Truth Magazine

By Luther Blackmon

Some time ago I read in a modern textbook on elementary science this statement: “The earth’s history begins with its birth from a cloud of primeval dust.” The textbook did not say where the cloud of primeval dust came from. But the first verse of the Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” I accept this for two reasons:

1. Because I believe the Bible to be a revelation from God.

2. This is the only sensible explanation of the origin of matter I have ever heard.

The textbook referred to admits that “our description of azoic times must be based on indirect evidence and scientific guesswork.” But atheists reject the Bible account of creation because they think that belief in an eternal and self-existent God is unrealistic and unscientific. Atheists don’t like to be bothered with origins. They prefer to start with something already in existence (like a fellow building a twenty-story building and trying to leave out the first floor). But give him a “cloud of primeval dust” to start with and it is amazing what theories he can build. But let’s be realistic for a minute and consider origins, the origin of matter to be specific.

(1) Is matter eternal? If anyone thinks so, I haven’t heard about it. (2) Did matter create itself? If so, then it acted before it existed. That would be quite a trick. If anyone thinks that, I don’t believe I have anything to say to him. He’ll be all right. (3) If it did not create itself, then it was created by some outside force. Who or what was that force? The Bible says it was God. Atheism says, “We don’t know, but we know it wasn’t God.” And that’s the scientific approach. Josh Billings used to say, “It ain’t what we don’t know that’s hurting us. It’s knowin’ so many things that ain’t so.”

There had to be a first cause, an uncaused cause. There cannot be an endless chain of dependent clauses. To illustrate: The egg came from the chicken, which in turn came from an egg, which came from another chicken, and so on back. But there had to be somewhere a first chicken or a first egg. Every effect has its cause. The cause must be adequate to ‘produce the effect. My typewriter is an effect. There had to be a cause. It had to be an intelligent cause. Typewriters give evidence of design and contrivance, meaning intelligent planning. The universe shows evidence of intelligent design. Intelligence presupposes personality, and personality in this case is God. Not only is the God of Gen. 1:1 a “force,” He is a Person.

“The Fool hath Said . . .”

There first verse of the 14th Psalm says, “The fool hath said in his heart there is no God.” The first verse of the 19th Psalm says, “The heavens declare the glory of God . . .”

Strange as it may seem, many people say they find it difficult to believe in the existence of an intelligent, eternal, personal, FIRST CAUSE: The Bible calls Him God. But get outside some starlit night and look up. While you are looking, remember that you are standing on a little planet that makes an annual journey of about 588 million miles around the sun, traveling at the rate of more than 63 thousand miles an hour; that the little planet is only one of nine that make up our solar system, and they, too, revolve around the sun. The earth makes it once a year, but it takes Neptune 164 and 1 / 2 years to make the journey. Pluto, I believe, takes 248 years for the same journey. Remember that these planets have their satellites which revolve around, them. The moon is our only satellite, but Jupiter has 12. When you have comprehended the magnitude of this solar system, the space required for it and the perfect timing with which it operates, then remember that our solar system is only one of more than 300 million. Our sun is so large that if it were hollow and had a shell 100 thousand miles thick, there would be plenty of room on the inside of the sun to place both the earth and the moon at their distance of 240 thousand miles apart. Then remember that in the universe there are other suns that make ours look infinitesimal.

Try to imagine the space required for such a galaxy of worlds. Space unlimited. But if you find it hard to conceive of unlimited space, try putting limits on it. What would you have at the end of space? The closest “fixed” star Alpha Centaure, is so far from the earth that the light that left it five years ago is just now getting here, traveling at 186 thousand miles per second!

If you conclude, with these facts before you, that no intelligence was required to produce and arrange all this, that no power was needed to “wind” up this gigantic clock and keep it running, that all this is the result of blind chance, then don’t you smile indulgently at some poor soul if he should tell you that Hamlet was not written by Shakespeare at all, but was the result of an explosion in a print shop.

