Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

Another term used quite frequently to describe Christians is the term “worker.” Paul wrote to Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Again, Paul said, “For we are God’s fellow-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Cor. 3:9). Jesus lamented, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” (Mt. 9:37-38). Paul frequently described his colleagues as “fellow-workers” (Phil. 4:3; 1 Thess. 3:2; Phile. 1, 24). Hence, the terms “laborer” and “worker” were frequently employed by the inspired writers to describe Christians. Exactly what characteristics of Christians caused the inspired writers to use this word to describe them? The answer should be obvious. Christians are to be engaged in the work of the Lord; they are laborers in the Lord’s vineyard (Mt. 20:1-16).

Far too often, Christians view the time they spend in attending the worship services as the only work that they are expected to do. For this reason, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have begun to describe us as “pew-sitters” and “bench warmers.” The assembling with the saints to worship should not be viewed as doing the work of the Lord. Rather, we should assemble to learn enough and be sufficiently encouraged to go out to do the work of the Lord. When we come together, we should hear lessons designed to encourage us to “go into all the world and preach the gospel,” to “visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,” to “bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,” etc. Then, we should leave the building determined to do these things. The assembly is for edifying the saints (1 Cor. 14:26; Heb. 10:24).

The Sin of Omission

I remember one time as a child having heard a discussion on the subject of “What is the least percentage that one can give and still go to heaven?” Since then, I have frequently reflected on how well that discussion reflects most Christians’ attitudes. The attitude of “least-possible-service” pervades the church. Such a disposition is sinful. Paul commanded, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). The attitude of the Christian should not be “what is the least that I can do and still get by with it” but “what is the most that I can do for my Lord.” The old-timers expressed this attitude when they prayed, “Lord, wear out my body in your service.”

Paul, the apostle who labored more than all of the other apostles (1 Cor. 15:10), said, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should talk in them” (Eph. 2:8). Notice that the purpose for which we were created in Christ Jesus was to do good works. Suppose that a farmer spent $40,000 buying a combine and, then, when he got it to the field, discovered that it would not harvest his crops. What do you think that he would do and say? Similarly, what do you think that Jesus feels toward a person whose salvation was purchased by His blood but who will not do any of the good works which he was created to do?

The sin of failing to do what one knows that we ought to do is frequently called the sin of omission. Jesus said, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin” (Jas. 4:17). A number of other passages teach this same truth (Mt. 25:1-13, 14-30, 31-46). 1 am more worried about members of the Lord’s church failing to go to heaven because of the good works which they fail to perform than because of the committing of immoralities. Too many of us are going to be workers who “need to be ashamed” (2 Tim. 2:15) because we have done so little for God!

To Minister To Or To Be Ministered Unto

Recently, I visited in the home of a family which had been unfaithful to the Lord. I had been there but a short time when I asked the husband why he had quit coming to worship services. Very quickly he began to list his complaints which included each of the following: (1) my wife was in the hospital and no one came to visit her; (2) no one ever invited us into their homes; (3) no one came to see us when we had our baby; etc. I did not know much of the case history of this person or else I would have said to him what I said to the brother who went with me to visit him. I said something to the effect that I doubted that he ever visited the sick or invited people to his home when he was attending worship services. I was quickly informed that my assumption was correct.

On one occasion, Jesus said, “. . . the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve . . . .” (Mt. 20:28). Far too many Christians have never learned this lesson! They expect the whole church to serve them but have no desire to serve in meeting the needs of their brothers and sisters. Their whole concept of Christianity is incorrect. Christianity totally reversed the concept of what is required for greatness. The non-Christian world associates greatness with power, fame, and money. Regarding this, Jesus taught, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not so among you, but whosoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whosoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave” (Mt. 20:25-27). Is your attitude one of wishing to serve or to be served?

What Can I Do?

Hopefully, you are saying, “What he has said is right but what can I do?” There are innumerable jobs which need to be done to assist the operation of the Lord’s church in the community. There are some such jobs listed below. Beside each one of them is the letter “M” or “W” or both “MW.” These letters designate whether the job can be done by men or women or both men and women.

