with those who faithfully support sound gospel preaching My family and I always find it difficult to make the decision to move from among those with whom we have labored and love in the Lord. But the decision to move was my own for personal reasons. Anyone interested in the work should address correspondence to: Church of Christ, Second and "B" Street, Brawley, Calif. 92227. The church has acommodious building and a three bedroom homefree of debt They will adequately support a sound preacher

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