Truth Magazine XXI: 32, pp. 503-504
August 18, 1977

By Jeffery Kingry

As we pointed out in the previous article, anger has many forms. Anger also expresses itself in ways not easily recognized. Boredom, for instance, is a form of internalized anger. Most believe boredom to be an innocent, passive thing. Actually, it is a resentment against a situation that the person feels incapable of changing. The opposite of boredom is diligence. Instead of being bored, the Christian is to change the uninteresting or slow situation into a productive or beneficial one. (To fight boredom on an assembly line in an auto factory as a younger man, I used to memorize scripture or discuss the Bible with those that worked beside me.) “The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold. . .I went by the field of the slothful and by the vineyard of the man without understanding, and to it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. . .(but) the slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets. . .(so) the desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labor. He coveteth greedily all the day long” (Prov. 20:4a; 24:30; 22:13; 21:25,26).

Most bored people could be diligently engaged in some form of work, study, or hobby, but prefer to find excuses to avoid changing their behavior (“It is too cold,” “There might be lions about. I could be attacked!”). Paul condemned the idleness and boredom of the Greeks, “All the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing” (Acts 17:21). Boredom leads to sinful pursuits: “We hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies” (2 Thess. 3:11). “They (young women) learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they should not” (1 Tim. 5:13). The Holy Spirit’s cure for this is work (2 Thess. 3:8,9) “that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread” (vs. 12). It is God’s will that young women “marry, bear children, guide the house, and give no occasion to the adversary for their railing” (1 Tim. 5:14).

Resentment is anger that is internalized. Grudge bearing is an attitude of “I will not forget this, and if opportunity provides a chance I will hurt in return for my hurt.” Herodias resented John the Baptist and held a grudge against him (Matt. 6:19). Eventually her resentment broke forth when she engineered John’s execution. There are modern Herodias’ that through anger, resentment, and grudge bearing have “engineered” the heads of preachers, elders, and teachers upon a silver platter. Their “behind the scene” wielding of a razor-edged tongue has severed many a head from the shoulder of an unsuspecting adversary. Brethren “grudge” when they do good, but resent the imposition upon their time, person, or finances (cf. 1 Pet. 4:9; Jas. 5:9).

God’s Solution

The first step in overcoming sinful anger is control. To many, this will seem simplistic: “Yeah! Control! If I knew how to control myself, I wouldn’t get angry to start with. What kind of an answer is that?” People fool themselves into thinking that they have no control of their minds, or the words they speak. God says that we do. In fact, we demonstrate our remarkable ability to control ourselves often. Consider the following scene: Dad or Mom is yelling at the kids and at each other. The things the others do just make them angrier and angrier. “I am going to kill you, if you say another word! Don’t talk back to me, I don’t want to hear it! You do as I say this instant, DO YOU HEAR ME! !” Of course, everyone can hear. Then, a knock at the door. Parents look at one another, shoo the kids out of the room, and open the door to the preacher, a neighbor, or a friend come to visit. “Oh! Its so good to see you. Won’t you come in.” The normal voice range is back in play, and everyone sits down to talk in perfect control. We generally control ourselves about those we wish to impress. Often we treat our boss, our friends, even complete strangers with more decency and control than we do those in our own family. Brethren often treat unbelievers better than they do their own brethren. Many times a preacher thinks more of and treats people in the world better than he does his brethren in the church. This wrong must be righted, for the way we treat one another is the same way we treat the Lord (Matt. 25:40; Acts 9:4).

Parents often abuse children verbally. Discipline is more than a rod. Neither parents nor the church should let their own attitude on the subject of child discipline degenerate to the point that they are actually just unthinkingly -victimizing weaker ones. Many times parents get the horse behind the cart in discipline. “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him” (Prov. 22:15). The pattern usually observed and easiest to follow is to slap, spank, and holler and then try to strain out our own muddled thinking just what the lesson is we wanted the child to learn. In God’s dealing with his children he patiently explains and expects good. If His children are disobedient after instruction and rebuke, then he punishes them in His anger only as a last resort. We can be thankful that God has not vented His anger on us as we often vent our anger upon the young because they are weaker and often irritating. “Fathers, provoke not your children unto wrath.”

We can control our anger, because God holds us responsible. The problem with wrath is that too many times we do not hold the object of our anger in high enough esteem to try and control our anger and direct it constructively.

In any relationship we can help one another direct anger correctly. “A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up strife” (Prov. 15:1). “A soft answer” is not sullen silence. Nothing is more provoking than that. But, a soft answer. An answer that is loving, conciliatory, and understanding blunts and deflects anger.

