WHO DID SIN?

QUESTION: In John 9:2 the disciples asked Jesus,"Who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he wasborn blind?" How could the disciples reason that somesin of the blind man caused his blindness, since he wasborn blind? Does God afflict people in anticipation ofsin in their life? Does God punish us in this life for oursins? If so, how do we distinguish between such andsuffering that is not caused by our own sins? Also, please explain the latter part of verse three: "Neitherhath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that theworks of God should be made manifest in him."

ANSWER: Answering the above questions involve"filling quite an order." Nevertheless, they are good questions and are indicative of careful study and good reasoning. Indeed, they merit Bible answers.

Scholars point out varied theological views whichmay account for the questions of the disciples. Therewas the doctrine of Metempsychosis (transmigration of souls) which affirmed that as just punishment forsin the soul after death was made to pass into anotherbody and suffer commensurate with evil done. Another view was that one could sin before he was born—even in his mother's womb. An appeal was madeto the struggle of Jacob and Esau (Gen. 25:22). Here itis affirmed that Esau tried to commit murder before they were born. Then there is the ever popular viewthat God afflicts individuals with tragedies, sufferings, and misfortunes because of their own sins. Still another view is obvious from our text, namely, that God afflicts individuals because of the sins of

their parents.

For the sake of brevity and space, I pass over thedoctrine of Metempsychosis and the matter of sinningin the womb by saying that such concepts are simplyunwarrantable assumptions. Should one affirm otherwise, then attention will be given to it.

Concerning the view that God afflicts individualsbecause of the sins of parents, the Bible does not teachit. In fact, the Bible teaches otherwise. However, theview was one of long standing among the Jews. Nodoubt this concept grew out of a misunderstanding ofthe following passages: Ex. 20:5; 34:7; 1 Kgs. 21:29.

The references in Exodus refer to consequences ofsin on the part of parents. Children today suffer such,i.e., the children who suffer hunger, abuse, etc.,because of a life of dissipation on the part of a parent.This, however, differs from that inflicted directly byGod as punishment for sin. The latter reference involves a specific instance in a time when God dealtdirectly in particular instances for the purpose of developing and executing His scheme of redemption. This was not the rule by which He dealt with Hispeople.

Ezekiel dealt with this misconception (punishingchildren for the sins of parents) which the Jews expressed in the form of a proverb: "The fathers haveeaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge" (Ezk. 18:2). The error of this concept is refuted throughout Ezk. 18, especially in verses 20-24: "Thesoul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bearthe iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bearthe iniquity of the son: the righteousness of therighteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of thewicked shall be upon him..................."

There is suffering that comes in this life as a consequence of our own wrong doing. Often we reapwhat we sow in this life (Gal. 6:7, 8).

There is suffering that comes from natural calamities in life. This is true because of the immutable laws of nature. Such comes upon the just and theunjust alike. Such calamities are like the rain (Matt.5:45). Such does not evidence wickedness or righteousness on the part of the recipient.

Then there is suffering which we experience becausewe are Christians—by virtue of our relationship toChrist. This involves ridicule, slander, persecution, etc.

Such comes from the enemies of truth. Consider the following: John 15:18, 19; 2 Tim. 3:12; Matt. 5:10-12; 1Pet. 4:12-16. This is the suffering set forth figurativelyby the word "scourges" in Heb. 12:6. Such is part ofthe chastening of the Lord which is "for our profit"(Heb. 12:5-11). The context shows the nature of thesuffering under consideration and demands the conclusion that both suffering for right as well as words of reproof are included.

The Bible does not teach that God punishes directly in this life for our sins. While there have been exceptions to this rule ( in time of miracles, when forspecific purposes such was done), such were just£hat—exceptions—not the rule. Otherwise, it necessarily follows that God is a respecter of personsand, in the final analysis, a terrible monster.

That God does not punish directly for sin in this lifeis evident from instances in the personal ministry ofour Lord. Jesus took issue with this concept in the caseof the blind man: "And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that hewas born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath thisman sinned, nor his parents" (Jno. 9:2, 3). Again, Jesustook issue with this concept as shown in the followingverses: "There were present at that season some thattold him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate hadmingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answeringsaid unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans weresinners above all the Galileans, because they sufferedsuch things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, yeshall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whomthe tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, yeshall all likewise perish" (Lk. 13:1-5).

The book of Job affords us perhaps even a clearerrefutation of this concept. Job's three friends, Eliphaz,Bildad, and Zophar accused him of sin. Throughout thebook of Job they argue that such suffering as experienced by Job was evidence of sin on his part andof justice on God's part (Cf. Job. 4:7; 8:1-7; 11:1-6).Job, however, denied their accusation, affirmed hisinnocence, and exposed their inconsistencies. In the end he was vindicated by God (Job. 42:7-9).

We live in a world where injustices prevail,irregularities are in evidence, the wicked often triumphand the righteous often suffer defeat. We need toremember that "pay day" does not come in this life. Inthe judgment justice will prevail, wrongs will be maderight, the wicked will be punished, and the righteouswill be rewarded.

Concerning the latter part of verse three "but thatthe works of God should be made manifest in him,"Jesus turns their attention from the cause and purpose which they attributed to this misfortune, i.e.,punishment for sin, to a nobler purpose which theblindness now served, i.e., manifesting the works ofGod (miracles) in Jesus. While God allows such suffering (from whatever cause), He has the power tooverrule such to His glory. In this instance such wasused to confirm the deity of Jesus of Nazareth.

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THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE

"For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen isnot hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hopefor? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we withpatience wait for it" (Rom. 8:24-25). In this statement,Paul dealt with the essential elements of hope as it ispresented in the word of God. What we hope for wedo not now see. Hence hope always looks to the future. Yet there is within us an earnest longing forthat coupled with the expectation of realizing this future aspiration. Thayer says that hope is "Expectation of good; joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation." Webster defines theverb form as "To long for with expectation of obtainment, to expect with desire: trust, expect."

It is possible to desire what we do not expect tohave. As a boy I found it enthralling to look through the Sears and Roebuck catalog at the pictures of shinynew bicycles. But those were lean years and I neverexpected to have one. On the other hand, it is possibleto expect what we do not earnestly desire. Disciplinewas a fact of life in our home. When I was caught doingwhat I should not do, I fully expected to receive ray "just recompense of reward" but let me tell you I didnot earnestly desire it! But the Christian's hopecombines a longing look to the future with ferventexpectation. Someone said that hope is "faith pointedto the future."

Hope distinguishes the Christian from the unbeliever. Paul wrote the Thessalonians that theyshould "sorrow not even as others which have no hope" (1 Thes. 4:13). Hear the words of the renownedinfidel Voltaire near the close of his life.

"Strike out a few sages, and the crowd of

human beings is nothing but a horrible

assemblage of unfortunate criminals, and

the globe contains nothing but corpses. I

tremble to have to complain once more of

the Being of beings, in casting an attentive

eye over this terrible picture. I wish I had

never been born….The box of Pandora is

the most beautiful fable of antiquity. Hope

was at the bottom."

Contrast that to the radiant joy expressed by Pauleven when he was chained to a Roman guard underhouse arrest in Rome. "Rejoice in the Lord alway: andagain I say, Rejoice" (Phil. 4:4). Hear Paul near the endof his life as he faced martyrdom for the cause of Christ. "For I am now ready to be offered, and thetime of my

departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I havefinished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforththere is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at thatday: and not to me only, but unto all them also thatlove his appearing" (2 Tim. 4:6-8). Do you not see thecontrast between the despair of Voltaire and the radiant, confident hope of Paul?