Suggested Ways To Serve In The Church

Worship Areas		Evangelism
Sermons or Talks	M	Distributing Tracks	MW
Prayers	M	Conducting a home Bible Study	MW
Song Leading	M	Trying to restore a brother	MW
Lord’s Supper	M	Contacting Visitors	MW
Operational		Bringing someone to worship	MW
Teaching a Bible class	MW	Maintenance
Gathering news for bulletin	MW	Cleaning building	MW
Typing a bulletin	MW	Cleaning baptistry	MW
Doing a lay-out of bulletin	MW	Doing repair work on building	M
Being treasurer	M	Painting around building	MW
Writing letters as needed	MW	Yard work	M
Printing bulletin	MW	Keeping baptistry garments clean	W
Folding bulletin	MW	Personal Work
Addressing bulletin	MW	Visit sick members	MW
Writing letters to visitors	MW	Visit aged shut-ins	MW
Provide transportation	MW	Invite new members to a meal	MW

Perhaps this list could be expanded by others. The inactive member no longer can excuse himself from doing any work by saying, “I don’t know what to do.”

Dear brethren, the sin of neglect is destroying the church. Long ago, the wise man observed, “He also who is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys” (Prov. 18:9). He knew that one does not have to tear down a house to destroy it; all that he must do is to fail to maintain it. A person does not have to plant weeds in his garden to ruin his crop; all that he must do is fail to cultivate his crop. Neither does one have to maliciously seek to destroy the church for it to cease to exist in his community. If we fail to reach out to bring the lost to Christ, funerals will destroy the Lord’s church in our locality. Hence, we must be about our Father’s business.

Let us get busy doing what we so frequently sing. We sing, “I Want To Be A Worker For The Lord;” if we want to be a worker, we will be one! Again, we sing,

“To the work! to the work! We are servants of God, Let us follow the path that our Master has trod; With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew, Let us do with our might what our hands find, to do.

“To the work! to the work! Let the hungry be fed; To the fountain of Life let the weary be led; In the cross and its banner our glory shall be, While we herald the tidings, Salvation is free!’

“To the work! to the work! there is labor for all, For the kingdom of darkness and error shall fall, And the name of Jehovah exalted shall be, In the loud swelling chorus, ‘Salvation is free!”

“To the work! to the work! in the strength of the Lord, And a robe and a crown shall our labor reward; When the home of the faithful our dwelling shall be, And we shout with the ransomed, Salvation is free!'”

-Wm. H. Doane

A Christian is a worker for the Lord. Are you truly a Christian?

Truth Magazine XXI: 9, pp. 131-133
March 3, 1977

By Mike T. Rogacs

Those who have engaged in a study of the word “faith” will know that the word is used in at least two different senses in the New Testament. One sense refers to the state of believing in something or someone. In Col. 2:5 the usage is “your faith,” the individual’s belief. But we take notice that there, along with Gal. 2:16 and Phil. 3:9, the reading is “your faith in Christ,” the individual’s belief in Christ being what He claimed to be.

The second sense of the word “faith” refers to the system of faith or religion of Christ with all its laws, commands, etc. This is often manifested by the phraseology “the faith” (2 Cor. 13:15; 1 Tim. 4:1; 5:8; etc.). Those who have found this distinction to be true often apply the same distinction between the phrases “faith in Christ” and “faith of Christ,” the first referring to the individual’s belief in the Lord, and the second having reference to the system of faith that the Lord gave, the “one faith” of Eph. 4:5.

For our study here, we then raise the following question: Given the afore mentioned distinctions, does Gal. 3:26 therefore teach that “we are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus”-that is, are we made children of God through our simple individual belief in Christ? The question is a proper one for study. On the surface, the language lends itself to a definition of salvation by simple belief. The verse is widely used by those who teach that faith alone saves, and that Galatians 3:26 is simply a clarification of the “faith only” interpretation of John 3:16. We submit that Gal. 3:26 does not teach salvation by simple faith (belief). We submit that such a view expounded from this passage is an example of the principle of 2 Peter 3:1617 and a violation of 2 Tim. 2:15. Our conclusion will rest upon the context around Gal. 3:26, which, if studied, will clearly show the intended meaning of verse 26.

Notice the rendition of verse 26 as found in the American Standard Version: “For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus.” Draw your attention to the punctuation supplied. This wording and punctuation better fits the apparent meaning of the inspired writer which in effect could be read: “For ye are all sons of God in Christ Jesus through faith”, with “faith” here NOT referring to simple belief of the individual, but referring to the faith of Christ, the gospel. The distinction we are attempting to show is that Paul is not speaking of simple belief by saying “through faith in Christ,” but that he is saying we are “in Christ” through the faith (of Christ).

We interrupt our train of thought to notice that often brethren, in order to refute “faith only” doctrine have said that the Greek probably should read, “ye are all sons of God through the faith of Christ” and say that “of” was intended instead of “in”. This may be closer to the meaning of the passage than the “faith only people”, but the Greek apparently does say “in Christ” and not “of Christ”. But again, the verse is not saying “faith in Christ” or even “faith of Christ”.

