Truth Magazine

By Bobby Graham

The Spirit of truth would remind the apostles of Jesus’ teaching and give them additional truth — all truth. If Jesus’ teaching before his ascension would not be operating in the church, why did he provide for their be- ing reminded of it and place it on such a par with the rest of revealed

The basic position being reviewed in this study was set forth by Robert Adams of Jenkins, Kentucky in his tract called “A Study on Baptism.” Adams, who has preached in the mountains of Easter n Kentuck y for many years, is a member of the Mayking Church of Christ at Ermine, Kentucky. This writer preached in gospel meetings for this group before brother Adams began pro- moting this particular teaching.

A Brief History

When the members of the Mayk- ing congregation became convinced of this doctrine, they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ on March 23, 1993. A letter published and distributed by Adams in November of 1998 claims that others believ- ing similarly are found in Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, and Missouri. It then appeals for others preaching Acts 2:38 and baptizing in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins to identify with them. The author distinguishes between those who have disrupted the plan of salvation set forth by God for saving the world, designated by him as a “FORM of the True Church,” and the “True Churches of Christ.” Fairly lengthy correspon- dence on this matter has taken place in recent years between this writer and the tract’s author. As far as this writer knows, there is no evil intent on the part of either of us; and this re- view of his position is as impersonal as this writer can make it.

The Position Stated

The position states that Jesus set in place a different order of baptism for that period leading up to Pente- cost from the one that he established for the time after Pentecost. The preface of the tract says that the apostles were not allowed to use the order stated in Matthew 28:19 on Pentecost, and for that reason we must not use it today. In fact, people today are urged to leave Matthew 28:19 where the Lord left it — out- side the church. A later statement on page 13 says that the only power capable of opening the door of the church (the key given to Peter by Jesus) was the name of Jesus Christ. It is further concluded on page 14 that we do not have the order of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit when we baptize in the name of Jesus Christ, because Jesus never gave that order of Matthew 28 after his ascension. “Matthew 28:19 in its Galilean form was never used during the ministry of the apostles and should not be activated today into God’s plan of salvation.” In view of the foregoing, Adams urges on pages 18 and 19 that we go back to the early church and do as did the Ephesians in Acts 19. He means that we need to be baptized in the name of Jesus and to burn whatever books or writings are contrary to this position. Brother Ad- ams declares, “If the name in which we are baptized isn’t the right name, then it will not matter what else we do and how we do them.” He further says, “Being baptized in a name that was not revealed by the apostles in the setting up of the church and after the church was established will void everything.”

A Review of the Position

The error involved in this scheme of teaching will become obvious in the following examination.

1. It disrupts the harmony in Jesus’ commission to the apos- tles. The different accounts of the Great Com- mission given by Jesus in Matthew 28, Mark 16, and Luke 24 harmonize with each other. They came from the mind of God and the teaching of Jesus. For this reason no conflict ex- ists among them. What Jesus taught here was designed to apply fully, not partly, to the time of the church. He was not making a piecemeal ap- proach, intending of these passages to apply to the time leading up to the church and the rest to apply to the church. Notice the common element found in them: teaching all nations, preaching to every creature, preaching among all nations. If Mat- thew 28 related only to the people before the church’s establishment, as the tract says, then it directed the apostles to go to all nations before Pentecost. In other words, in that pe- riod of fifty days they were to teach and baptize all nations, only to have to go back and repeat the process after Pentecost in keeping with the order established by Jesus in Mark and Luke — “in the name of Jesus Christ.” Such an impossible task is the result of arbitrary interpretation of Scripture, not of clear teaching of the Lord by command, example, and necessary conclusion.

2. It breaks the continuity between the commission and its execution. The three accounts of the commis- sion already noted also harmonize with Acts 2:38. We need to remem- ber that when Jesus was on earth, he was teaching in preparation for the coming kingdom (Matt. 4:23). In giv- ing instructions to the apostles in the commission, he was directing them in the work that they would begin on Pentecost. While they had preached earlier, the preaching to all nations would begin at Jerusalem. Isaiah prophesied all nations submitting to the rule of Christ in Isaiah 2:4, and Jesus directed that this teaching to them be done in Acts 1:8. The Spirit would make such possible (Acts 1:5; Mark 9:1). The commands given in Acts 2:38 correspond to the instruc- tions of the Great Commission. Baptizing in the name of Jesus Christ is equivalent to what Jesus said in Matthew 28:19. Baptizing “into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” is the wording in the American Standard Version. It means baptizing people into a relationship with all three persons of the Godhead. That is still the case, because when one is baptized ac- cording to New Testament teaching, he enters into a different relationship with all three. God is then his Father, Christ is his Savior, and the Spirit is his teacher. In addition, he is baptized “in the name of Jesus Christ” (by his authority, in submission to him). It is a colossal mistake to separate these two passages and to view them as presenting two different orders or formulas to be spoken at baptism. Jesus was not within a thousand miles of dealing with what must be said in either Matthew 28 or Acts 2. It is what must be done in baptism that Jesus addressed in both verses.