The Basis of Hope

Is the Christian merely a dreamer? Does he seek "piein the sky" without any substance to his expectation?I submit that hope is reasonable. Peter said "and be ready always to give an answer to every man thatasketh you a reason of the hope that is in you withmeekness and fear" (1 Pet. 3:15). The farmer plows andplants in hope of harvest. Even the forest sheds its leaves and bares its branches to the cold breath of winter in hope of the renewal of spring. It is even morereasonable that the Christian hope for that which hedoes not now see.

(1) The Christian hopes because God cannot lie. Ourhope is as certain as the very character of God himself."In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie,promised before the world began" (Titus 1:2). The Hebrew writer said it is "impossible for God to lie"(Heb. 6:18). God's performance in the past is theguarantee of his promises for the Christian. He said"let there be light" and it was so. He said of man in thedays of Noah "his days shall be an hundred and twentyyears." Then came the flood, for God had spoken.Through his servants the prophets God foretold many things concerning the Messiah, all of which came to pass. Even the word which he spake by angels wasstedfast. It is therefore reasonable to expect God tofulfill his promises to the Christian for God cannot lie. (2) The Christian hopes because Christ was raised' from the dead. "If in this life only we havehope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." "Firstfruits" implieslater fruit. In his own victory over death he securedthe keys of Hades and death (Rev. 1:18). Thus he "delivered them who through fear of death were alltheir lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb. 2:14-15).The sign of all signs was the resurrection of Christfrom the dead. That was the crowning victory whichforever settled his claim to be the Son of God with power (Rom. 1:4). It is reasonable therefore to put ourtrust in him who has "all authority in heaven and onearth" (Mt. 28:18). (3) The Christian hopes because of the gospel assurances offered by the witnesses of the resurrection. After his resurrection he was "seen of Cephas,then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greaterpart remain unto this present, but some are fallenasleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as ofone born out of due time" (1 Cor. 15:5-8). These witnesses repeatedly spoke of "the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the wordof the truth of the gospel" (Col. 1:5).

The Results of Hope

(1) Hope protects us. We wear "for an helmet, thehope of salvation" (1 Thes. 5:8). Helmets are worn toprotect heads. The head is the source of direction forthe body. It is our intellectual center. Rob man of hishope and you have deprived him of his noblest aspirations. (2) Hope purifies us. "And every man that hath thishope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1Jno. 3:3). A constant awareness of the hope set beforeus is a deterrent to sin. One of the greatest avenues ofescape from temptation is the remembrance of the"home over there." The brilliance of our hope iscalculated to outshine the cheap glitter of momentary pleasure. (3) Hope stabilized us. "Which hope we have as ananchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and whichentereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" (Heb.6:19-20). Anchors fasten ships to unseen foundations.Even so, "we have an anchor" in an unseen worldwhich keeps us from being "tossed to and fro by everywind of doctrine" and which gives us confidence amidthe turbulence of human life. We all have our storms to weather, our moments of despair, the unmistakableache of disappointment, the wrenching moment ofuncertainty when we cry out "What are we going to donow"? But, brethren we have an anchor cast in yonders world and it is this blessed assurance which givesus endurance. Indeed "tribulation worketh patience;and patience, experience; and experience, hope: Andhope maketh not ashamed" (Rom. 5:3-5). It is for thisreason that we are able to "gird up the loins of our(your) mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation ofJesus Christ" (1 Pet. 1:13).

The Objects of Hope

(1) We hope for eternal life. What is eternal is never ending. Life here is short, uncertain and its thread isoften fragile. Death is the common lot of all. Theominous certainty that we shall die makes us sigh for ahigher and better existence where the second death"hath no power." It is difficult for our finite minds tograsp the sublimity of a vast expanse of unending blissin the presence of the Lord. (2) We hope for glory. We sing about it often. "Oh that will be glory for me." "Just over in the glory-land." We long for the splendor and beatific happinessof heaven. Peter wrote about our "living hope" assured by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, interms of "an inheritance that is incorruptible, andundefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Pet. 1:3-5). Here the new decays andbecomes old. Wood rots. Metal rusts and corrodes. Paint dims, cracks and peels. We are subject tocorruption. But in heaven nothing will ever rot or rustor grow old. We hope for an inheritance incorruptible.Here the cleansed becomes unclean. The spotlessbecomes stained and soiled. But in heaven there will be nothing unclean to defile. We hope for an inheritance

undefiled. Here the most gorgeous corsage withers anddies and we cannot even tell what color it was. We also fade. The glow of youthful cheeks succumbs to therelentless passage of time and is replaced by the pallorof old age. Youthful vigor is supplanted by the achesand uncertain steps of the aged. But there, nothing fades. Thus we sing of the "Land of fadeless day""where we never grow old" and where "the roses neverfade." We sigh for an inheritance that fadeth not away.

(3) We hope to see Jesus. We do not know what form he will have nor what we shall be like but John assures us that "when he shall appear, we shall be like him; forwe shall see him as he is" (1 Jno. 3:2). Paul said "WhenChrist, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye alsoappear with him in glory" (Col. 3:4). What a gloriousexpectation to see the Word of life, the Lamb of God,the Lion of Judah, the Bright and Morning Star, theSaviour, the Redeemer, the Head of the church, the Alpha and Omega! What rapture to be in the presenceof Him who has been our High Priest, our Advocateand our Mediator! What inexpressible bliss to be ableto thank him forever for his grace, mercy and love!

"But if we hope for that we see not, then do we withpatience wait for it." (Rom. 8:25). "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20).

PICKING AT THE THORN"

In the June 1982 issue of this paper, page 135, thereappears an article by this writer, "A Modern Thorn."We urge readers of this article to refresh your memoryby reading the original piece again. In that article weare punctuating the need for repentance on the part of alien sinners prior to baptism for remission of sins. Our application sets forth a severing of any and alladulterous unions in the case of multiple marriages.James D. Bales has replied to this article via letter andI would like to offer his reply for the further study ofthe reader along with my response. Brother Bales isoften quoted, not only regarding his position on marriage, divorce and re-marriage, but on other matters and is highly respected for his scholarship andinfluence. He has written a widely circulated book indefense of his position, "Not Under Bondage." Here iswhat he said in the letter about the article.

"Since the Lord does not hold marriages involvingaliens to the same standard to which He holds Christians, those divorced and remarried in the worlddo not violate Matthew 19:9 for they are not under it.Therefore, they have nothing to repent of concerningtheir second marriage.

"Paul said Christ did not speak on marriagesinvolving aliens (1 Cor. 7:12). Why do brethren insistthat He did? Paul did not apply Matthew 19:9 (1 Cor.7:10-11) to marriages involving aliens. Why do somebrethren insist on binding on marriages involvingaliens what Paul refused to bind? It is this simple.

"The position I occupy is as old as Paul and also asold as A. Campbell."

Our brother advocates this position: (1) The Lorddoes not hold marriages involving aliens to the samestandard he holds Christians. (2) Those divorced andremarried in the world do not violate Matt. 19:9 for they are not under it. (3) They have nothing to repentof concerning their second marriage. These contentions argue two standards for marriage, onefor aliens and one for Christians. Is this the onlyplace where two laws or standards apply? If the alienis not subject to the standard for marriage, whatabout God's standard for anything else? And if notamenable to God's standard in all, why in anything? If nothing, then such are not sinners and have no needof the gospel. Fact is, the standard of God for marriage originated with the first man and woman andhas upon the basis of that monogamous relationshipcontinued

with His approval. Such constitutes the divine foundation and moral fiber upon which home, familyand society rests.