The context immediately preceding verse 26 is discussing that the law of Moses (“the law”) was followed by the new system of religion called “faith” and “the faith” in verse 23, and “faith” in verses 24 and 25. This is the gospel, system, faith, of Jesus Christ replacing the law, the system, of Moses. This discussion of the contrast runs all through chapter three and in fact is the whole foundation of the epistle to the Galatians. What we find in the context of chapter three is, in short, as follows: God gave a promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed in his seed and that, as now is revealed, this promise was to include the justification of the Gentiles and not just the Jews (v. 7). God confirmed through Paul that Moses’ law was a curse unto man and it could not, and was not intended to, justify any man, Jew or Gentile (v. 10, 11). Instead, another system-that of Christ-needed to come before the promise to Abraham could be fulfilled, a fulfillment which would include the blessing of the Gentiles (12-21).

It is then in verse 22 that God’s intentions of the fulfilled promise is revealed. (And as luck would have it, the American Standard Version does not render the whole literal Greek correctly, and the Greek supports the King James Version in the wording of question in our topic.) “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.” In other words, the promise of Abraham is now given to all who believe in God and His promise, and it is given BY (through) the faith, the gospel, which Jesus Christ revealed.

The contrast between the old law and the faith of Christ is the topic. And, again, it continues to verse 26. There the purpose is to show that we cannot be children of God in Moses, in Aaron, or in anyone else by the power of the law of Moses or of any other law. But instead, “ye are all the children of God in Christ, by (the) faith.”

It is then that Paul by inspiration goes on to say, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (v. 27). This is the verse that really confirms what Paul was saying in the preceding verse.

So, it all falls into place. The gospel of Jesus Christ does say that we are born again, become children of God, when we are baptized (John 3:1-5; Heb. 10:22; Romans 6:3-8). When we are baptized, it is into Christ, to put on Christ (Gal. 3:27). So, it is factual that by the faith (gospel), we learn how to become children of God in Christ.

No, Gal. 3:26 is not teaching that we become children when we believe in Christ. If anything, the passage is really teaching the necessity of becoming children of God by a definite pattern of salvation found in the gospel of Jesus Christ, a pattern which includes faith, repentance, confession, and then baptism into Christ. (John 1:11-12; Rom. 10:10; Acts 2:38; etc.) Could this, the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham given so very long ago (that all could be children in Christ Jesus by the faith of Jesus Christ) be the promise that is “unto you, to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38-39)? Think on these things.

Truth Magazine XXI: 8, pp. 125-126
February 24, 1977

By Earl E. Robertson

We Walk By Faith

“We walk by faith, not by sight,” said the apostle Paul 12 Cor. 5:7). This statement is highly significant in that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). If God has not spoken about a matter, positive action taken in the performance of any such deed is presumptuous sin. No man can take legislative leadership into his own hands and speak and act when the Almighty has not spoken. David prayed, “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins” (Psa. 19:13). The man who acts presumptuously reproaches the Lord and will give answer to God for his high-handed behavior (Num. 15:30). Some justify the use of instrumental music in worship by saying that there is no specific statement in the Bible saying “thou shaft not use instrumental music in worship.” The idea that there must be a “thou shah not” before a thing is sinful is a false premise. When one’s course is cast on a false premise, his conclusions necessarily will be false too. It invalidates Paul’s statement that we walk by faith! There is no substitute for this-we actually and really do walk by faith. The conditional element is the spiritual actions of Christians which are acceptable to the Lord is faith: faith that comes by hearing the word of God! Proof of the proposition that instrumental music in worship to God is acceptable to Him can not rest on the absence of scripture! The right to have instrumental music in worship is not antecedently proven simply in the absence of a divine prohibition specifically stated; rather, it is proven by authorization in God’s word. After all, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4).

Acceptable service to God is based on faith (Heb. 11:6). When we sing unto the Lord we do it by faith, that is, this is what the Lord teaches in his word and as we do what he teaches it is being done by faith. No service can be performed “by faith” if the Lord has not spoken.. Silence of scripture does not give authorization; scripture gives authorization! “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God,” Peter affirmed (1 Pet. 4:11).

