THOUGHTS ON MODESTY

Deciding whether or not particular clothes are modest is not always an easy business. At the least it can be irritating and, to the serious Christian, perplexing. Concerned as we are about what folks think of us, and knowing how large a part of ourimage is built around our dress, most of us wouldlike to be able to wear about the same thing peoplewho are important to us are wearing. And in a culture where the "in" thing will be "out" of fashionin six months, one has little time to ponder the complexities of modesty before a new stylish trend poses the question all over again.

Women, I suspect, have the more difficult problem.Modesty is by no means only a female concern, but itcannot be denied that, the biological facts of life being what they are, fashion designers have moreoften chosen to exploit the sexual charms of the female body than they have the male. The Christian woman who does not want to be totally out of stepwith the way her friends dress, but who is bound bythe limits of modesty, will have frequent decisions tomake about whether this or that kind of clothing ismodest. Her choices, frankly, will at times be difficult.

As I have wrestled now and again with this vexing

riddle, and have tried to sympathize with mothers

and daughters attempting to draw the line between

modest and immodest clothing, it has seemed to me

that we ask the wrong question when we ask if

certain clothing is modest. Modesty is first and primarily a moral quality which persons may possess, and only secondarily an attribute of inanimate objects. Unless we mean "clothing whichmay appropriately be worn by a modest person," the expression ""modest clothing" means very little. Evenin 1 Tim. 2:9 where, according to the KJV, Paul encourages women to "adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety," the word translated "modest" is not the usual word for modesty, but is a word which normally means honorable or dignified. (It is the same word Paul usesin 3:2 a few verses later when, describing the at-tributes of bishops, he says they must be "of goodbehavior" KJV.) Accordingly, the NASV renders 2:9:"I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly."

The words "with shamefacedness and sobriety"and "discreetly" get at the idea of modesty, but theyare the words Paul uses to describe, not the clothes,but the person in the clothes, or at least the mannerin which the clothes are worn. The woman is to be modest herself; she is to acquire the moral quality ofmodesty. Then, and probably only then, will she be ableto judge "modest" clothes from immodest. It is no coincidence that nowhere in the NT is there given a description of modest clothes. It is assumed that the person who is modest will already know! They are clothes which appropriately serve the needs of a person with that kind of inward heart.

Paul's wording here suggests that a woman's choice of clothes flows naturally out of a much greater choice which she has already made. And thatchoice is how_the inner person is to be dressed. Paulwould rather the heart be dressed in modesty than forthe body to be dressed in all the gold, pearls, andcostly attire in the world. Peter echoes this thought when he says, "Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding of hair, decorating of gold,and wearing of fine clothing, but let it be the hiddenperson of the heart with the imperishable jewel of agentle and quiet spirit" (1 Pet. 3:3, 4). The choice forthe Christian is not first of all whether she will wear modest or immodest clothes outwardly, but, more important, whether she will dress her heart in modesty or immodesty. If she chooses to be a modest person and to dress her heart in gentleness and quietness, then the clothes she selects to wear will be"modest clothes" since they are the sort of attire thatis considered fitting for that kind of person.

The sad truth is that modesty, in this inward sense, is not very much in vogue these days. A quick look at the dictionary informs us that a modest person is generally reserved, unobtrusive,unassuming, decorous, and unpretentious. He or she has a sense of shame and decency which prevents one from making a public spectacle either of his body orhis abilities. In our day of militancy and liberation,these qualities are more often than not consideredvices, rather than virtues. The fashionable qualities are swagger and shamelessness, boldness and brazenness, arrogance and audacity. Let a person tryto be "modest" and he or she will have no lack of "friends" trying to persuade him to "get with it," orher to, "come out of her shell." Peter's "quiet and gentle spirit" and Paul's "modesty" are nowadaysheld up in mockery as the archaic leftovers of bygonehistory!

Be that as it may, if we are in earnest about thismatter of modesty, we had best take to heart whatthe Duchess said in Alice in Wonderland: "Be what you would seem to be." Or, as Socrates put it. "The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to bewhat you desire to appear." We may agonize atlength about whether certain clothes look modest, butat last the real question is whether we are modest.An immodest woman is not made modest simply bywearing modest clothes, and, on the other hand, thetruly modest woman will instinctively know whatlooks appropriate on her. Mothers, do not teach yourdaughters only to stand before the mirror and ask,"Do I look modest enough?" Teach them to ask, "Am I modest enough?"

A BASIC DISTINCTION

Of late some concern has been expressed that thosechurches which have resisted the inroads of the institutional movement may very well divide themselves into oblivion over a multitude of knotty questions. We too, see some dangers in thisregard though we are not as pessimistic as some are.Certainly there are problems. There have always beenproblems. Each new generation is beset with its ownset of them. We see some brethren wanting to flailothers for their unwillingness to agree with them onsome pet subject. Some have become hobbyists in thetruest sense of that term. We are just as opposed tocrankism as we are liberalism. They are two ends ofthe same basic problem.

But I guess I am not going to the same placessome of the other writers go. I see much evidence of spiritual and numerical growth in various places. Isee churches at work and at peace. More and more ofthem are lifting their eyes to other areas and supporting faithful men to go and preach the gospel. I see the development of elders and deacons, greater efforts to encourage and stabilize youngpreachers. Efforts are under way in many places in mypersonal knowledge to upgrade the teaching efforts oflocal churches. More in being done to preach the gospel through the printed page and on radio, and, insome cases, television. In the past five years it has been my lot to preach in about one hundred meetings scattered over most of the country. While the circumstances of every place are "unknown by face" to this writer, I think I am in as good aposition to judge this matter as any of the rest. It appears to me that there is much more evidence of progress than of disruption.

Yet, I am not blind to pockets of trouble here andthere. It is my conviction that many squabbles would be avoided if a basic distinction were kept in mind byall concerned.

Two Areas

First, there is a realm of collective activity. Thework, worship and organization of the church mustsurely be placed here. Such matters as the use of instrumental music in worship, the activity in which a congregation engages and the use made of its treasury involve collective duty. Any difference inthis realm will at once affect the peace and welfare ofa local church.

There is another realm which involves personal scruples. Paul recognized this realm in Romans 14 and in 1 Cor. 8 as he dealt with the question ofeating meats. In this realm, one is not to violate hisown conscience, nor is he to place a stumbling blockbefore his brother by influencing him to act contraryto his own conscience. This point is often abused to create a situation of virtual spiritual blackmailwhereby one seeks to get his way by saying "thatwill offend me." Well, not in the sense of this passage (Rom. 141 unless the brother who claims tobe offended is persuaded by the other to violate hisconscience by engaging in the action in question. It is past time for brethren to stop practicing spiritual dictatorship by a misuse of this principle.

The question of whether or not a Christian may bea soldier, a policeman, may hold an elected office,serve on a jury, must wear an artificial covering whenpraying, buy groceries from a supermarket which sells wine or beer from the same display counter asPepsi-Cola or Dr. Pepper, eat in a restaurant which has a separate cocktail lounge, work as a clerk in astore which sells cigarettes, and on and on, involvesonly the action of the individual. The action of one insuch matters does not implicate another Christianwho will have to decide such questions based on hisown conviction of whatever scriptures are thought toregulate action touching these problems.