Matthew 19:9, "And I say unto you, whosoever shallput away his wife, except for fornication and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her when she is put away committeth adultery." Here Jesus sets forth the only circumstance, fornication, under which one with aliving mate may marry without sin. This presupposesunderstanding that such justification is for the innocent party only. Jesus is answering the Pharisees, as they posed what they hoped would be aquestion to trap Him, referred them to the Scripturesetting forth the original design of marriage.

A second question is then directed to Jesus, "Whythen did Moses command to give a bill of divorcement,and to put her away?" Answer: Moses suffered, orallowed, because of hardness of heart. No longer, however, was this to be tolerated under the New Covenant but the strictness of the original law wouldbe restored. Thus, Jesus in establishing the New Covenant incorporated the original law of marriageapplicable to all men.

Our original article concluded repentancenecessitates a quitting and turning from sin on thepart of the alien. Fornication (adultery) is sin that mustbe repented by the alien for the blood of Christ tocleanse along with lying, stealing, murder or anythingelse contrary to the Law of God. Such is to be mortified, put to death to avoid God's wrath upon those who live in them (Col. 3:1-10). Those divorcedand remarried, in the world (non-Christians) violateMatt. 19:9 when such is without grounds for theinnocent. Any second marriage is a living in sin andall such stand in need of repentance. Repentance isquitting and turning from sin.

Now, the part about Paul and Christ and the contention that Paul did not apply Jesus' teaching tomarriages involving aliens. Jesus taught that all whodivorced for any reason except fornication and marryothers are living in adultery. Paul taught that peoplecan "live in" adultery in Col. 3:5-7. Now Jesus spoke asthe Father gave him the words (John 12:49-50; 17:8)and he restored the law concerning divorce and remarriage to that which was from the beginning. Hetaught that fornication on the part of one' mate is the only reason for divorce and remarriage while the otheris alive. Does this not agree perfectly with 1 Corinthians 7?

1 Corinthians 7 deals with a relationship where one isa Christian and one is not. The Christian is to give upthe marriage partner rather than give up Christ andthe hope of eternal life. Not give up the unbelievingpartner to be married again but to live a life of celibacy as there is no justification involved here due to fornication. He is simply saying the believer is not bound to the unbeliever that he must give up Christto hold that unbeliever. Paul is telling the believer tohold to Jesus even if it means the loss of the unbelieving companion. No conflict with what Jesushas previously

taught and no change of application as far as theoriginal principles stated in Matthew 19:9. Same standard, universal application, saint and sinner alike.So, we are right back where we started, to squareone. "And I say unto you whosoever shall put away hiswife, except for fornication and shall marry another,committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her whenshe is put away committeth adultery." Let each "examine self" (2 Cor. 13:5) and guard against being guided by heart instead of by the Scriptures.

SHARON CHRISTIAN It is with much sadness that we take note here of the untimely death of Sharon Christian, wife of Rick Christian who preaches at Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Herpes encephalitiswas the cause of death. She passed away elevendays after giving birth to their second child, ababy girl. Sharon was 26 years old. She leavesbehind her husband, Rick, and a daughter aged2, besides the baby.

Funeral services were conducted on September 29 in Louisville by the editor.Graveside services were conducted at Ravenswood, West Virginia by Mike Willis,who had baptized Sharon a few years ago. Ourhearts ache for this young brother and his twosmall children. While we sorrow, we are comforted by the fact that she was faithful tothe Lord. Indeed, "Blessed are the dead whichdie in the Lord, that they may rest from theirlabors; and their works do follow them" (Rev.14:13).

BIBLE CLASSES AND WOMEN TEACHERS

NOTE: The material for and/or the charts themselves have been gathered from a number of sources. I claim no originality for any of the material.

Even though there are two different subjectsmentioned above, when discussions are held with anti-class brethren, they usually insist on including both issues in the same proposition. But for the life of me, Icannot understand why. For, it should be obvious toany thinking person, that unless one can be convincedthat Bible classes are scriptural, there would be noreason to discuss whether or not women may teach insome of them.

In this study I want to present some of the materialthat I have used in discussions with brethren who oppose the use of classes and women teachers.

It is impossible for example, to TEACH without ateacher, a student, a time, a place, material, and anarrangement.

An Arrangement

Why bring up all this? Because, Bible Classes aresimply an arrangement of the church to expedite the general command to teach, and nothing more. God has loosed the arrangement.

Even though most of the arrangements shown on the above chart are arrangements used byindividuals, I contend that any arrangement that maybe used by the individual in carrying out the generalcommand to teach may be used by the church incarrying out the general command to teach. You cannot do a right thing in a wrong way, and you cannot do a wrong thing in a right way.

On the above chart you will note that they hadpreaching (Acts 20:7). An individual may use thisarrangement for spreading the word, and the churchmay use this arrangement.

In Acts 19:9 (and Acts 14:26 - 15:2) we find theapostle Paul disputing daily in the school of Tyrannus. The church may also use this arrangement to carry out the general command to teach.

Next we find Paul sending for the elders of thechurch and having an informal discussion with them. The church may also use the informal discussion arrangement to teach.

Fourth, Paul said he went up to Jerusalem andcommunicated unto them the gospel, but to them which were of reputation. Thus we have Paul notonly discussing the gospel with the brethren inJerusalem, but also privately with a few. Thus we have segregation and classification in this example of individual teaching. So, just as this arrangement can be

used by the individual, it can also be used by thechurch.

And finally on our chart, we observe that an epistlewas to be read by the church. But just as the epistle can be read by the church, so also the individual canuse this arrangement for teaching.

These examples from the New Testament set forththe fact that God has loosed the arrangement, and therefore these and any other arrangements deemedexpedient may be used by both the individual and thechurch.

Objections

Those who will not use the class arrangementbecause they cannot find it specifically mentioned in the New Testament are willing for the church to use other arrangements that are not specificallymentioned. They are, in fact, willing to use sucharrangements as radio and TV programs for teaching.But I believe those who are not blinded by prejudicecan see from the following chart that an arrangementsuch as a radio or TV program and the Bible classarrangement are parallel.

arrangements as radio programs, TV programs, thechurch buying and making arrangements for tracts tobe passed out for teaching, none of which a person mayspecifically read about in the New Testament. Howthen, can such arrangements be used by these brethrensince they are not specifically mentioned in the New Testament? Because brethren are simply carrying outthe general command to teach.

The objection is always raised, "Is it scriptural toworship without having Bible classes"? The answer isobviously yes. However, the problem arises when brethren make that into a law and say that those whouse Bible Classes as an arrangement for teaching aresinning. It would be just as wrong for those who haveBible classes to say that the only arrangement thatcan be used is Bible classes and no other arrangement(radio or TV programs, etc.) can be used.

WOMEN TEACHERS

In view of the fact that the Bible Class Arrangementmay be used for teaching the Bible, what about womenteaching some of the classes?

Also, you can see from a passage (Acts 4:18) that isparallel in construction to 1 Tim. 2:12, that both "tospeak," "nor teach" are both modified by "in the nameof Jesus."

Thus Paul said that a woman is not to "teach over the man" (that is be in authority over a class of men)"nor usurp authority over the man" (which is anunlawful seizure of power or authority).