Oftentimes the people of God have become dissatisfied with God having absolute control over men in morals and spiritual service. It is at this point that men begin to take liberties that God has not given. The mere fact that one may wish to do a certain service unto the Lord is not the basis to determine whether that service shall be accepted or rejected. It is a well known fact in the word of God that when persons sought to give unto God a service either what God had not commanded or what He had forbidden, both the giver and the gift was rejected. The gift is not offered because God needs it, but because God had commanded it and it is good for man. God rejected Cain’s offering because it was not of faith-God had not authorized it. Therefore, He rejected Cain, too. When God is, by His worshipers, placed in His proper perspective, His word will be the criterion for all worship offered by them.

Whatever music is made unto the Lord must be done “in the name of Christ” (Col. 3:17). This is a most serious matter, yet is taken so lightly by many. The word “name” (of Christ or Lord) translates the Greek onoma, and is defined as follows: “By a usage chiefly Hebraistic the name is used for everything which the name covers. . . i.e. for one’s rank, authority, interests, pleasures, command . . . .to do a thing en onomati tinos (in the name of someone-er), i.e. by one’s command and authority, acting on his behalf, promoting his cause” (Thayer, p. 447). This word is found in Acts 2:38 where repentance and baptism for the remission of sins are said to be “in the name of Jesus Christ”. Peter told us: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The name (authority) of Christ is essential to salvation. It is just as essential to offer praise unto the Lord. Whenever and wherever the name (authority) of the Lord is spoken, it becomes the only means to establish faith within the human heart; to act without it is to act in spiritual darkness and unbelief.

We shall illustrate this by examples. Samuel, the judge in Israel, anointedaSaul the son of Kish to be the first king over the united kingdom of Israel. Upon this, God commanded Saul to “go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass” (1 Sam. 15:3). We are informed that Saul “smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur,” but that he and the people took Agag the king alive and spared the best of the sheep and oxen, fatlings and lambs, and would not utterly destroy them is told also. In spite of this failure to obey God, Saul contended, “I have performed the commandment of the Lord” (1 Sam. 15:13). Samuel protested saying, “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” Saul said “the people” did this! But Saul was king! The Lord had spoken to him! He then stated that their intent was “to sacrifice unto the Lord;” but Samuel said, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22). This shows clearly that all service which the Lord has not ordered is unacceptable to Him. Saul made a costly error and then confessed: “I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice” (1 Sam. 15:24). His action was not of faith, but rebellion against faith! Instrumental music in worship to God today is not an act of faith; it, too, is rebellion against faith.

Rebellion against the will of God is rebellion against faith. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram illustrate this point (Numbers 16). God had commanded that Aaron and his sons should burn incense while other Levites (than Korah) performed their assigned duties. They rebelled against God’s order saying that Moses and Aaron were arrogating to themselves too much authority, that they also had a right to burn incense. When Moses heard this, he fell upon his face! These people gathered two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly who were famous in the congregation-men of renown-to more effectively carry out their scheme in the total absence of divine authorization. This would be enough to justify about anything today that brethren would ever want to do! But it was no justification at all. Moses made a speech to convince them that he did indeed have the God-given right to do exactly what he had done and was doing. Then he told them, “If . . . the earth open her mouth and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them . . . then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord.” At the end of that faithful speech, “the ground clave asunder that was under them: and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods . . . and they perished from among the congregation.” Indeed, a supreme price for rebellion! They attempted to serve God in the absence of holy authorization, an act without faith.

May these illustrations of attempted service without faith serve to impress upon our minds the awful price one must inevitably pay for such sinful action! Faith or trust in God’s way of doing things comes because of hearing (Eph. 1:13). The acceptation of one’s action does not depend only upon one knowing what the Lord says, but also upon his attitude toward that truth. Jesus said, “Take heed therefore how ye hear” (Lk. 8:18). “How” one hears is his attitude. A proper attitude toward the truth will not permit a flaunting of it in any way, but rather will demand reverence in seeking a prosecution of it. Transportation of the Ark of the Covenant by the right people illustrates this matter rather very well. After Aaron and his sons covered all the vessels of the tabernacle, the sons of Kohath were responsible for carrying it, “but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die” (Num. 4:15). The Kohathites were sons of Levi (Gen. 46:11) authorized to bear the sanctuary (Num. 10:21). God had charged them with this responsibility (Num. 3:30, 31). Any change in this arrangement would be without faith and, consequently, disobedience. Circumstances and situations could not alter this order; it was God’s way and He would tolerate no deviation! A deviation from this would be a manifestation of a wrong attitude toward God and His word. God was so stern in His demand about this that Uzzah “died by the ark of God” when he “put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it” (2 Sam. 6:6, 7). Not only did this man not have authorization to touch this Ark, but even before the crossing of the Jordan, God instructed the people saying, “When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore” (Josh. 3:3, 4). Maintaining a distance of “two thousand cubits” would make impossible a touching by the hand, and when unauthorized hands got close enough to so touch it, the sinful attitude toward God’s authority was wrong enough, much less the actual touching of the Ark by the hand. Proper respect for the word of God would not allow one, unauthorized, to get close enough to touch it! Lack of proper respect for the word of God is the real problem concerning instrumental music in worship to God today. Uzzah paid with his life for acting without faith, although his intentions were good. He did not want the Ark to fall from the Ox Cart on which it was being transported to the city of David! An unauthorized means of transportation and an unauthorized hand touching it, were disrespectful of God’s authority and, therefore, sinful! Friend, our attitude toward what God says will determine whether we obey or disobey Him; it will determine whether we walk by faith or whether our walk is by sight.