That is not to say that two different positions onthe same question can both be right. The scripturedoes not teach contrary things. But it does allow for "weak" brethren and "strong" brethren (Rom. 15:1) and for "weak" (untaught) consciences and strong (taught) consciences. Each must respect hisown conscience AND that of his brother in the Lord. Many of the wars and rumors of wars which breakout among brethren fall into this latter category. Thepeace of a congregation should never be fractured overthem. Brotherly love and forbearance should be the ruleas we study the scriptures to find solutions for eachquestion of this nature.

Certainly there are questions which appear more complex than these. But it is my settled persuasionthat the greater part of the contentions which sometimes degenerate into needless janglings wouldbe avoided if each would determine not to say eitherby word or action "Let MY conscience be YOUR guide."

OUR AUGUST SPECIAL

Our special issue this summer will be in Augustwith a 32-page treatment on: THE CHURCH — ISSUES OLD AND NEW. Subjects have been assigned and the writers are now at work on it. Thisspecial will deal with the whole area of scriptural authority, the work of the church, its organization,relationship of the church to human organizations.There will be articles on the nature of the church, the sponsoring church, the silence of the scriptures andthe abounding evidences of churches at play. The June issue will carry a list of subjects and writersand the price per 100 copies. A new generation is notas well informed as it ought to be about the divisions produced in the past because of lack of teachingalong these lines. People in both "liberal" and "conservative" churches do not know what this is all about. There are basic differences and vital principlesat stake. We hope congregations will order enoughfor every family and that many of our readers willorder extra copies to give to friends and relatives whoneed this teaching. These may be ordered from us at:

P.O. Box 68, Brooks, KY 40109.

THE GRACE—FELLOWSHIP ISSUE— No. 1 FELLOWSHIP There is a NEW UNITY MOVEMENT (NUM)among us that is disturbing the peace of Zion. This isnot the ecumenism of the denominational world. It is a movement among us—churches of Christ. Its design isto broaden the base of fellowship so as to includesincere brethren in error, e.g., those who teach Premillennialism, use instrumental music in worship;support human institutions from the treasury of thechurch, have part in the "Sponsoring Church" arrangement, practice the Social Gospel, and perhapsothers. In view of the loss already sustained, the chaosin evidence in some circles, together with the fact thatthe NUM perverts the gospel, transgresses the law ofGod, fellowships error and false teachers, and,therefore, involves all partakers thereof in sin, the issuemust be viewed with deep concern, great alarm, and asbeing worthy of careful study on the part of all who lovethe truth and the souls of men. Since the grace of God is made the basis for extending this fellowship, it is generally referred to as"THE GRACE—FELLOWSHIP ISSUE." While it has many ramifications, the cardinal points may be coveredunder the following topics proposed for this series: 1)Fellowship, 2) Gospel and Doctrine, 3) Unity In Diversity" —Rom. 14, 4) Law And Grace, 5) Faith AndWorks, 6) Imputed Righteousness, and 7) Sins of Ignorance. Our Current article deals with the subject ofFELLOWSHIP.

The Word "Fellowship"

The word "fellowship" is from the Greek root "koinos," which appears in all of its New Testamentvariations 39 times, 18 of which involve the noun form"kononia." The latter is defined as follows: "Communion, fellowship, sharing in common" (Vines);"Fellowship, association, community, communion,joint participation, intercourse" (Thayer); "State or relation of being a fellow or associate. 2. Community ofinterest, activity, feeling, etc. 3. Friendliness; comradeship. 4. Any union or association; esp., a company of equals or friends" (Webster).

It is obvious from the above definitions that the word "fellowship" has a twofold meaning: 1) A state or relationship, 2) joint participation. According to theformer, we are called into the fellowship of Christ by thegospel (1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Thess. 2:14). I realize that somesay the word "fellowship" in verse nine means "joint participation." This difference, however, need not be settled beyond all dispute in order to justify the conclusion that verse nine identifies and teaches a state of fellowship. Let us grant, for argument sake, that "fellowship" in this verse means "jointparticipation," we still have a contrast between thosein the state where "joint participation" is enjoyed andthose who are not, and their being called or not called makes the difference. One is a state of "joint participation" and the other is a state void of "jointparticipation." Therefore, either by direct statement orby necessary inference, we have a state of fellowship,unless one accepts the idea of universal fellowship. It follows, therefore, that one may be in or out of fellowship.

While a child always remains in Christ organically,he may be "removed" or "spued out" (Gal. 1:6 Rev.3:16) of the state of fellowship. For example, a childmay be disowned by his parents, but this does notdestroy the fact of progenitorship. So it is with a child of God who falls from grace. While he is removed fromfellowship, the fact of his spiritual progenitorship is notdestroyed—he remains a child of God—in error. Otherwise, he would have to be baptized again when heis restored.

There is a subtle point at issue here made by theNUM. Perhaps this can best be seen from the following statements:

"We apparently share a common conception of what 'fellowship' means. It is not synonymous with 'brotherhood,' but means 'sharing together'— and in the Scriptures the term is almost always used with a specificobject. That is, it is nearly always specified asto what is 'shared,' so that we do not think of 'fellowship' just in general, but of having sharing or fellowship in a given thing with someone" (Edward Fudge, A JOURNEY TOWARD JESUS, p. 8). "I may 'have fellowship' in whatever I believe is good withany brother who seems to me to be trying to dothe Lord's will as best he understands it, living a pure life and seeking to grow in understanding the will of God" (Ibid, p. 10).

"There are those who simply want to serve the Lord in all things and happen to be convinced that what we call the 'conservative' position does this best. There are those whowant to serve the Lord in all things and happento be convinced that what we call the 'liberal1 position does that best.... With either of thesegroups of folks I can feel a common aim in Christ—for I am seeking only to serve the Lord, and that is what these brothers are committed to as well. Of course, we cannot do some things together;we have different ideas about what pleases the Lord,and that must always come first by both of us" (Edward Fudge, AN— SWERS TO QUESTIONS, p.4). What all of this means is that the NUM teachesthat brethren in error, whether it involves instrumental music in worship or institutionalism,etc., who are sincerely trying to serve God should notbe rejected as people with whom we can have no fellowship in any work of God. Rather, we should "share" or "fellowship" them in everything, except a particular matter that would involve a violation of conscience on our part. Such are regarded as being in a state of acceptance with God,and should be so regarded by us, even though theycannot be fellowshiped in a thing or two. Thus,because of this view and objective, the NUM seeks to justify only the 'joint participation' idea of "fellowship." Truth, however, demands that we also recognize the "state or relationship" idea as well, as weshall see further in this article.

According to the latter meaning of the word"fellowship," we "jointly participate" in all the relationship in Christ affords—multiple duties, privileges, and blessings. Examples of such use may befound in the following references: Phil. 1:5, 2 Cor. 8:4;Phil. 3:10. It is also used negatively in this sense—towarn and forbid (1 Cor. 10:20; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; Eph.5:11). It is significant that it is never used in the Scriptures to denote a social dinner, recreation, entertainment, etc. While such use of the word "fellowship" exists among some today, it is not according to its New Testament usage. Such is a different gospel. Obviously a change has been wrought,and it is not good!