Some have argued that 1 Timothy 2:12 is speaking ofa woman in the assembly. They are forced to take thisposition because they deny that both "to teach" and"to usurp authority" are modified by "over the man."They would have the passage read, "But I suffer not awoman to teach"—period, which would mean she couldnot teach at all and would have Paul telling Timothyone thing in 1 Tim. 2:12, and contradicting that in 2Tim. 2:2 and Titus,2:3. Thus they are forced to say thatPaul is discussing the assembly and paralleling it withI Cor. 14:34-35. However if you read the text itself incontext, you will see that such a conclusion is notwarranted. There is no indication of the assembly—unless women are to be modestly clothed, etc. only inthe assembly, which is nonsense. But let's read 1 Cor.l4:34-35. "Let your women keep silence in thechurches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak;but they are commanded to be under obedience, as alsosaith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let themask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."

The Word "Silence"

But, it is observed, Paul tells the women in his letterto Timothy and to the brethren at Corinth that theyare to be silent. However, the word "silent" is not the same.

NEHEMIAH: LET US RISE UP & RESTORE The Place of Faith in Spiritual Revival

In our last article we studied the need for prayer, ifthe people of God are to be restored to Him. Nehemiah 9 is one long prayer that serves for the foundation ofour study in this issue. There are several phrases thatare the keys to understanding what is necessary forproper prayer. It is not enough for us to know that weought to pray. Who among us would deny that need?Yet, while we all know we ought to pray, the question is why don't we do what we know to be right? There isno person among us who would not say that we neededto pray more often and more fervently, so why don'twe? Let us begin our study with some key phrases thatwill help to give us what we need to motivate us.

Verse 8, "You (God) have kept your PROMISEbecause you are righteous." Then in Verse 32, "Now,therefore, O our God, the great mighty and awesomeGod, WHO KEEPS HIS COVENANT of Love ____"Notice in these two phrases we find two statementsconcerning God's ability and willingness to KEEP HisPromises and His Covenant. God has kept His part of the Covenant, and it was done to motivate the Israelites to become what they ought to be before Him.God makes promises to us because of concern and lovefor His people. These promises are for our benefit andnourishment. Almost every page of His word has somekind of promise in it that He has pledged to do for Hischildren, if we are willing to meet the conditions. Now,let us move directly from the context of Nehemiah 9and the statements concerning God keeping Hispromises to broader field of Scriptures, in order thatwe might show examples of His promises to us on thesubject of prayer.

The Promises of God

Mark 11:24 is one of the glorious promises of Godconcerning prayer. "Therefore, I say to you, ALLTHINGS for which you pray and ask, believe that youHAVE RECEIVED them and they shall be grantedyou." Oh, as we read that, it seems too good to be true.What a promise! So immediately we begin to explainaway the verse as not meaning what it says, because itgoes contrary to all human reason and experience. But,before we give away the promise, let us remember thatNehemiah said that God Keeps His Promises. Noticethe verse said, "Believe that you have received." Faithis necessary in this verse,—a faith so great that we

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must believe we have already received the answer evenas we pray! An example of this is in Daniel 9, whereDaniel began to pray and the Lord sent an Angel toanswer his prayer before Daniel even finished it. So itshould be with us. We need to believe that we have received the answer before we finish praying. The context of Mark 11 will show us it was the last week of the Lord's life and He was coming and going fromBethany to Jerusalem. On one of the trips into the Cityof Jerusalem He passed a fig tree that was barren andcursed the tree so that it died. Peter, the next morning,noticed that it was dead. Jesus responds in Verse 22,"Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever saysto this mountain, 'be taken up into the sea', and doesnot DOUBT in his heart, but BELIEVES that He saysit is going to happen; it shall be granted him." Again inTHE CONTEXT IS THE NECESSITY OF FAITH,and if there is faith a mountain can be cast into the sea. This is the wonderful promise! Yet, if we are notcareful, we will explain it all away. John 14:12-14 speaks of all things given to the believer. The same ofJohn 15:7, if we abide in Him and His word in us, "askwhatever you wish, and it shall be granted." ThePromises Of God are so rich and full, and still I live mylife so as to be empty and weak. Why haven't we risenabove our level of accomplishments in growth,development and labor in His cause? Notice againRomans 8:32. If He did not spare His own Son, will Henot give freely to us "ALL THINGS." The point isthat if Heaven didn't hold back the most precious giftof all, the Son of God, why would Heaven hold backanything that we need and ask for? Yet, there is aninteresting comparison in the statement of the Romanletter in 8:32 concerning the gift of His Son and the answer to our prayer. The gift of His Son was unconditional and without strings. The gift of HisSon did not depend on my goodness or ability. The Sonwas given without conditions, but the gifts to us in answer to our prayer are not Unconditional, but conditional. They are conditional on our FAITH. Aswe have seen in each of the previously mentionedpassages, the answer to prayer was conditioned on ourfaith.

The Promises and Faith

The reason why we do not pray more is that we donot believe as we ought to. Faith is: "being sure ofwhat we hope for and certain of what we do not see"(Heb. 11:4 NIV.). Our prayer and the ability to obeyany of the commands of God is based on our Faith.Israel lost confidence in the promise of God and theyended up in Babylonian captivity from which theywere struggling to recover. If we need to consider someof the examples of faith and on what their faith wasfounded, which Nehemiah mentions in this prayer, thefirst example is that of Abraham. Oh, we know thestory well, and sometimes that means that we can justskip that part, but follow along as Nehemiah says that"You (God) found his heart faithful to you."

The first event in the life of Abraham was his callingto leave Ur of the Chaldees. Ur was a pagan city andthere probably was not one worshiper of Jehovah inthe entire city. Abraham may never have heard of Jehovah before himself, but after that one conversation he was willing to leave his homeland andto go to a place that he had never even heard of orseen, nor ever talked with anyone else who had everheard of it before. He took about 400-500 people withhim on this journey. Palestine was only 600 miles duewest, but the Arabian desert was directly in between,and he could not travel across the desert. So, itmeant a lengthy journey of at least 12 months fromHaran after his father Terah died. Finally, when he gotthere he had to live in tents and found the land full of Canaanites and famine. "Do you mean this is whatthe Lord brought me all this way for?" Many of uswould have been on the American flight back home toUr. Finally, when he was 99 years old, God told him hewould have a son. Sarah laughed and denied it, and God told her to name him Isaac, which means laughter,and Abraham believed God! Finally, the same voicethat told him to leave Ur and that he was going to havea son, told him in Genesis 22 that he was to kill the son as an offering to Jehovah. In Genesis 5:22 Abraham tells the servants at the foot of Mount Moriah to wait there and "WE will worship and return to you." WE will worship? Yes. But how couldWE come back? Abraham was fully committed tokilling the boy! This act was against every moralprinciple that God had ever enacted. It was murder,and only practiced by the pagans. Yet, because Godspoke, Abraham was willing to kill the boy. Noticethat he said, "WE will return to you." How could thisbe?

Romans 4 speaks of the heart of Abraham and hismanner of life. Notice 4:17. He BELIEVED, even Godwho gives life to the dead (the dead womb of Sarah),and calls into being that which does not exist." (Justas we begin in Mark 11:24, God caused to come intobeing before it even existed); V. 18, Abraham believed.. . "that which had been spoken;" V. 20, the "promiseof God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong infaith;" V. 21 being assured that what He had promised, He was able to perform."