3. It changes submission into a formula. Focus for a minute on the expression “in the name of Jesus Christ” in Acts 2:38. Because it is re- lated to the authority of Christ, now ruling on his throne (vv. 30, 33, 34,

36), the requirement to be baptized in his name is a test of one’s willing- ness to yield to Christ’s rule. The very people who heard Peter in Acts 2 with an attitude of rejection of his deity and dominion, upon presen- tation of sufficient evidence, were then challenged to acknowledge his deity and power in the command to repent and be baptized. The context of the command demands this un- derstanding, not that some formula be stated at the time of baptism. What Peter was here teaching was the consequence of the commission given to all the apostles in Matthew 28 and its parallel accounts. Contrary to Adams’ charge that men have “brought in” the meaning of “by the authority of ” for “in the name of ” to justify their use of Matthew 28:19 as a verbal statement at baptism, a brief study of Acts 3:6, 12; 4:7, 10, 12 will show that to do something in the name of a person is to do it under that one’s authority.

4. It destroys Jesus’ promise with its insistence on another order of baptism. Possibly the strongest point that can be made from the disputed passage in Matthew 28 is Jesus’ promise in verse 20, where he said he would be with the apostles and added his approval of their work to the end of the world or age. What Jesus was here directing was to be worldwide in scope and age — last- ing in duration. It must then follow that Jesus left no room for another system or order of teaching/baptism. Jesus’ very promise shows the tract’s line of reasoning to be flawed.

5. It makes future revelation less important than Jesus’ teaching. It has often been the case that God has caused additional revelation to supersede earlier revelation (as the New Covenant did the Mosaic Covenant), but Jesus placed his own teaching on a par with the Spirit’s future revelation, not lower than it in John 14:26; 16:13. The Spirit of truth would remind the apostles of Jesus’ teaching and give them additional truth — all truth. If Jesus’ teaching before his ascension would not be operating in the church, why did he provide for their being reminded of it and place it on such a par with the rest of revealed truth?

In view of these considerations, is it not clear that the position being reviewed is a flawed one, taking into account less that the entire picture.

There’s a beautiful garden in Heaven,
A garden no mortal has seen;
In the midst grows the sweet rose of Sharon
That is shining thru eternity.

There’s a beautiful garden in Heaven,
Where the life-giving stream ever flows,
Pouring boundless and free from Mount Zion,
More precious than any I know.

There’s a beautiful garden in Heaven,
Where Jesus is walking all day,
And He talks with the saints and the Angels
Telling them I’ll be home some glad day.

’Tis the beautiful garden in Heaven,
Where my Lord is awaiting for me
In a land where the sun shines forever.
O how happy with Him I shall be.

By Jarrod Jacobs

One of the most stirring statements in the Bible is found in John’s third epistle as he wrote of the joy he had when he heard of Gaius and his faithfulness to God. John knew he was not long for this earth. Therefore, it encouraged him to know of others who would be left that stood for the truth. He rejoiced in the fact that Gaius was walking in the truth. Let us read 3 John 1-4: but to have peace with myself, to be content in difficult circumstances.

The elder unto the well beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

At this time, John simply refers to himself as“The elder.” He was the only apostle still living at this time. And, as mentioned, he knew he was about to leave this earth. With this in mind, he writes to Gaius and tells him how much he appreciates all that Gaius has done. This article will not deal with all of the third epistle of John, but I wish for us to simply consider John’s attitude at this time, and measure ourselves accordingly.

What Brings Us Joy?

In reading these few verses, we note that it brought John “no greater joy” than to hear about “his children” still walking in truth. “Children” has reference to people he had taught and converted to the Lord. Paul used similar terms in his letters (1 Cor. 4:15; Tit. 1:4; 1 Tim. 1:2). No doubt, the fact that Gaius was still standing for the truth in a time of hardships from without and within meant a great deal to the elder apostle. In like manner, it means a great deal to know of those today who, after suffering difficulties, still stand for “the faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Brethren, what brings us joy?

Do We Rejoice When We Know Of Faithful Brethren?

Are we happy to know of brethren in different parts of this country or different parts of the world that are stand- ing for the truth? Or, does our joy come from physical pursuits, such as our work or recreational activities? Do we “rejoice greatly” when we hear about our fellow-heirs and fellow-laborers still doing what they ought? Or, are we the kind that only rejoices when we have some juicy “tidbit” to spread about the brethren?

John said he “rejoiced greatly,” and that he had “no greater joy” than in hearing of the faithful life of Gaius, as well as other brethren. In saying he had “no greater joy,” he was saying that there was nothing that produced greater joy for him in this life than knowing of his “children” walking in truth.

I have seen this same attitude especially in older breth- ren. They ask about the brethren in different places, not out of spite, nor malice, looking for something that is wrong; but in genuine concern, wishing to rejoice with brethren over the good work that is going on for the Lord in various parts of this country and the world. What about us? Do we have the mind set of John and Gaius, or of Diotrephes, who “loveth to have the preeminence” (3 John 9)?