The Basis of Fellowship

The basis of fellowship with God and with the faithful is set forth in the following:

"That which was from the beginning, whichwe have heard, which we have seen with outeyes, which we have looked upon, and ourhands have handled, of the Word of life; (Forthe life was manifested, and we have seen it,and bear witness, and shew unto you thateternal life, which was with the Father, andwas manifested unto us;) That which we haveseen and heard declare we unto you, that yealso may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with hisSon Jesus Christ. And these things write weunto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard ofhim, and declare unto you, that God is light,and in him is no darkness at all. If we saythat we have fellowship with him, and walk indarkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But ifwe walk in the light, as he is in the light, wehave fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us

from all sin" (1 Jon. 1:1-7). A careful exegesis of this passage shows that Christ, the message declared by the apostles, the light, and the truth are all synonymous. Fellowship with God and, consequently, with the saints is conditioned upon walking in the light. Since "light" and "truth" aresynonymous, it is folly to make "light" mean anything less than "truth"—the whole truth. The word" truth" always appears in the Scriptures inthe singular. This is significant. It means that it is usedin the same sense as "gospel," "doctrine," and "faith,"One may as well talk of the gospels of God, the doctrines of Christ, the faiths of our Saviour, as to talkof the truths of our Lord. This means that anydeviation from "truth" is a deviation from the "light"in which one must walk in order to have "fellowship." Let no man conclude, however, that this demands perfection in order to remain in fellowship with God.Within the body of truth authorized areas of tolerance are found, and provisions for human inability have been made. These "areas" and "provisions" are certain, definite, and limited. The NUM ignores thesespecific areas and divine limitations, as we shall see aswe progress with this series.

Fellowship—Conditional, Durative,and All-inclusive

The above text shows that fellowship is conditional.

This condition involves more than a single act—it is

durative! One must continue to "walk in the light" in

order to remain in the fellowship state. Not only is it

durative, it is also all-inclusive. It involves doing the

"truth"—the whole truth. Verses corroborating this

are: Rom. 16:17; Titus 3:10; 1 Jno. 2:19; 2 Jno. 9-11.

This fellowship is conditioned upon more than love.

Some of the NUM teach that while one may transgress

truth in some instance, yet, if he has love he remains in

the "light," and, therefore, continues in fellowship with

God:

"In God's circle of 'light' and 'darkness' there are, of course, two categories: He who loveshis brother abides in the light (1 John 2:10);He who hates his brother is in the darkness (Verse 11). It will be admitted that one can oppose instrumental music and hate his brother. Such a person is in darkness, not because of his position on instrumental musicbut because of his attitude toward his brother. It will be admitted that one may endorse instrumental music and love his brother. Is he in the light? If not, have we set up a double standard?" (C. Ketcherside, MM, May 1961, pp. 7, 8).

While these verses do teach "love" as a condition to walking in the "light," they do not teach "love only"—not any more than verses which teach "faith"as a condition of salvation teach justification by "faithonly." Both positions are in error and for the samereason. Furthermore, this error becomes more obvious in the light of 1 Jno. 5:2: "By this we know that we lovethe children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments." Proof of our love for brethren is found in our keeping God's commandments. Therefore,walking in the "light" involves more than loving ourbrother.

It must be pointed out, further, that this conditioninvolves more than "faith" as defined by the NUM.While they are quick to point out that such faith will try to "please the Lord" and will obey according to "present knowledge," nevertheless, in the final analysis, fellowship does not depend upon obedience,but upon the heart of faith. Note the following:

"To say all in a single term, this kind of person is one who the Bible would call a manof faith—a man who is trying to please theLord, who walks in obedience according tohis present knowledge of God's will and whowalks in humility with his brethren" (EdwardFudge, A JOURNEY TOWARD JESUS, p. 9).

1 Jno. 1:6, however, teaches that those who do not the truth walk in darkness. This demands more than "faith"—even as defined by those of the NUM. One must do the truth in order to be in fellowship with God.

Congregational Fellowship

The local church is a fellowship state or relationship.Each congregation controls its own fellowship (Acts9:26-28; Rom. 16:1, 2). This control should be in accord with the individual's fellowship with God, namely, his walking in the "light" or doing the "truth." What should be and what is sometimes differ. In 3 Jno. 9, 10 we learn of some who were infellowship with God, but who were cast out of thechurch. This was not as it should have been. Nevertheless, it happened. We must recognize thesame possibility today. In 1 Cor. 5:1-8 we learn of a brother who obviously was out of fellowship withGod, but who was yet in the fellowship of the churchat Corinth. This was not as it should have been. Yet,it happened. We must recognize this also as a possibility today.

Let us remember that the basis of fellowship with

God, and, therefore, with each other is the

TRUTH—that body of doctrine taught by our Lord.

"I AM"

The gospel of John is unique in several respects.There is a marked difference in the structure and style when compared with the synoptics. There are only seven miracles recorded, five of these not recorded elsewhere. John is concerned, it seems,chiefly with the person of Jesus and with establishingfaith in him. The key to the entire book is, "Andmany other signs truly did Jesus in the presence ofhis disciples, which are not written in this book: Butthese are written, that ye might believe that Jesus isthe Christ, the Son of God; and that believing yemight have life through his name" (John 20: 30-31).The word "believe" is found ninety-eight times within. It is truly the gospel of belief. While we emphasize this feature we hasten to add that such isnot intended to minimize this design in the other gospels.

The gospel of John has many special featureswhich strengthen the presentation of this main themeof belief in Jesus Christ. The personal relation of Jesus to man is stressed and this is our immediate consideration. Jesus made a series of claims which are introduced by "I am" in John's Gospel. There areseven of these and they shall serve as basis of thisarticle. In each of the statements Jesus is saying "Iam" all these things now! The import is not shall besometime, but am now, irrespective of time.

"I am the bread of life" (John 6:35). Literally,bread is the staff of life, the very sustenance of life.Here Jesus claims to be giving himself to the worldas the source and sustainer of life. This statement falls between an introductory and concluding reference to the "manna" in the wilderness which God gave to the fathers of the Jewish nation (v. 30,31, 49). The point is, as "manna" was bread fromheaven to them, so, I am sent from heaven to youand to all.

There is presented here the objective side of salvation. Jesus holds himself forth as the sustainer of the life he communicates. 1 John 2:1 says, "For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bearwitness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us." Eternal life is the objective and to that end JesusChrist is not "a" bread but "the" bread. He is both giver and sustainer. "He that cometh to me shall never hunger." Faith is the condition of reception. Itis here implied in "cometh" which is the active aspect of faith. "He that believeth on me shall never thirst" is reflective of the restful aspect of faith which resultsfrom complete trust and commitment. The statementof Jesus, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and areheavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28) complements the idea. Faith that moves to acceptance of Jesus Christ as the giver and sustainerof life, characterized by complete trust and commitment, will produce rest and the peace that passeth all understanding.

The "bread of life" brings full satisfaction of all want. Christ has made the soul of man know how the soul's wants can be fully and forever met. It is onlyin Christ that the soul's yearning can be satisfied.

"I am the light of the world" (John. 8:12; 9:5). Heis light because he is the source of its life. Light notonly to the Jew but to the Gentile as well, to all men.Like the sun, that light is diffused to all. We again stress that He is "the light" now: not was, not willbe, but right now! He is the light of truth to the understanding. The Psalmist said, "In thy light shallthey see light" (Psa. 36:9). The light of love to theheart and the light of righteousness to the conscienceis all involved in Jesus' statement.