But when two “argue” like angry tennis players, each hitting the ball harder and harder, driving the other farther and farther away into the corner, then soon all ability to stop the exchange is gone. Prov. 17:14 says that the beginning of any fight is like a dike with a leak. If the leak is stopped and plugged right away, before it gets out of hand, it is easy to overcome the water. But, if the leak grows larger as sand and earth erode away, soon the water comes gushing over the dike sweeping it all away. Then it is too difficult to close up the dam. Therefore “leave off contention” before it gets too big. A soft answer is the plug in the dike. It stops the flood before it begins.

Retaliation, self-justification, and personal attack are just the thing to add fuel to the other’s anger-to provoke another angry response, and the two feed off one another like a fire gone out of control. When one starts all discussion mad, then there is no more place to go. It is much like two nations that begin their negotiations on a mutual problem by declaring war. Where can you go? The gradual increase of “godly pressure” described in Matt. 18:15-18 leaves room continually for the one rebuked to repent and come back. Rebuke that backs one into a corner, or “up a tree” with no way of honorably repenting is not right.

Don’t Let the Sun Set

The imperative nature of dealing with the cause of anger is very plainly stated in such passages as Matt. 5:23, 24 and Eph. 4:26. These passages demonstrate that matters must be straightened out, not ignored. The time element that God gives is immediately, before the day ends. Not all wrongs must be righted, for we would find it difficult to even live if every supposed hurt had to be confronted. “Love covers a multitude of sins.” But, those sins not covered by love must be reconciled and put to rest. Some may say, “I overlooked that.” when in reality they didn’t. To say, “I forgive” means to forget as well. Often brethren say “I forgive” but have no intention of forgetting what was done. They continue to use the sin of others as a tool of hurt to produce guilt. This is not forgiveness. We must forgive as God has forgiven us, forgetting and blotting out what has been repented of.

Finally, we must put a proper form of behavior in the place of that wrath we have left behind. We must learn to give of ourselves as a demonstration of our love. Giving must be real “If your enemy thirst, give him to drink” (Rom. 12:20). Baking a pie and taking it to one we are angry with, buying a present, or saying something nice to someone is a real example of a willingness to change. Developing “good will towards man” is a learned behavior. We can love in the face of anger only if we take the example of Jesus seriously and put it into effect in our lives.

Truth Magazine XXI: 32, pp. 502-503
August 18, 1977

By Mike Willis

I have worshiped with a number of congregations in which I have heard the complaint that there was a lack of visitation among the members. Situations have been related to me in which families have been members of a congregation for as much as two years and have been invited into only one or two homes out of a congregation of two hundred people. The same problem exists among many smaller congregations. What usually happens is that each family becomes intimately associated with one or two close friends and are perfectly happy with associating with each other to the exclusion of all other saints. The old-fashioned virtue of hospitality is sadly missing among the saints in many congregations.

What Is Hospitality?

The Greek word from which “hospitality” is translated is philoxenos, a compound word composed of philos (love) and xenos (stranger) which means “love of strangers.” To understand what this virtue is, we need to study how hospitality was practiced during biblical days. Too, the social customs of those in the Middle East are enlightening as to what genuine hospitality really is.

When an Arab greets a stranger, he greets him with the saying, “My house is yours” as a part of his salutation. One of their proverbs was, “The guest while in the house is its lord.” Furthermore, the guest was inviolable. What that meant was that he could not be harmed while in the house of the host. Even if the guest was the host’s meanest enemy, so long as he was in the house no one could hurt him. The practice of hospitality is still held in high esteem among Arabian people.

With this background, let us look at some biblical examples of hospitality. When Abraham dwelt by the oaks at Mamre, he received a visitation from the Lord. Three men appeared to him while he dwelt there. When Abraham saw them, “he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the earth, and said, ‘My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by’ ” (Gen. 18:2-3). This shows us how Abraham practiced hospitality and, thereby, “entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb. 13:2). When these same men went to Sodom, they met Lot sitting by the gates of Sodom; he said, ” ‘Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.’ They said however, ‘No, but we shall spend the night in the square.’ Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; .and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate” (Gen. 19:2-3). As another case of an hospitable person, consider Job. When he was being charged with gross misconduct, he protested saying, “The alien has not lodged outside, for I have opened my doors to the traveler” (31:32).

From these biblical references and the knowledge of the customs in the Middle East, we can better understand what hospitality is; it is the receiving of strangers into our homes. “The hospitality of today, by which is meant the entertainment of friends or relatives, hardly comes within the Bib. usage of the term as denoting a special virtue” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 1433). However, we see just how bad the situation is with reference to hospitality when we notice that many congregations are not even entertaining relatives and near friends, much less strangers!