The point of all of this is simply that: Abraham heard the promise of God, (1) I'll take you to a land, (2)I'll deliver you a son to make a nation out of, and (3)you kill him. Nevertheless, Abraham believed the promise so strongly that he knew God would fulfill Hispromise, even if he killed the boy he loved so verymuch. That is the power of faith. Moses is an examplethat Nehemiah uses, as well as others, but space hereallows us to use only Abraham to make our point. Wepray in faith KNOWING that the promise which Godhas made will be fulfilled, even as we speak the words.That does not mean the answer is immediate, forAbraham died without inheriting the land. However,the fact that it would be given to his seed was just assure and certain the moment God spoke it, andAbraham believed it even though it would be hundredsof years later before he would receive this promise.

Our Need For Faith

As we read the book of Acts, we see the power of theNew Testament church. First, in growth. They turnedcivilization upside down. In Acts 5:28 they turned the City of Jerusalem upside down. Then in Acts 9:31 theyturned Palestine upside down, and finally, in Acts 17:6 they were accused of turning the world upside down. Consider that as compared with the impact which we,as 20th century Christians, have made on our world.Next, consider the sacrifice of the first century church.They sold their homes in Acts 4:32. Finally, considertheir dedication in the face of imprisonment, beatingsand death. Now, what motivated them to do all this?What was the force which propelled this growth, sacrifice and dedication back in their day, when in ourday we can't even get members of the Lord's bodyaway from the television set on Sunday night if there isa 4:00 P.M. football game telecast. When we see Bibleclass teachers take to the woods in droves to hunt all weekend, if it is deer season? Again, how did theysucceed and we are failing? The answer lies in oneword, FAITH! It was in the power of their faith. This, of course, was no accident because the original 12 disciples were the products of the Lord'searthly training ministry, and what they received from Him they passed on to the large body in the aggregate.

The Development Of This Faith in The 12

When the Lord called the disciples, he called themfrom their boats and nets, or from the tax-collectingbooth, or from whatever occupation they happened tobe engaged in for their daily sustenance. They were toleave their wives and families and travel with Him for the next three years. After putting together the body of the 12, He integrated the ministry with the SermonOn The Mount. Then they followed and watched for ayear, as they lived hand to mouth and day by day.They saw the dead raised, the blind given sight, thedeaf made to hear, and they saw their daily needs caredfor without their worrying about them. Finally, thetime was right and the 12 disciples became the 12Apostles in Matt. 10:1 and Mark 6:7, and were sent outtwo by two in the first Commission. It was limited tothe Jews and the instructions were rigid. They were tocarry no extra money, no extra staff, no extra sandals.In other words, without any natural provisionswhatsoever for this journey. They also had to go outpenniless and depend on the Lord to support theirneeds daily. This was the beginning of the fulfillment in Matt. 6:33 to "seek first the kingdom of heaven and all these things will be added to you." Thiswas the Lord's promise and on this limited scale He wasgoing to show them and us that He always keeps hispromises! Consider what would be needed to go onthis journey. Just as Abraham left Ur with faith inthe promise of God, these men started to walk about Galilee with no provisions for their daily needs. Howmany of us would start out on the Interstate withnothing but one tank of gasoline and a Bible to preach God's truth? Look at what they did. But thehand of the Lord is not short and He was able to keepHis promise to care for them. This training exercisewas but the beginning of many that build the type offaith in the promises of God that would lead this ragtag group of disciples to the Roman arena to die fortheir Master. It was FAITH. That FAITH was transferred to the New Testament

Church so that they would not worry or care abouttomorrow either, but only proceed to do His will.

In conclusion brethren, we are impotent todaybecause we have not spent the time in prayer andmeditation that we should have and could have spent.Therefore, we do not really know our Lord. We don'tknow because we have never walked out on the cuttingedge of sacrifice and dedication where only He holdsthe key of life or death. Faith is a stone wall. This is theway that the wall will indeed become a mighty fortress.Nehemiah noted to all of Israel the promises of God.We have noted the promises of God today, and asNehemiah inferred, if God keeps one promise He will keep all His promises. We need that kind of faith!Without our faith we cannot please Him. Why? Because without it, there will be no prayer, noobedience, no commitment and no sacrifice! ALL ARENECESSARY IF WE ARE TO SERVE HIM.

So, if one prays believing the answer is already given, can he move mountains? Absolutely! That versemeans exactly what it says. Abraham's life was far greater than any mountain to be moved as he becamethe father of a nation that is still with us today. Moses' life was far greater than any mountain ever moved ashe was the deliverer who went before the mightiestnation in the world with a shepherd's staff and broughtout 4 million slaves that were the economic backbone of that kingdom. He did far greater things thanmoving mountains, and so did the New Testamentdisciples, BY FAITH. The next time someone says inBible class that faith cannot move 20-ft. trees into the sea, or move mountains into the sea, humbly pointthem to Abraham, Moses, and the New TestamentChristians. Nehemiah would, if he were holding ameeting where you preach today.

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PRAYER POSTURE

Several years ago an area author set forth in a tract,The Posture In Prayer, the idea "I believe the posture of the body is an index of the attitude of theheart" (page 3), but the scripture that was supposed toteach this was not given in the tract. Again, the readerof the tract was told "I believe a Christian can breathe a prayer as he works on his job, as he drivesthe highways, or as he lies upon his bed at night; butwhen he takes a position to pray in public meetings,or before the public, I believe he should kneel beforeGod" (page 5). But again, while the tract mentions Scriptures, it gives no Scripture that teaches the above.

Paul said, in Rom. 10:6-8, "the righteousness whichis of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart,who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christdown from above;) Or who shall descend into the deep?(that is, to bring up Christ from the dead.) But whatsaith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth,and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which wepreach." We would like to know where the "word of faith" preached by the Apostles of Christ said one must kneel in prayer in public. Paul further said the 'Spirit of faith' which he had was "according as it iswritten, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; wealso believe, and therefore speak" (2 Cor. 4:13). Whereis it written that when one "takes a position to pray inpublic meetings, or before the public.. .he should kneelbefore God" because the "posture of the body is anindex of the attitude of the heart"?

If one wants to believe and practice such, that is fine;but it is an altogether different matter when one thinksthe Bible teaches such and leaves the impression withpeople the Bible teaches these ideas, which it doesn't. If someone wants to kneel, or stand, or sit, or whatever, when they pray, that is fine; for them to tryto make the Bible teach any one of these positions tothe exclusion of all others, I must take exception.

This tract further teaches there is a difference in "prayer" and "thanks" by quoting a preacher in the last century that said "there is a difference between "giving thanks" and "prayer;" "the latter may includethe former, but to give thanks cannot be properly called a prayer" (pages 11-12). As we examine these ideas, it will become clear why the arbitrary distinctionis made between "prayer" and "giving thanks."

Men

In Scripture some men are called "elders" (Acts 20:17), called "overseers" (verse 28) and "pastors"(verse 28—"to feed") and these all refer to the samemen, but from different points of view.

Prayer

Paul said in 1 Tim. 2:1, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks, be made for all men." The tract we are noticing says we are to kneel for public "prayer" and stand for "thanks." What we are to do while involved in "intercessions" and "supplications" we are not told. Does God care about the position of ourbody during "thanks" and "public prayer" but is not concerned about "intercessions" and "supplications"?