We would make this observation concerning lightbecause of the appropriate application to Jesus Christwithin this passage. Light is a blessing only to thosewho follow its direction. There is no blessing fromlight to those who move forward, ahead of it, nor isthere any blessing to those going backward into darkness. There is possibly an allusion to the Israelites and the pillar of fire which led them bynight as they came out of Egypt here. The remainderof Jesus' statement, "he that followeth me shall notwalk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."The believer follows the light and does not precede orgo before it. Jesus goes before him. Christianity isthe following of Jesus Christ, step by step, and isdescribed as a "walking in the light" (1 John 1:7).

Following Him who is the light, the believer will not walk in the darkness of danger, discomfort, despair and fear. Delivered from unbelief he now walks by faith in Christ. Freed from the ignorance ofwhat he was, where he was, where he was going, andfrom error, he now walks in truth. Seeing sin asbondage and himself in the throes of condemnation because of it he now sees Christ as the means of forgiveness. The believer shall then have the light oflife, the light which springs from life. "In him waslife and the life was the light of men."

"I am the door of the sheepfold" (John 10:7). Here is the allegorical presentation of a proposition concerning true and false teachers, just and unjustclaims. The purpose is to emphasize the true and just as epitomized in Jesus Christ. The allegory and explanation begins with verse 1. In the above statement the highest point in the presentation of thetruth is reached. Christ, the way of salvation, is heredepicted as the door or means of access to the Father. "For through him we both have access byone Spirit unto the Father" (Eph. 2:18).

The figure "door" presumes a within and a without. Within is safety and blessing, while without one is jeopardized by destructive forces. Without Christ one is doomed by sin, destroyed and damned.Christ is here represented as the entrance to all spiritual blessings. He has in fact affected entrance, He is the way.

"I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11, 14) is thesecond of two figures within the same context appliedto Jesus Christ. Here is represented a higher level ofpersonal relationship in Christ than formerly,stressing what Christ can be to every man. It is Christ alone that qualifies as "good" and in this wehave supplied another element to the first allegory,"door of the sheepfold." This latter seems to blendwith and bring to a fullness the presentation.

While John's statement is prospective, the fact isemphasized that there can be no life for the sheep butthrough the death of the shepherd. While the term "sheep" has specific application to the Jew the purpose of God for the Gentile is set out in verse 16."Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: themalso I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; andthere shall be one fold, and one shepherd." Jewish unbelief would not thwart the Lord's purpose but forboth, Jew and Gentile, all men, that purpose wouldbe realized in the hearing of the voice of the Son ofGod, whereby there is entry into the fold of God.

Again, I emphasize these figures are reflective ofwhat Christ is now to the believer. We are by themchallenged to appreciate and understand the personalrelationship of Jesus to the believer. He is all these things and more, to you and me, if we are his children, Christians.

THE

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PRESENT TRUTH: AN OVERVIEW

Present Truth magazine is free to subscribers, and is therefore received by practically all gospel preachers who know about it, including me. It possibly runs a close third in this department behindCol. Thieme's tapes and Plain Truth magazine. (I'veoften wondered what choice adjectives the Colonelwould use if he realized how we've benefited from his tape ministry.) Unfortunately, however, Present Truth cannot be erased and reused.

The magazine is in its seventh year of publication. It has a very attractive appearance, and contains anywhere from twenty to fifty-six pages per issue. Itis published about eight times per year and is filledwith what I consider very appealing line drawings, many of which are medieval in appearance, representing various persons or events of the Reformation era.

Apparently the publication has been read, digested,and assimilated by a number of brethren. Such becomes painfully obvious when we compare some ofthe articles in current bulletins and journals published by churches and brethren with those of Present Truth.

Some Things Good

As is true with practically any religious magazine,Present Truth contains some good material. While I do not agree with what they're driving at, I feel somewhat refreshed after reading some of their statements regarding the objective and historical nature of the faith.1 They stress that unity inreligion cannot be won and maintained on the basis ofsentiment, brotherly love, and subjective experience,2 but must be based on the objective standard of revealed truth.3 They give great emphasis to the word of God, the Bible, and maintain that it is theone and only medium of the Holy Spirit. 4

Neither is Present Truth afraid of a negative approach. It is very much against Roman Catholicism,6 the Holiness movement,6 the Charismatic movement,7 and dispensationalism,8 teaching that thekingdom of God is now in existence. They oppose allthese for the very same reason, claiming that there are only two possible views of justification. One is "essentially subjective—man centered, experiencecentered" and says that justification "is by God's work of grace in man"; the other is "objective, Christ centered" and says justification is "by God's work of grace in

Christ."9 The former is represented in neo-Romanism,neo-Pentecostalism, and neo-evangelicalism (such as Campus Crusade). The latter is the Reformation doctrine and is the point of great emphasis in Present Truth magazine.

The Purpose of Present Truth

The avowed purpose as expressed on the front cover is: "A magazine dedicated to the restoration of New Testament Christianity in this generation." Below this are the three latin phrases with their English translations: "Sola Gratia, Solely by Grace;Sola Christo, Solely by Christ; Sola Fide, Solely byFaith."

The statement is somewhat enlarged on the insidefront cover: "Present Truth is a magazine dedicatedto the restoration of New Testament Christianity andcommitted to upholding the great Reformation principle of justification by faith." Obviously, Present Truth believes the restoration of New Testament Christianity, and the upholding of "the great Reformation principle" is one and the same.

The emphasis which is accorded this ' 'great Reformation principle" is underscored throughout every issue of this journal. I picked at random twenty issues spanning the entire time of Present Truth's existence and counted the number of times various men were mentioned or quoted. The results were: John Bunyon, author of the classic Pilgrim's Progress, 13 times (plus many drawings which werebased upon that allegory); John Wesley, 34 times,(not always in a good light, since he was the father ofthe Holiness movement); John Calvin, 154 times;Melanchthon, a follower of Luther and author of theApology of the Augsburg Confession, 22 times;Martin Luther, by far their favorite man, 334 times.This figures out to an average of 7.7 times per issuefor Calvin and 16.7 times for Luther. Though a disclaimer is made in a couple of instances to theeffect that these men are not looked to for religiousauthority, as often as not they're quoted in lieu of scriptural references.

The words "Reformation" or "Reformers" are used a whopping 485 times, or 24.25 times per issue. In view of such heavy reliance upon a movement conceived, inspired, and directed by mere men, it'sdifficult to understand how brethren could be influenced by it

The primary purpose of Present Truth is to initiate a new Reformation in which the "great Reformationprinciple" of justification by faith only, based uponan imputation of the perfect righteousness of Christto the believer's account, will be the central doctrine.The doctrine of imputation is clearly the major thrustof the magazine. The phrase "faith only," or "faith alone" is found 125 times in the twenty issues, anaverage of 6.25 times per issue.