Hospitality Is Commanded

The dedicated Christian has no choice as to whether he will practice hospitality or not. To practice hospitality is a commandment of God; hence, he can only choose to obey or to disobey. Let us consider some of the passages which speak of hospitality as a command. As one of the virtues by which we present our bodies as living sacrifices to God (Rom. 12:1-2), Paul said that Christians need to be “practicing hospitality” (12:13). Peter commanded, “Be hospitable to one another without complaint” (1 Pet. 4:9). The author of Hebrews wrote, “Let love of the brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it” (13:1-2). When Jesus gave the parable of the separation of the sheep and goats, He showed that one’s treatment of the stranger was a determining factor in the eternal destiny of man. The saved person was the man who treated Jesus as follows: “I was a stranger, and you invited me in” (Mt. 25:35); the lost man was the man who treated Jesus as follows: “I was a stranger and you did not invite Me in” (v. 43). Of course, the one who treats his brother in the way described has treated Jesus that way. Hence, how we receive strangers will affect our eternal destiny.

Elders are to be “given to hospitality” (1 Tim. 3:2). Inasmuch as the elder is to be a man who has a goodly quantity of each of the virtues listed in 1 Tim. 3:1-8, he should be a man who habitually practices hospitality. He should be an example of an hospitable man. The elder who invites only his relatives and close friends into his home for his own social entertainment is not meeting this qualification! He is to be a man who invites the stranger (such as the member of the church who just moved into town or the person who was just recently baptized) into his home. Inviting one’s close friends into one’s house on Friday night to play cards is no special virtue.

The woman who can be put on the church roll for regular support must be one who has shown hospitality. Among the qualifications which the “widow indeed” must be able to meet are the following: “if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints feet” (1 Tim. 5:10). In twentieth century life, we have grown to depend upon social security for support in our old age. We have nearly forgotten the role which the early church played in supporting aged widows. I’ fear that we have also forgotten at least some of the virtues which qualified the “widow indeed” to be placed on the church’s roll. Since the one who does the work of making the home fit to receive guests is the woman, this was one of the qualifications for a “widow indeed.” Christian ladies, how many of you are going to be qualified to be a “widow indeed” in this area?

How To Exercise Hospitality

1. Regularly. Inasmuch as being hospitable is a part of Christian living, the Christian should regularly practice hospitality. The Christian who does not invite people into his home is guilty of sin; he is disregarding a commandment of God just as surely as Adam and Eve were when they ate the forbidden fruit.

2. One to another. Peter said, “Be hospitable to one another . . .” (1 Pet. 4:9); hence, hospitality should be practiced within every local congregation. Paul commanded Christians to “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). This demands a level of intimacy which cannot be had by greeting each other at the door on the days on which the church assembles for services and never seeing each other at any other time. Just saying, “Good morning! It’s good to see you out today!” is not sufficient contact with our brethren to be able to share their joys and sorrows. We need to get to know each other better than that. This will demand constant association with each other.

3. Without murmuring. Again, Peter said, “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.” Sometimes hospitality is practiced because no one else will do it. I have known of congregations who scheduled a meeting but had no one willing to “keep the preacher.” Finally, someone begrudgingly said, “No one else will keep the preacher, so I guess that I am going to have to do it.” That, my brethren, is not the proper kind of hospitality. Today, in our affluence, we simply put the preacher in a motel. Personally, I think that it is a move away from a virtue commanded by God (i.e. to practice hospitality) when so many saints within the congregations have such ample facilities to receive a brother who is a stranger into their homes. I consider my home most richly blessed by the opportunity to keep a visiting preacher for a week of gospel meetings.

4. Not for recompense. On one occasion Jesus said, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and repayment come to you. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (Lk. 14:12-14). Too much of our hospitality is of the “theyhad-us-over-so-we-should-have-them-over” variety. This is not the kind of hospitality which Jesus asked of us.

Conclusion

Frankly, I have always found that inviting a person whom I am trying to convert into my home has been advantageous to winning that person to Christ. Too, new members of the congregation should be quickly received by the saints. Through this kind of reception of strangers, the Lord’s church can be aided in its growth. I cannot understand a situation in which a visitor goes away from the services of the Lord’s church feeling that the church was not friendly. If that happens, something is wrong, assuming that the visitor did not make a mad dash for the door.