Sources Of Joy

What are sources of joy for us? Are we like John, Paul, and the other apostles, who drew strength from Christ and from their brethren? Are we the kind who must always find fault in others, or can we look for and see brethren who stand for the truth, and say that they cause us to “rejoice greatly”?

In like manner, can we say as John that we “have no greater joy” than to hear about brethren walking in truth? Or, are there other things that bring us a“greater joy”? Per- haps we are guilty of placing more emphasis on our boat, car, vacations, etc., than the Lord (see Matt. 6:33). Perhaps our “joy” is found in placing our family before God (see Matt. 10:34-37). Unfortunately, many today are guilty of covetousness. Paul calls it “idolatry” (Col. 3:5). Have we ever considered how idolatrous this country really is? You see, idolatry is the religion of sight in opposition to that of faith. Because this is true, whatever you wish to place before God becomes your idol, regardless of whether or not you physically bow down to it. Whatever you place before God becomes your “joy.”

Now, what is your joy? David said the blessed man “delights” in God’s word (Pss. 1:2; 119:35, 92). In what do you delight? John said he rejoiced greatly in Gaius, as well as his “children” because of their stand. Are we rejoicing in the right things? Do we remember why we are here upon this earth (Eccl. 12:13)? Do we appreciate what it means to be a Christian?

The earliest signs of trouble seemed nothing very much out of the ordinary. Whenever I bent my neck down I felt a tingling sensation in my right arm and both legs. Originally, I felt little concern about it. However, it persisted and other problems started to appear. After several weeks I finally went to the doctor. The first series of tests did not show anything. The doctor diagnosed it as a bruised spinal cord that should clear up within a few months. I accepted his conclusion and decided to get on with my life. However, instead of getting better, my condi- tion only got worse. Eventually I went to another doctor who did a more thorough series of test. His diagnosis hit me very hard — multiple sclerosis.

At first, I felt completely devastated. I could not get out of my mind the many horror stories about the disease and its end result — death. I remembered a teacher whose disease had progressed to the final stages. She sat in a wheelchair as she taught class. Her speech and mental abilities made it very difficult for her to communicate. She believed she did not have long to live. At only 25 years old, I believed that my life was soon to be over; I would not live a normal, productive, long life. The doctor reassured me when he said in most cases the disease is not terminal. However, he could not do that much for me — there is no cure. He could only allow the disease to run its course.

The first few months were very hard. When I woke up mornings, I tried believing it was all a bad dream, only to be brought back to reality with the first step that I took. I tried walking every day to keep in shape. After I had walked only a short distance, the pain started in my legs and my coordination grew worse. It became more and more difficult with each step. The more I walked the more frustrated and depressed I became. Often I stumbled and fell, each time it took more courage to get back on my feet. Working in the garden for only 20 minutes left me completely exhausted. Gradually, more and more problems with my vision appeared. Simple everyday things I had taken for granted, getting dressed or taking a shower became difficult and strenuous tasks. My emotions became harder to control. The feelings of helplessness, frustration, and self pity grew stronger ev- ery day. I asked God over and over, “Why me?” It did not seem fair that I suffered such an ungodly disease when I wanted so much to serve him. Why was I having this problem when there were so many who had no desire to serve God who seemed to be doing so well?

Like many people I believed that Christians should not encounter problems like this. Surely the God I served would not make things so hard for me. After the initial shock wore off I then faced the biggest challenge, how do I deal with it? How do I face life when my body grows ever closer to death? I knew deep down the answer must lie in Christianity.

True Christianity is not just a system of beliefs and ceremonies but a way of life. A way to face and overcome the difficult challenges that life presents by a true faith in God. I began at that time to look for answers, to un- derstand. I know that I still do not have all the answers, but dealing with it becomes easier with each new day. Looking back, dealing with my fear of death has become the greatest challenge of life.

These passages of Scripture helped me to understand a little better how I, as a Christian, should face an incur- able disease. First of all, my ability to deal with difficult situations should not be based on my understanding of all the answers. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he will direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:5, 6). Many times, I have tried to understand everything about my world and my life when that is not always possible. Placing my faith in God when I do not understand, at times seems almost impossible. However, it is an absolute necessity, not only to be pleasing to God, are spiritually. That’s something that no disease can take away from me. Paul gloried in weaknesses that the power of Christ might shine forth. He realized that persecutions, shortcomings, and illnesses would make him depend upon God that much more. In the same manner, when- ever I am faced with a difficult problem, I should realize that I can use that situation to draw myself much closer to God. I remain determined not to simply survive, but to glorify God through this adversity.

Finally, we must keep in mind at all times Paul’s thought in Romans 8:18: “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.” All the problems and difficulties in this life will seem insignificant when com- pared with the glory of heaven. I now believe I can use this disease to glorify God. I intend to use whatever amount of time and strength I have left to be God’s servant. To the true Christian, there is no such thing as an incurable disease because our hope does not lie in a mortal body, but an immortal soul. And for my brothers and sisters in Christ who face similar problems, this passage seems to be tailor made for us, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with.