The "complete unanimity" of the Reformers on thispoint is highlighted. Their differences on other mattersare minimized.10. That Present Truth views the Reformation as the restoration of New Testament Christianity is abundantly demonstrated by its teaching on the book of Revelation. The continuous-historical interpretation which was popular during the

Reformation period is often set forth in the magazine.The Reformation itself is viewed as the fulfillment of Revelation 14: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel topreach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, sayingwith a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; forthe hour of His judgment is come: and worship Himthat made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. . . And I looked, and behold awhite cloud, and upon the cloud One sat like unto theSon of man, having on His head a golden crown, and inHis hand a sharp sickle." (Rev. 14:6, 7, 14.11

Later, in the same issue, it is claimed that Revelation 18:2 prophesies of the current religious scene in which the religious world has become "the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird."12 Yet, they claim a remnant,armed with the word of God, shall escape this granddelusion that will unite the Catholic and "so-called Protestant" worlds. This remnant is allegedly described in Revelation 14:12: "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." That's a lot of jumping about on the isle of Patmos!

Other examples of their treatment of "New Testament prophecy" are: The Charismatic movement was prophesied in Revelation 13:13, 1413;the leopard-like beast of Revelation 13 was a symbolof the papacy. The Reformation gave the "man ofsin" a "deadly wound" but a restoration of the powerof the ancient church is "clearly prophesied."14 Matthew 24 is given as a reference for "many signsof Jesus' coming and the end of the world."16 Theysay most of these signs have been fulfilled already,but "the greatest sign is the restoration of the puremessage of the New Testament. This restoration will carry the glorious work so nobly begun by the Reformers, to its consummation." Surely, to call the attention of most of our readers to such exegetical nonsense is to refute it.

Who's Responsible?

The editor of Present Truth has stated, in regard to using material by such theologians as Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Paul Tillich: "We take the position

that truth is truth, even if it is spoken by the mouthof an ass (and we are not suggesting that Bonhoefferwas an ass). It is disappointing when people ask,'Who said it?' and judge on that basis, rather than asking, 'What is said?'."16

That statement has much to commend it. Yet, I'm always made uneasy when I get the feeling thatsomeone is trying to hide something from me. We aretold that the publishers of Present Truth are "a group of Christian scholars and businessman without denominational sponsorship who have united to uphold the objective gospel amid the present deluge of religious subjectivism."

The keynote writer is Geoffrey J. Paxon who is identified as an Anglican clergyman and principal ofthe Queensland Bible Institute, Brisbane, Australia.The editor is Robert D. Brinsmead. His religiousbackground or connections are never mentioned. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I learned he is aSeventh-Day Adventist. In the March, 1978, issue of Eternity, the Executive Editor, Stephen Board, wrote:

"Last month this space mentioned an interesting, iflittle publicized, controversy among Seventh-Day Adventists over the grounds of our acceptance with God. A minority among them, led by Robert Brin-smead, has even launched a publication called PresentTruth to advocate one understanding of justification byfaith."

Several loose ends certainly began to fall into place upon receiving that information. In subsequent articles we shall discuss some of them. We shall also be examining Present Truth's doctrine of an imputation of Christ's perfect obedience to the believer, as well as some other matters which we hope will be of interest.

Footnotes

1. Present Truth, July-Aug., 72, p. 3; Vol. 2, No. 2, p.

4.

1. Ibid, Vol. 2, No. 5, p. 12.
2. Ibid, Vol. 2, No. 1, p. 4.
3. Ibid, June, 72, p. 14.
4. Ibid, Special Issue, Justification by Faith, pp. 6-8; Vol. 2, No. 5, p. 30.
1. Ibid, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 7, 26; Vol. 3, No. 1, p. 13;Special Issue, Justification by Faith and the Charismatic Movement, p. 27; Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 17,
2. 18.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid, Vol. 2, No. 5, p. 30.
7. Ibid, Special Issue, Justification by Faith, p. 9.
8. Ibid, Vol. 2, No. 2, p. 4.
9. Ibid, April, 1972, p. 3.
10. Ibid, p. 21.
11. Ibid, Special Issue, Justification by Faith and The Charismatic Movement, p. 2.
12. Ibid, p. 29.
13. Ibid, April, 1972, p. 3.
14. Ibid, Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 7, 8.

New Publication—Just off The Press!

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Adventists' Sabbath Doctrine Refuted

Having once been a Seventh Day Adventist, Leo Rogol is well qualified tostate correctly their position. And havingbeen well grounded in the truth, capablypreaching and writing for several years,he is just as well qualified to refute theirtheir erroneous doctrine. A clear and extensive examination of their doctrine and presentation of the scriptural teaching on the Sabbath. 140 pages, Paperback, $2.00

WITCHCRAFT

Of all the so-called witches, Sybil Leek is probablythe most famous. It has been estimated there are 5,000 witches in New York, 10,000 in Los Angeles,6,000 in Chicago and as many as 200,000 in the United States.

The Wicca Newsletter has a circulation of 5,000. Dr. Leo Louis Martella's Witches' Anti-Defamation League, Witches' International Craft Association and the Witches' Liberation Movement all promotewitchcraft. The Religious Association for the Churchand School of Wicca is headquartered at Salem, Mo.Now 18 states have legally incorporated churches ofwitchcraft. The power claimed by 'black' witches is used for evil, and the power claimed by 'white' witches is said to be used for good.

What IS Witchcraft?

Of the word 'witchcraft,' Webster says, "practicesor art of witches; black magic; sorcery . . . powermore than natural" (page 983). He further says of the noun 'witch,' "one who practices the black art or magic; one regarded as possessing supernatural or magical power by contact with an evil spirit" and ofthe verb, 'witch,' "to work a spell esp. an evil spell,upon by sorcery. To effect by sorcery, or witchcraft"(page 983). The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says "Since the 13th. century the word'witch' has come more and more to denote a woman who has formed a compact with the devil or with evilspirits, by whose aid she is able to cause all sorts ofinjury to living beings and to things. The term 'witchcraft' means in modern English the arts and practices of such women" (page 3,097). The term is translated "sorcery" in Gal. 5:20 and "it means literally the act of administering drugs and then ofgiving magical potions" (Ibid., page 3,097). The wordtranslated "sorcery" in Gal. 5:20 is "pharmakeia" which originally was used of drugs for healingpurposes, but in time came to mean to misuse, topoison and not to cure, and finally, to mean sorceryand witchcraft (Difficult Times by Barney Keith, page 8-9; see also Vine, vol. 4, pages 51-52 and Thayer, pages 649-650). It is a general term including astrology, crystal ball reading, card laying, palmistry and casting spells.

Bible And Witchcraft

God has had somewhat to say about the ancientsin of witchcraft.

(1) Ex. 22:18 — "Thou shalt not suffer a witchto live."

(2) Lev. 19:31 — "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them; I am the Lord your God."

"(3) Lev. 20:6 — "the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to goa whoring after them, I will set my face against thatsoul, and will cut him off from among his people."

(4) Lev. 20:27 — "A man also or woman that hatha familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely beput to death; they shall stone them with stones:their blood shall be upon them." (5) Deut. 18:9-14 — "when thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you ... awitch . . . or a wizard . . . For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord." (6) Isa. 8:19-20 — "when they shall say untoyou, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards, that peep, and that mutter: shouldnot a people seek unto their God? for the livingto the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if theyspeak not according to this word, it is because thereis no light in them." (7) 2 Kings 23:24 — "Moreover the workers withfamiliar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, andthe idols, and all the abominations that were spied inthe land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah putaway, that he might perform the words of the lawwhich were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord." (8) Jer. 27:9-10 — "Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to yourdreamers, nor to your enchanters, not to your sorcerers, which speak unto you . . . for they prophesy a lie unto you (9) Jer. 28:8-9 — "For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you,deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falselyunto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord." (10) Micah 5:12-13 — "and I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers; thy graven images alsowill I cut off, and thy standing images out of themidst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thy hands." (11) Nahum 3:4 — "Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the well-favored harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts. Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord. . ." (12) Rev. 21:8 — "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, andidolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

(13) Rev. 22:15 — "For without are dogs, and

sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."