Furthermore, let me add that the virtue of practicing hospitality does not belong to a select few in the congregation; it belongs to every saint. I say that because I have generally found that those who complain the loudest about the fact that no one has them over generally have no one over. Somewhere down the line, this complaining Christian is going to have to look at himself. Does he not have an obligation to serve just as much as any other saint? God did not send us to be served; He sent us to serve. Hence, if the congregation where you attend is not hospitable, quit complaining and get started doing something to correct the situation!

Truth Magazine XXI: 32, pp. 499-501
August 18, 1977

By William C. Sexton

It has been said that one can prove anything by the Bible. If such were true, then the book would not be worth anything to man. So, the charge is false. However, if one will take a part of it, twist, pervert, and distort, then it may appear to be such a book. Satan, of course should be expected to so misuse the book, and we see him so doing in Matt. 4:3, 6 in his attempt to lead the Son of God against His Father. However, the should be surprised to find one who claims to be a “believer in the Bible” to so misuse the Bible. Nevertheless, I suggest that we would do well to be on the look out for such misuse in our day. There is a group of people, who claim to be Bible scholars, who have no reluctance to saying that the Bible contradicts itself. In The Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. VII, page 8, we have these words, “There is also a strange contradiction in Luke’s account of the differing reactions in the mind of the spectators. In Acts 2:6 it is said that ‘the multitude gathered in bewilderment, for each heard them speak in his own language’; and in vs. 11, ‘We hear these men talking of the triumphs of God in our own languages!’ On the other hand we are told immediately afterwards that all were ‘amazed and quite at a loss. ‘What can it mean?’ they said to one another.” He who sees a “strange contradiction” in those words, seems to me, was looking for one, already having his mind made up that such was to be found there. His reading only confirms his preconception.

1. Many people want to live by only some of the words-those that satisfy them. However, we are told “The sum of thy word is truth” (Pas. 119:160). The KJV renders it, “thy word is true from the beginning.” The idea is the same as that expressed by Jesus, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). If the Bible is the word of God, then all of it harmonizes and when seen in its proper setting, it constitutes one complete whole-there are no contradictions. We need to be honest with ourselves, with the word of God and take all of it rather than some. If we feel that the word does indeed contradict itself, then we ought to be honest and say that we do not believe that it is the word of God. I truly have no respect for the man who claims to be a “believer” and at the same time speak of the Bible as having “contradictions.” I deny that it does, or that one can be found that a reasonable explanation cannot be offered for the apparent discrepancy.

2. By gathering the “sum” of what the Bible says on any and all subjects and properly arranging that sum total, one can see that there are no discrepancies. Also, by this method, one can understand what God would have man do to be saved and be fruitful in the service to God. One can, and many do, draw false conclusions from passages. The best way to avoid this, I believe, is to gather all that inspiration has said on the subject, then it can be seen that it all fits together perfectly. Many take the “faith” passages, without their associates, and conclude wrongly that one is saved at the poi~t of faith before and without baptism, which contradicts James (James 2:24). Such need not be; neither is such proof that the Bible does contradict. It only proves that many will believe what they want to, and take only that which fits in with their scheme. By taking Acts 2:36-41; Gal. 3:26-27; 2 Cor. 5:17 and other passages, one need not be in the dark about how to become a Christian.

3. By complying with all that the scriptures say relative to becoming a child of God and worshiping God and serving Him, one is living by the word of God, and thus he is alive spiritually (Acts 10:34-35; Rom. 8:10-17). He can know “of the doctrine” (J4, 7:17). However, if one is not willing to do the will of the .father (Matt. 7:21), then he can and will be satisfied to continue in disobedience (2 Thess. 2:10-12). We will have trouble with saying and doing not (Matt. 23:3), but if we do riot try to do what we preach, then we condemn ourselves and are not deserving of being heard.

So, in regard to your activities and dour treatment of the Bible: are you taking the sum of it, or, are you trying to get by with reading, believing, ~and obeying only some of it? If the latter, then I pray that you will understand that you are stopping short of the mask, and when the “deeds” are judged, you will come up short. If we make that mistake, we will have an awful lone time to think about it, but no time to correct it. Which is it?

Truth Magazine XXI: 32, p. 498
August 18, 1977