(1) Prayer. This is the general word for prayer usedin the New Testament. It is "prayer addressed to God"(Thayer, page 545). (2) Intercessions. These are "a petition, supplication. . . . used of prayer to God" (Thayer, page218). In his little tract on the subject of prayer, What The Bible Says About Prayer, the late, brother Bennie Lee Fudge defined "intercessions" as "appeal inbehalf of others." How often have brethren made an "appeal in behalf of others" for the forgiveness of sinsjust as Simon asked Peter, "Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me" (Acts 8:24)? Was Simon not asking Peter to "appeal in behalf" of him? What position should Peter have taken to make intercession for Simon? (3) Supplications. Of supplications, brother Fudgedefines them as "earnest entreaty." Thayer says "a seeking, asking, entreating, entreaty, contextually, ofprayer imploring God's aid in some particular matter"(page 126). Paul said, "there was given to me a thorn inthe flesh. . . .for this thing I besought the Lord thrice,that it might depart from me" (2 Cor. 12:7-9). Was notPaul making an "earnest entreaty" "imploring God's aid in some particular matter"? When Paul made supplication, what position did he get in? If it makes adifference, what verse tells us the supplication position? (4) Thanks. Concerning this brother Fudge defines thanks, as an "expression of gratitude." Thayer says "thankfulness. . . the giving of thanks" (Page 264). Paul wrote the Philippians, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer ofmine for you all making request with joy, For yourfellowship in the gospel from the first day until now"(Phil. 1:3-5).

Our tract teaches one should kneel in public prayersand stand for thanks. Paul said "in every prayer of mine" "I thank God for you." How did Paul kneel when he prayed publicly and stand when he gave thanks, and do both at the same time?

Men Divided and Uncertain

To quote men on a religious question is often to findthem divided on what to do on one hand, and uncertainon the other.

Our tract quotes J. W. Jackson of the last century assaying in "prayer" it is kneeling and Alexander Campbell is quoted that kneeling is always preferred.Yet, Jesus didn't always kneel because on the cross heprayed "Father, forgive them; for they know not whatthey do" (Lk. 23:34). If Jesus did not always kneel when he prayed in public, neither must we.

This tract quotes (1) Alexander Campbell as saying when giving "thanks" one "stands" and (2) J. W. Jackson as saying there is "no rule" when one gives "thanks" saying some stood, some kneeled but standing is preferred.

Jesus

While it is true Jesus did kneel in prayer (Lk. 22:41),Jesus did not always kneel (Lk. 23:34). While some say we should stand when giving thanks and others say kneel, we read of Jesus sitting. Jesus "sat down with the twelve" and "gave thanks" (Mt. 26:20, 27; see alsoMk. 14:18, 22, 23, and Lk. 22:14,17,19).

One can read that Jesus "was in all points temptedlike as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15) and that he"did not sin" (1 Pet. 2:22). If Jesus did not always kneel in public prayer, did not stand when he gave thanks and was "without sin" because he "did not sin," then you and I do not have to kneel in public prayer nor stand during thanks. One follows Jesus when he sits during thanks and when he prays publicly without kneeling.

The theory of our tract says one should kneel in public prayer. Yet, an examination of the prayer life ofJesus shows he didn't always kneel in public (Lk. 23:34); and he did sometimes kneel in private (Lk. 22:41-45). "He was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed." Jesuskneeled when theory says one does not have to kneel;when theory says one should kneel, Jesus didn't. I have never known a theory but what Jesus Christ and His apostles disputed it by their teaching, or their practice, or both.

Jesus Said

In Lk. 18:9-14 Jesus told of two men going up to thetemple to pray. Both men stood and prayed. One man, the Pharisee, "exalted himself" (v. 14) by saying, "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess" (verses 11-12). The other man, thepublican, said, "God, be merciful to me a sinner" (verse13). Jesus said, of this publican, "this man went down tohis house justified" (verse 14). Thus, we have Jesus saying a man (1) stood in the temple, thus, in public, (2) prayed, and was (3) justified. When Jesus said a man stood in public, prayed and is justified, I am content toteach the same thing. Why wouldn't anyone else?

If it be said that "stood" means "take a position" why didn't Jesus say these men "took a position?" The fact that Jesus didn't say these men "took a position"means Jesus didn't intend to convey the idea they just"took a position." He intended to convey they "stood" for that is what he said.

If it be said that Solomon stood on his knees when he prayed at the dedication of the temple, one should understand (1) Old Testament practice is not authorityfor New Testament worship, (2) Solomon also made supplication when he prayed, so why not contend that one should kneel when they make supplication? (3) If "standing" in prayer is the same as "kneeling," why does the Old Testament text add "on his knees"? If "on his knees" were not added, one would not know that he was on his knees just from the word "stood." When Jesus walked on the water (Mt. 14:25) all understood hewalked on his feet for that is the normal way to walk. If one walks on his hands, something from the context must indicate it, otherwise one would gather that he walked on his feet for that is the usual and normal wayto walk. (4) If Solomon standing on his knees is authorityfor New Testament worship, why do not people stand on both knees? Solomon did. Why can one stand on just oneknee when Solomon stood on both? Solomon also prayed "with his hands spread up to heaven" (1 Kgs.8:54). If one uses Solomon as authority for kneeling inprayer today, why not for spreading both hands towardheaven when they pray? If one is going to use Solomon as authority for kneeling in prayer today, whynot use him for both (1) kneeling in prayer on both kneesand at the same time for (2) spreading the hands out toward heaven? If Solomon is our authority, why nottake him for our authority all the way?

Rule Exploded From this tract we learn one is supposed to kneel in prayer and stand to give thanks. A look at some Bible passages will now show that is not what was done inthe Bible. In prayer, (1) Hannah stood (1 Sam. 1:9, 10, 26), (2) David sat (2 Sam. 7:18), (3) Jesus fell on his face (Mt. 26:39), and (4) Jesus said stand (Mk. 11:25). This shows one does not have to kneel to pray.When giving thanks, (1) Daniel kneeled (Dan. 6:10),

(2) a leper fell on his face to thank Jesus (Lk. 17:16) and (3) Jesus sat down (Lk. 22:14-19).

Now if the rule is kneel to pray and stand to give thanks, if I can find one exception to this and the exception is pleasing to God, I have destroyed the theory. Let me illustrate; faith plus baptism equalssalvation (Mk. 16:15-16). Jesus said this. Now if I canfind an exception to this, then the rule is invalid. If I can find one having faith without baptism being saved inthe New Testament, then I have destroyed the rule ofMark 16:15-16. I search the New Testament completelyand can not find an exception to the rule of Mark 16:15-16; therefore Mark 16:15-16 stands. I search the Bible through and find exceptions to the rule that onemust kneel in public prayer and stand to give thanks. Therefore, I know such is a human rule.

Our tract quotes A. Campbell as saying "Kneeling in prayer is always to be preferred, if it can be made convenient. Imagine a gospel preacher saying"Immersion in baptism is always to be preferred, if it can be made convenient."

A question is raised in the tract: "I wonder if thosepreachers who teach there is nothing in the posture ofprayer ever have prayed in their homes, and if so, dothey sit in their seats, before their children, to pray tothe eternal God?" Now if kneeling in prayer in onlynecessary in public, there is nothing wrong with not kneeling in the privacy of your home. If one must kneelin the privacy of the home, then it is not public prayerin which one must kneel, but all prayer. Which is it?

In our tract J. W. Jackson is quoted as saying, "Butsays one, if we must kneel in offering prayer, then noprayer is acceptable unless offered in that posture? Wedo not offer such a negative, but only affirm thataccording to all common sense rules of exegesis wehave authority of the Lord Jesus Christ for "kneeling in prayer". If all that is insisted is that one has authority to kneel, no one I know would object. Ourobjection is that when whatever is said leaves theimpression that the only scriptural position for publicprayer is kneeling, that is a thing the Bible does not say.