From the above passages one can see God's attitude toward witchcraft through the years. Such isa rejection of God. It claims powers which it does nothave.

"Witch of Endor"

Some will ask about the "witch of Endor" and did she not have powers? One needs to observe that in ISamuel 28 she is not called the "witch of Endor." The text says "a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor" (verse 7). "Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land" (verse 3). When he saw the Philistine army "he wasafraid, and his heart greatly trembled" (verse 5). Saul"inquired of the Lord" (verse 6) but "the Lord answered him not." It was then that Saul turned to the woman with the familiar spirit. He did not want herto tell him anything; he wanted her to get God'sprophet, Samuel. The action of the woman in verse12 would indicate she was not expecting Samuel toappear for "she cried with a loud voice". Is this notan exceptional case of the working of the Lord?

As we continue our study of the bulwarks of Zion;having pointed out that the church has a divinebuilder, — Christ — and is built upon the triedand tested foundation of his divinity, I now proposeto point out that another bulwark that safeguards thechurch is the fact that it has ...............

A Divine Head

Just as every country must have some form of government, so also every institution, whether it be afraternal organization, or a religious denomination, must have a head, or governing body. The head ofthe Roman Catholic church is the pope. Protestant churches, while repudiating the authority of the popeof Rome, are nevertheless governed by some rulingauthority or head, vested either in one person or in agroup of persons that constitute a governing body.While the reigning monarch of England is the titularhead of the church of England, it is in act and factgoverned by a college of bishops, presided over by thearchbishop of Canterbury. The Presbyterian church isgoverned by a body called the General Assembly.The Methodist church is governed by its General Conference. The Lutheran church has its Synod.

It goes without saying that since men are fallible, these institutions will be as fallible as the men that govern them. This is obvious from the fact that .......................

The Head Controls The Body.

In a number of places in the New Testament, thechurch is spoken of under the figure of a body madeup of many members. To the Romans Paul wrote,"For even as we have many members in one body,and all the members have not the same office: so we,who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another" (Rom. 12:4, 5).

In thus speaking of the church as the body ofChrist, the apostle presented a forceful lesson, basedon our knowledge of the human anatomy. We knowthat the human body is controlled by, and receivesits instructions from the head. The brain, which is farmore complicated than any computer that man hasbuilt, sends its messages out to the various parts ofthe body, and thus dictates their movements. So a serious congenital defect in, or an injury to the brain,such as often occurs in strokes, will result in abnormal bodily functions. That also accounts for theslurred speech and the staggering walk of the man (orwoman) under the influence of alcohol. The head's ability to control the body has. for the time being, been impaired.

The same principle is true with regard to religiousbodies. Their functions are determined and governedby the head, whether that head is a pope, or a number of men acting as a council, or synod. The fortunes of such churches will thus be determined bythe calibre of the heads that govern them. Roman Catholicism reached the zenith of its power under itsmost powerful popes. On the same principle, many Protestant denominations that one time occupied a strongly conservative stance regarding the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, and their adequacy as a rule of faith and practice, are today hotbeds of modernism. Their respective heads are modernists.The words of Jesus, spoken concerning the religiousleaders — the Pharisees — of his day are thus applicable to many of the religious leaders of today:"They are blind guides. And if the blind guide theblind, both shall fall into a pit" (Matt. 15:14).

Christ The Head of The New Testament Church.

In sharp contrast to the denominational world, with its churches governed by fallible men, Christ isthe head of the church revealed in the New Testament. To the Colossians Paul wrote, "And he isthe head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn of the dead, that in all thingshe might have the pre-eminence" (Col. 1:18).

Because Jesus is the Son of God, he partakes of allthe characteristics of divinity. "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9). Heis thus infallible, and makes no mistakes. "Let God be found true, but every man a liar" (Rom. 3:4). Heis unchangeable. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterdayand today, yea and for ever" (Heb. 13:8). Unlike the heads of religious bodies who die, and must be replaced by other heads, "He, because he abideth forever, hath his priesthood unchangeable" (Heb. 7:24).

The fact that such a one is the head of the church, is a mighty bulwark that fortifies the church againsterror in both doctrine and practice.

A Divine Creed.

Another bulwark that fortifies the church againsterror prevalent in the denominational world, is thefact that it has a divine creed. Sometimes it is said by well-meaning but not well-informed Christiansthat the church of Christ has no creed. Strictlyspeaking, that is not true. Every institution, whetherit is a fraternal organization, or a political party hassome distinguishing principles for which it stands;and every church has a creed.

The word, creed, comes from a Latin word, credo,which means, I believe. Therefore a creed is what one believes. A church's creed is therefore what one believes, or must believe to be a member of that church. To be a member of the church of England, one mustbelieve the thirty-nine articles of faith that constitutethe English Prayer Book. To be a member of the Presbyterian church, one must believe the WestminsterConfession of Faith. To be a member of the Methodist church, one must believe the Methodist Discipline withits twenty-five articles of faith.

Human creeds are inadequate and therefore objectionable for a number of reasons.

(1) Being produced by fallible men they are susceptible to error, and in fact, often teach error. Asan example, in the Presbyterian Confession of Faith,the following statement is found: "Original sin isconveyed from our first parents unto their posterityby natural generation, so that all that proceed fromthem in that way, are conceived and born in sin." Itis thus obvious that the above creed teaches the doctrine of inherited depravity, or that children areborn sinners. (2) Because human creeds teach error, theyfrequently have to be revised. As an example, prior to the year 1910, the Methodist Discipline taughtthat children were born sinners. But in 1910, afterthey had learned better, they re-wrote their creed,and today it no longer teaches that children are sinners at birth. So today, in order to be a Methodist, one must believe the opposite concerninghereditary depravity from what he believed prior to1910.

It takes belief of the truth to save (2 Thess. 2:13).The fact that error has to be expunged from creedsimplies that they did not teach the truth that saves.

Christ Our Creed.

Usually what people mean when they say that the church of Christ has no creed, is that it has no articles of faith, or set of rules drawn up by falliblemen. The church, however, does have a creed. Thereis something that everyone must believe in order tobe a Christian, or a member of the church. Whatever it is that one must believe, is the creed of the church.

What must one believe in order to be a Christian?

It is summed up in the confession made by Peter and later by the Ethiopian eunuch that Jesus is the Christ,the Son of God (Matt. 16:16. Acts 8:37). That such belief is essential to salvation, and therefore to membership in the church was made plain by Christand the apostles. Jesus said, "Except ye believe that Iam he, ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24). The apostle John said, concerning the signs done by Jesus during His personal ministry, "These are written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ,the Son of God; and that believing ye may have lifethrough his name" (John 20:31).

But some one asks, Is that all that one is requiredto believe? Are not Christians required to believe the Bible account of creation? And are they not expectedto submit to any rules that govern their manner oflife? Yes. But what our denominational friends have failed to see is, that is all included when one believes in Christ. For as a creed it is all-comprehensive. Timeand space does not permit our noticing the manytimes that Jesus quoted from Old Testament scriptures (Matt. 19:4; Mark 7:10; Luke 5:14; Luke6:3; Matt. 24:15; John 15:25 are but a few examples).These quotations constitute Jesus' endorsement of the Old Testament scriptures as being true. Therefore to believe in Jesus is to accept the Old Testament scriptures as inspired.

Faith in Christ also commits one to belief of aft that is said in the New Testament. In His promise tothe apostles regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit,Jesus said, "But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit,whom the Father will send in my name, he shallteach you all things, and bring to your remembranceall that I said unto you" (John 15:26). And again, "Ihave yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannotbear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truthis come, he shall guide you into all truth ..................................... He shall take of mine and shall declare it unto you" (John 16:12-14).

To believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God is thus to accept the teaching of the apostles, whenthey went out preaching under the great commission,as the message of Christ, called to their remembranceby the Holy Spirit, who also guided them into all truth in the things yet to be revealed. Concerning thegospel which he preached, Paul said, "It came to meby revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:12).

In view of the above observations, to say thatChrist is our creed, is, in effect, to say that webelieve the Bible from the "In the beginning" of Genesis 1:1, to the "Amen" of Revelation 22:20. Thus, in the broader sense, the Bible is our creed.

As some one has well said, If a creed contains more than the Bible, it contains too much. If it contains less than the Bible, it contains too little. If it is justlike the Bible, then throw the creed away and takethe Bible itself.

The Bible contains none of the imperfections of human creeds. Where human creeds often teach error,the Bible is true. David said, "Thy word is true fromthe beginning" (Psalm 119:160 K.J.V.).

The Bible, as a creed, is all-sufficient. Paul said. "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable forteaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16, 17).

The Bible as a divine creed thus stands as a mighty bulwark that safeguards the church from theerrors that are so often found in the creeds written by men.

JAMES P. MILLER

When Rodney called and told me of the passing ofhis father I felt a deep personal loss. James P. Millerwas a friend indeed. I have known and loved him for almost two decades. In the early sixties I watchedhim wage a relentless battle against innovations within the church.

Computed by what I believe to be the standard ofGod I considered him a great preacher. He never allowed the cringing cowardice of compromise to raiseits ugly head within his heart. A man who had the unique ability to project his personality deep into hispreaching. One could be brought to tears and in thenext breath share with him the joys of laughter. James P. Miller loved the Lord and the cause he espoused. This was demonstrated in his many debates. Filled with enthusiasm and a love for God,the truth was made to shine brighter as it came forthfrom the heat of controversy. In the field of religiousjournalism, Jim told me more than once he did notlike the "Mechanics" of publishing a paper. However, with the loyal help of brethren H. E. Phillips and Connie Adams he contributed fine articles for Searching the Scriptures until his passing.

Like Paul he "Fought a good fight" and will be missed not only by his beloved Bobbie and Rodneybut all who had the privilege of sharing his devotedlife.

Ward Hogland

--------------O ----------------------

I preached in a meeting at the church in Danville, Ky., located on Lexington Ave. August 22

28. It was an enjoyable meeting and I hope it wasprofitable. I first became acquainted with the churchthere about twenty-five years ago. It was indeed encouraging to see the progress that had been madeover that period of time. I'd like to give a briefhistory of it and also a description of the work beingdone there currently.

That congregation came into existence as a resultof a five week's tent meeting conducted by C. W. Scott, in the summer of 1940. By the meeting's end,sixty-nine persons had united to form the new church. Brother Scott then moved to Danville to work with the brethren. Erecting a small building onCarr Street, they met there until 1953, when propertywas purchased on Main Street. In 1958, the present building was erected. Other preachers in Danville include R. E. Peden, W. C. Sawyer, J. E. Bacigalupo, Grover Moss, Herman Mason, Kelly Ellis, Rea Pennock, W. C. Sawyer (a second time), and Royce Chandler.

Besides the normal works of regular Bible classesand assemblies, these brethren publish both a weeklyand a monthly bulletin, publish a bi-weekly article inthe local newspaper, enjoy an active work group program, carry on correspondence courses, and havefour gospel meetings per year in each of three of thepast five years. In addition, they have just arrangedto use their sixth successive summer for inviting ayoung preacher to come and work with them. In the fall of 1976, the elders arranged an intensive Bibleclass program for helping to train men to preach theGospel; at the end they have eight students. Only last July, through some extraordinary circumstances,this church had an opportunity to plant the Gospel in Colombia, South America. Jumping at the open door,the Danville church sent Royce Chandler and WaynePartain to study with the one Christian they knew tolive there. Early efforts have been successful and follow-up plans are well in progress. As a group, thechurch is zealous, unified, and warmly affectionate.

The work is carried on efficiently under the supervision of the elders, brethren Kelly Ellis and William Royalty. They are, in my judgment, well qualified to tend the flock among them. They are menof vision who have a mind to work. They are held inhigh esteem by every member, it appeared to me.

Royce Chandler is the evangelist. He is com-paratively a young man but is becoming a veryknowledgeable person with excellent judgment. He isfervent in spirit relative to preaching the gospel andis effective in creating interest among the youngpeople. He interests them in the same gospel in whicholder people are interested. He doesn't do it with the modern "gimmicks." Brother Chandler has done quite a lot for the singing part of worship. The eldersand the evangelist are not merely interested in thelocal community but are zealous about taking the gospel to faraway places.

The special classes are taught by brethren Ellis andChandler. They both are qualified academically andBiblically. The two make an excellent team: brotherEllis, an older man with experience as a teacher and counselor—brother Chandler, young, with less experience, but with a super abundance of energy.The wife of each furnishes the necessary inspirationand general assistance.

Churches have lectures—special courses—for a week or so and invite neighboring congregations andsometimes some accept the invitation that appears insome bulletin or religious journal and come from faraway places. These special courses are carried on for31 weeks each year.

I was deeply impressed by the work being carried on. I know of no church doing more and few asmuch. These brethren should be commended and imitated.

109 Circle Spring Dr.

Glasgow, Ky. 42141

Next Month—24 pages

In our continuing effort to give our readers a better paper we are enlarging to 24 pages with the June issue. This will allow more space for the good material our writers continue to provide. Show your paper to a friend and urge him to subscribe.

J. P. Lusby Departs

We learned recently of the death of yet another veteran gospel preacher. J. P. Lusby of Amarillo, Texas has gone to be with the Lord. His experience in the kingdom was extensive. He was a man of ability and great influence for good. Our deepest sympathies are extended to his family.

GILBERT HOLT PASSES

With regret we note the death of yet another faithful soldier ofChrist. Gilbert Holt of Lewisburg, Tennessee passed away inNashville recently following open heart surgery. Brother Holt wasan experienced and well-respected preacher. His love for the truthwas evident to all who knew him and his manner of life was consistent with his preaching. His death leaves another void in the ranks of God's people. How swiftly life is passing from us!Younger hearts and hands must be prepared to take up the slack.Funeral services were conducted in Lewisburg and in Athens,Alabama where he was buried. Our hearts reach out to his wife and children. Perhaps a more extended notice of his work can becarried Later.