When one considers the evidence from the word of God, there are several positions not just one that theBible sets forth. (7) There is standing (1 Sam. 1:9, 10,26; Mk. 11:25), (2) standing, with head bowed (Lk.18:13), (3) standing, hands spread (1 Kgs. 8:22), (4)Bowed heads (Gen. 24:48; Ex. 12:27; 2 Ch. 29:30), (5)Bowed heads, uplifted hands (Neh. 8:20), (6) Kneeling (2 Ch. 6:13; Psm. 95:6; Lk. 22:41), (7) hands spreadand/or uplifted (Psm. 141:2; Isa. 1:15; Lk. 24:50), (8)Uplifted eyes (Psm. 121:1; 123:1; John 11:41; 17:1), (9)falling down, face on the ground (Dt. 9:18, 25, 26; Josh.5:14; Lk. 17:16).

Out of all of these why one would pick just one andtry to bind it as the one exclusive position for publicprayer is hard to understand. Why pick kneeling? Why not pick out falling down with ones face on the groundor standing with bowed head?

That one may scripturally kneel in public prayer, orany other, none deny. To try to make kneeling the oneexclusive position taught in the Scriptures is to teachthat which the Bible does not.

Sandwiched between the exhortations to not despiseprophesyings and to abstain from all appearance ofevil is the urging: "Prove all things; hold fast thatwhich is good" (I Thes. 5:21, 20,22). The phrase pantade dokimazete (prove all things) is of the utmostimportance and yet, as we shall see, is one of the mostneglected commands in the New Testament. The verbdokimazo (prove) is defined, "To test, prove, with theexpectation of approving. . .," Expository DictionaryOf New Testament Words. Dokimazo is translated "discern" in Luke 12:56; "approvest," Rom. 2:18; "examine," I Cor. 11:28; and "trieth," in I Thes. 2:4 (KJV).

The command, intelligent reader, to "prove all things" presupposes a standard or means to prove orestablish. Many in the early church enjoyed the abilityto miraculously ascertain the truthfulness of what wasbeing presented through the gift of "discerning ofspirits" (I Cor. 13:8-10, cf. Jas. 1:25). The means, I submit, by which we can "prove all things" is the gospel of Christ. "But when I saw," Paul writes concerning the hypocritical conduct of Peter and others, "that they walked not uprightly according tothe truth of the gospel. . ." (Gal. 2:14). Paul was ableto determine the correctness or incorrectness of their behavior by the "truth of the gospel" (cf. John 12:48, 2Tim. 3:16,17, and Jude 3). Hence, God's word (NewTestament) is the standard or criterion which wemust use in "proving all things. "

WE MUST PROVE ALL THINGS IN DOCTRINAL MATTERS. The truth is essential and necessary to salvation (Jn. 8:32; Rom. 2:6-9;Acts 17:11). It behooves us, therefore, to prove orestablish what is truth. Regarding the plan of salvation for the alien we must, by the scriptures,prove what is required. When one searches the NewTestament one will find involved in the plan of salvation the matter of belief (Jn. 8:24), repentance(Acts 17:30), confession of Christ's deity (Rom. 10:10),and water baptism for the remission of sin (Acts 2:38).

When we examine the word of God relative to Jesus' church we discover and "prove" that Jesus did buildhis church (Acts 2:47); there is only one body or church(Eph. 4:4, cf. 1:22, 23); she wore designations whichhonored her owner (I Cor. 1:2, Rom. 16:16); salvation isin Christ or his spiritual body, the church (Eph. 1:3, 2Tim. 2:10); and we gain entrance into that bodythrough or by water baptism (Rom. 6:3, I Cor. 12:13,and Gal. 3:27).

As we seek to "prove all things" we find that the Christian has duties enjoined upon him: attendance (Heb. 10:25), prayer (I Thes. 5:17), teaching others(Heb. 5:11-14), pure speech (Eph. 4:29), and holiness oflife (2 Cor. 7:1).

Also, concerned reader, keep in mind the purpose ofour proving: "To test, prove, with the expectation of approving.. ." (all emphasis mine, dm). We are not toexamine doctrine with the object of disproving but with the design of approving! About the only timesome study God's word is when they want to disprovea matter. (Of course, in primarily studying to establishtruth we also, in the process, establish error.)

PROOF IN GENERAL. I do not believe we are abusing the command to "prove all things" bygenerally and broadly applying it. When you havepeople, you are going to have problems. People aregoing to be envious and spiteful one of another. Some,then, are going to seek to ruin others throughaccusations and slander. What guide or preventive isthere against such? "Prove all things." Churches arebeing needlessly divided and troubled because the instruction to "prove all things" is being neglected. Under the law of Moses proof was required before charges could be established (cf. Deut. 19:15; 17:6). Beloved, we find the same teaching in the New Testament. Regarding accusing an elder Paul instructed "Against an elder receive not an accusation,but before two or three

witnesses" (I Tim. 5:19). Elders and all who are"public," such as preachers, are subject to characterassassination. However, to "prove all things" the accusers must have solid proof (witnesses). Considerall the problems which would be averted and solved ifthe procedure of Matthew 18:15-17 were always followed.

Friend, require proof. In doctrinal matters, have every tenet firmly established by God's word. Regarding proof in general, demand that everythingbe unquestionably substantiated. After you havepositively determined truth, tenaciously hold to it:"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

Send all News Items to: Wilson Adams, 6334 Auburn Ave., Riverdale, MD 20737

FIELD REPORTS JAMES C. JONES, P.O. Box 348, Standish, ME 04084. August 15,1982 marks the conclusion of our twelfth year with the Lord's church in the Portland, Maine metro area. Lord willing, we have no plans to leave. We have been meeting in our building in Scarborough for three and a half years. Three people have been baptized into Christ since January 1st. Virtually every family here prepares for and engages in home Bible studies with non-Christians. We are bound together in love and unity. Attendance on Sunday averages 25-30 with the contribution averaging $185 per week. We look forward to having Bro. Ralph Smart, formerly of Bangor, join us in the work here around October. Please note our ad with directions to the building and worship with us when you are in northern New England.

P.J. CASEBOLT, 313 S. 4th Ave., Paden City, WV 26159. Duringthe winter months I preached for the Northeast church of Christ inGainesville, Florida and I enjoyed the work with this goodcongregation. Since April 1,1 have been working with the church atFly, Ohio, and conducting meetings in the area. Beginning the firstof November, I shall work once again with the congregation at 210Cedar Ave. in Moundsville, West Virginia.

J.T. SMITH, 14250 N. Miami Ave., Miami, FL 33168. In my Julymeetings some unusual things happened. The first week in July I was in a meeting with the Riverside church near Booneville, Kentucky. Brother Gary Marshall is the preacher there. He, anda number of other brethren in that area have done a great deal ofwork, much of it by riding motorcycles in to places where they cannot go in automobiles, and having classes with people and inviting them to come to the services. As a result of this, one fine man, who was an elder in the Presbyterian church, along with a part of his family, have been converted to the truth. During the meeting with everyone working, we had every seat filled, with a total of94 present. During the meeting we had a presbyterian elder, and a number of people who were members of denominational churches present, including a Baptist preacher and his wife. Since I left, I understand the Baptist preacher is circulating a letter trying to get brother Marshall run out of the county for "bringing a fellow like Smith to this county to hold a revival," Methinks brother Marshall won't run. Two were baptized during that meeting.