INDIANA DEBATE

On July 24-27, 1978 there will be a four night debate betweenCarrol R. Sutton and Ray Hawk on the subject of churchbenevolence. The first two nights will be in the building of theHobart, Indiana congregation, 200 North Liberty St. The last twonights will be in the Lake Station congregation's meeting house at4901 East 28th Ave., Lake Station, Indiana. Should attendance be larger than these houses can seat, it may be possible to moveto a nearby school building. Carrol Sutton will oppose churchcontributions to such organizations as Paragould Children'sHome, Shults-Lewis Children's Home, and Homes for the Aged,Ray Hawk will defend the practice of making such contributions.Hiram Hutto will moderate for Carrol Sutton and James Bullington will moderate for Ray Hawk. Any questions about thedebate may be sent to Wendell M. Powell, P.O. Box 275, Hobart,Indiana 46342.

NEW CONGREGATION IN METRO-PHOENIX

GARRETH L. CLAIR, 711 Santa Anna, Mesa, Arizona — A newcongregation began meeting in the southeastern section of Metro-Phoenix on January 8 of this year. Five families (about 30) madeup the first service. Contributions have been averaging about $150weekly. We are now in a position to purchase property and arelooking for a suitable location in this area. At present we aremeeting from house to house with some good results and closeties. I am preaching for the congregation and receiving supportfrom other sources for the immediate future. When traveling through the Phoenix area contact us at 602-835-1192 for directionsor transportation to worship.

OVERSEAS EMERGENCY WALLACE H. LITTLE, Fort Smith, Arkansas — The plunging dollar is causing serious difficulties for all Americans overseas, and especially gospel preachers. Of these, Bob Nichols (address: P.O. Box 44. Hirakata, Osaka, 573, Japan) is in by far theworst situation. Daily he sees his support further eroded by thedollar's decline. I strongly urge those supporting Bob and other Americans overseas to increase their support to cover this.If you are not now helping to support a man, please consider a"one-time shot in the arm" to help them over the present difficulty.God will bless you for this.

IN NEW BUILDING

JESSE W. BROOKSHIRE, Texarkana, Texas — The Congregation formerly meeting in Texarkana, Texas at 3107 Summerhill Road, in a store building, has just completed a newbuilding at 701 Belt Road in Texarkana, Texas. We opened the newbuilding the first Sunday in April, with a gospel meeting with Robert Turner of Burnet, Texas doing the preaching. This new building is in one of the fastest growing areas of Texarkana, welllocated as well as attractive. We thank God for this accomplishment and are looking forward to its use to his honor andglory. When traveling on I-30, stop and visit us. Exit at RichmondRoad, go south two blocks and turn right on Belt Road, one block tothe building.

RONALD L. DRUM, 1415 13th Ave., North, Naples, Florida 33940 — We are making some progress in the work in Naples. Wecarry advertisements in the Wednesday, Friday and Sunday NAPLES DAILY NEWS and now have a column called "Bible Answers" in the NAPLES STAR. We also advertise in SEE NAPLES and NAPLES GUIDE magazines. Several are now taking a Bible correspondence course. Wallace Bowen of 77th St. Church in Birmingham, Alabama visited with us recently andencouraged us much in the Lord's work here. I still lack about $300 a month having adequate support for full-time work. We meetin the Coast Federal Savings Community Room on Sundays at 9AM and 6 PM for worship with our Bible study at 6 PM. Thursday Bible study is at 6:30 PM. Write us if you know of people we should contact in this area.

PREACHER NEEDED PASCAGOULA, MISSISSIPPI — The Scovel Road church in Pascagoula is in dire need of a gospel preacher to work with usfull-time. We are a small group but our meeting house is adequate,we have a three-bedroom house for a preacher's home and canfurnish some financial support. We are one of four conservativechurches along the Gulf Coast between New Orleans, La. and Mobile, Alabama, no the challenge is great. Anyone wishing to help us meet this challenge please contact either: Philip Cunningham, 5119 Canter Dr., Moss Point, MS 39563 (phone601-475-8551) or G. H. Roberts, 1611 22nd St., Pascagoula, MS 39567 (phone 601-762-3657).

EDITORIAL MUSINGS

The month of March found us in encouraging meetings at Mooresville, Indiana, Manslick Road in Louisville, Kentucky andat Oglethorpe, Georgia. The work is making good progress at all of these places. Mooresville has enlarged and greatly improvedtheir meeting house and is engaged in an active program of work.They have 160-170 in attendance. Harry Lewis continues to dofine work. There are a number of active and growing churches inthe Indianapolis area who are blessed with the services of somevery able men. . . . What a thrill it was to work again with the Manslick Road church in Louisville. We lived and worked with that good congregation for several years. That is one place wherea number of the young people met, sat together and now are

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married to each other. They have young families of their own andare energetic in the work. We have worked with young people inmany places, but must say in all frankness that the 25-30 whowere our students in a high school class there were exceptional. Ofthat number, four are today devoting their lives to gospel preaching, one of the girls is married to one of the boys now preaching, some of the others are Bible class teachers, song leaders, and another girl is married to a gospel preacher she metin college. That group always sat together during those yearsDOWN AT THE FRONT. They enjoyed being together. Julian Snell is doing excellent work with this congregation. The church continues its program of helping young preachers to get started right and presently has Rick Toney working with them. Three good elders serve this church. They support a number of faithfulpreachers in various parts of the world .... Oglethorpe, Georgia is in "Carter Country" not too far from Plains, the home of ourPresident. The church there is small but is making progress. Somebrethren would not think it much to be excited about to have 76 present one night and 70 the next, but when you normally have35-40, that is a great crowd. In addition to visitors from the community we had support from brethren through that part of the state. One family drove 200 miles one night. Jim Allen is the preacher there and is well respected by the church and community. He is doing some good with a daily radio program out ofMontezuma, Georgia . . . . These lines are being written on April3 from Paden City, West Virginia. The church here is fairly large,meets in a commodious building and is engaged in good work.They support 10 sound men in this country and abroad, have aradio program and are blessed with talented men who preach insurrounding places. Paul Rockwell is preaching here now, thoughengaged in secular work. A number of churches in this area arestanding for the truth.

EDITOR'S MEETING SCHEDULE

May 29 — June 2 — Debate with Clifton Inman —Middlebourne, W V June 5-11

— Gulfport, Mississippi June 12-18 — Bessemer, Alabama June 25-July 2 — Milbridge. Maine July 24-30 — Peru, IndianaAugust 6-11 — Ray's Branch, Bowling Green, KYAugust 14-20 — East Florence, Alabama

REPORT ON H. E. PHILLIPS

Many have asked us about brother Phillips His material has not appeared in the paper the past two months. We are sure all have missed it. He has suffered a set-back in his health. In addition to other problems which he was able to control fairly well inrecent months, it has now been learned that he is diabetic and is nowundergoing treatment to bring this condition under control. His workhas been curtailed for awhile. We understand that he is better and prospects are good for his being able to resume his work before long.Keep him in your prayers. I am sure a card of encouragement fromour readers would mean much to him and to sister Phillips. Addresshim at: P.O. Box 17244, Tampa, Florida 3 3612.

IN THE NEWS THIS MONTH

BAPTISMSRESTORATIONS(Taken from bulletins and papers received by the editor)	448 192