Then the third week in July, I was with the Spring Warriorcongregation near Perry, Florida. Brother Gary Hargis is the preacher there, and everyone who knows Gary knows that lots ofpersonal contacts are going to be made whether a meeting is going on or not. On Sunday, the first day of the meeting, we broke anattendance record with 142 present, with 24 visitors from the community. Then on Thursday evening, after having announced allweek that the lesson would be on Divorce and Remarriage, the attendance record of the past Sunday was broken again with 160present. This necessitated some extra chairs. Three were baptizedduring the meeting, one more on Saturday after the meeting, and two more on the Sunday following. I am sure, after becomingacquainted with the brethren there, that they, along with Gary andhis family, will reach many more souls for Christ.

FERRELL JENKINS, 9211 Hollyridge PL, Temple Terrace, FL 33617. Earlier this year I was sought out and challenged to a debate

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by Randy Vining, an Unitarian-Universalist minister. The debate on

the topic "Is Christianity Credible?" was conducted at their

building on April 25, 1982. Vining styles himself as an agnostic and

an apostle of non-belief. The 75 minute discussion is available on

cassette tape from The Spoken Word, P.O. Box 127, Greenville, IN

47124 for $3.98.

After three years of work with the Temple Terrace church in a

special teaching program I have begun preaching for the

Carrollwood church of Christ, 13345 Casey Rd., Tampa, FL 33688.

Due to efforts of others, the differences that once existed with the

Seminole church have now been resolved. For this we thank God.

My work as a Bible professor at Florida College, conducting tours,

and holding meetings continues as usual.

ROY FUDGE, 1402 Buchanan, Corinth, MS 38834. On July 23rdmy wife and I flew to Portland, Oregon where our son Raymond andhis family met us. I was there to conduct a meeting at White Salmon, Washington. The church there is composed of six familieswith a membership of fourteen. It was a very enjoyable meeting.One night there were more than forty present. We had visitors fromas far away as seventy miles as well as from the community. Thechurch meets in the community building on Suncay at 10 a.m. and 5

p.m. Their mid-week service is on Tuesday evening. They would behappy to have any traveling in that area to stop and worship withthem. The members there seem to be very close and show muchinterest in the work. Three men share the preaching. Interest wasgood and we hope there will be results from it. The work here inCorinth goes on in an encouraging way. We appreciate the privilegeof working with dedicated members. When in the area, plan to worship with us here at Meeks St.

LARRY DEVORE, 7872 Cleveland Rd., Wooster, OH 44691. Since my last report in STS, I have kept one or more preaching appointments at the following places: Berea, Dover, Mt. Zion (nearWooster), Perrysville, and Burbank Rd., in Wooster, all in Ohio. OnJune 25th, it was my honor to unite in marriage our daughter,Kimberly, to Craig Meyer, the preacher at Burbank Rd. church inWooster. On July 11th, it was my privilege to baptize our oldestson, James, into Christ. I have some time open for Lord's Daypreaching appointments. If I can be of service, call me at (216) 3455330.

GARY COLES, 403 E. Parkview Ct., Round Lake Park, IL 60073. Things have been going very well at Hainesville Rd. In the past twoyears there have been thirty baptized, eighteen restored, and six toplace membership. In one week this past June we broke all recordsfor every service. Our attendance has been averaging in the mid 80'sand our contribution has been averaging around $700 per week. The consistency of attendance at all the services has been encouraging.There have been times when the Wednesday night crowd exceededSunday morning's. I must commend the brethren here for their willingness to get involved in personal work. There have beenoccasions when we have had as many as eight personal work classesin progress each week. Recently a Men's Bible Study Class wasstarted and this September a Ladies Bible Class is scheduled tocommence. In addition to this, there are several other specializedclasses on the drawing board. Hainesville Rd. is by no means perfectand has her share of short-comings. However, if the forward momentum continues I feel she is in store for a very bright future.

WENDELL M. POWELL, 6 Sth Winds, St., St. Peters, MO 63376. As of August 16th I began working with the good church thatmeets in St. Peters, MO. If you are ever in the St. Louis area, driveout a few miles and be with us. The church building is located just afew miles off I-70W. We are looking forward to several years of goodand happy work with the brethren. The church is at peace, and ALLare interested in spreading the Gospel of Christ.

PEDRO RAMIREZ, P.O. Box 21, Douglas, AZ 85607. Since my lastreport there have been two baptisms at Agua Prieta, Mexico justacross the border from Douglas, Arizona. We continue to havevisitors at all of our services. Please pray for us. Also I have lostsome support recently and need to make this up if possible.

FERNANDO VENEGAS, Casilla #122 C.C. 5500 Mendoza, Argentina, South America. It is a privilege for me to share with youthe good things that God has done with us. To find people who arealways interested in the truth is not always easy. However, thereare people who are thinking about spiritual things. We contactedsix people who had the disposition to study the scriptures. Our study lasted for two to three months. On Sunday, June 6th when weoffered the invitation, these six responded to be baptized. It was aspecial day for the church here. I will be going to Chile soon to dosome preaching among three different congregations who have invited me. Please remember us in South America.

KENTUCKY DEBATE JIMMY THOMAS, P.O. Box 746, Clintwood, VA 24228. OlanHicks of Searcy, Arkansas and Rick King of Cromona, Kentuckyhave scheduled a public debate to be conducted October 25,26,28,29 in the circuit courtroom of the Pike County courthouse in Pikeville,Kentucky. Sessions are to begin at 7:30 each evening. The propositions are as follows:

1. The scriptures teach that one who puts away his mate andmarries another, except for fornication, continues to commitadultery as long as he lives with the second mate.Affirm: Rick King Deny: Olan Hicks
2. The scriptures teach that couples who commit adultery byunscripturally divorcing and remarrying may be forgiven of thatadultery without separating.Affirm: Olan Hicks Deny: Rick King

Motel accommodations are available in town and at nearby Breaks Interstate Park.

CHRISTIANS IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK? BILL HALL, Jordan Ontario LOR ISO. We are hoping to begin a Bible class in Rochester, New York soon. We would appreciate it ifany of the readers of STS could provide any information concerningChristians in that area or interested individuals. Information should be sent to Bruce Bakker, 439 Kilbourn Rd., Rochester, NY 14618.

NEW CONGREGATIONS FORT WORTH, TX—The North Fort Worth church of Christ began to meet in April of this year with attendance averaging in the60's. Since that time the attendance has averaged in the 80's. All ofthe families, except one couple from the Castleberry church, havecome from the Haltom City church. Approximately 80of the members live north of Loop 820 which encircles Fort Worth.This work has been in the planning stages for some time. Land isavailable for our use in the Summerfield subdivision on North Beech St. about two miles north of Loop 820. Currently we are meeting in arented building off North Beech St. about two miles south of Loop

820. The address is 4112A Garland St. The Summerfield area is a growing area. There is presently no church of any kind in this area,and extensive door-to-door canvassing has already begun. At leastfour home studies are already underway with one couple from thearea already baptized. If you know of any in the area that might becontacted for study or information, please let us know. Robert Gabhart began to preach for us on June 6, after eight years with theHaltom City church. His number is (817) 282-7996. You may alsocontact Jim Hendrick at 232-5287, Bob Jobe at 485-0070, and Dwyane Davis at 232-1477. Bro. Gabhart's address is 1302 Driftwood Dr., Euless, TX 76039.

WACO, TX—There is a new congregation in Waco meeting at 3017Parrott St. Services are on Sunday at 10 and 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.Wednesday evening Bible Study is at 7:30. Bro. Ray Mayse is thepreacher. You may contact him at (817) 752-0071.

IN THE NEWS THIS MONTH BAPTISMS 214 RESTORATIONS 105 (Taken from bulletins and papers received by the editor)