God Specified The Kind

There are two kinds or species of music: vocal and instrumental; singing and playing. If God had commanded, “Make music,” then we could sing or play, or sing and play. But he did not give a generic command merely authorizing “music;” God gave specifying authority-authority naming one kind out of the general term “music.” God authorizes “singing” and not playing. This specific does not include another kind; singing does not include playing. Therefore, playing is eliminated. How many kinds of music are there? Just two. Sing and play- are coordinate terms. Neither is dependent upon the other; they both are music. But of the two, God said, “sing”! When God, therefore, specifies one coordinate, man does not have a choice as to which kind or coordinate he shall use in worshiping the Almighty!

Here are some Biblical illustrations to help us see that only what God says is authorized. Additions of other coordinates cannot be made to what God says and those additions be authorized. Only the coordinates which He authorizes are permissible. God commanded Noah, “Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch” (Gen. 6:14). Of this directive Moses said, “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he” (Gen. 6:33). A New Testament writer said, “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house” (Heb. 11:7). God’s command to Noah embraced specific authority, not general. God said make the ark of “gopher” wood. “Wood” is generic; “gopher” wood is specific. Oak, poplar, and cedar, are all coordinates-kinds separate and distinct from each other. Noah could not have done the will of God had he used any other kind of wood but gopher. It is not man’s right to inquire why God limited the wood to gopher in the building of the Ark; and, it is none of man’s business why God only commanded singing in worship to Him. Let us be satisfied with what He wants! The Ark would not have accomplished the intent God had in saving man if Noah had taken “liberty” with the silence of God’s word. Noah could have reasoned as some do today that since God did not specifically say, “Noah, thou shalt not use oak wood in the building of the Ark,” that he then could, in the absence of such a prohibition, use oak. But oak was not included in the authorization.

In the land of Egypt God spake unto Moses and Aaron giving instructions for the beginning of the Passover. He said, “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house” (Ex. 12:3). If God had only commanded the offering of an “animal” for the Passover feast, any kind of animal would have been accepted. However, the command was not general authority, but specific. Cow, hog, and horse are all animals and are coordinates with neither “kind” depending on the other. When God said “lamb” that authorized only the lamb for service out of the entire animal kingdom. To have assumed that since God did not say, “Thou shalt not offer a horse,” it would be acceptable to offer the horse, would have been without authorization-without faith-and, consequently, presumptuous and sinful. Another animal than the lamb would have been different in kind and rejected by the Lord. Just as “horse” would have been another coordinate in the animal kingdom, so is “instrumental music” another kind of music than singing. Another kind then is both unauthorized and lawless. Jesus said such action cost men their souls (Matt. 7:21-23).

Carefully looking at the very nature of this service as worship paid to the Creator one must conclude that it is spiritual. All service to God is spiritual in character and nature. This necessarily comes from the human heart. The design of the gospel is to save (Rom. 1:16), but it must get into the heart to accomplish this (Lk. 8:12, 15; Rom. 10:8-10). Belief is with the heart. Love for .God is with the heart (Matt. 22:37). Obedience to God is with the heart (Rom. 6:17, 18). It is just as true that all our worship to God is with the heart (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). It is not with the piano or organ; it is with the human heart. This is the instrument and object of the specific to sing!

Truth Magazine XXI: 8, pp. 122-124
February 24, 1977

By Cecil Willis

In this, another article upon the subject of miracles, we would like to continue with a comparison of the miracles in the New Testament with those of so-called miracle-workers today. They are of entirely different natures. If one will but recognize what the Bible says about the nature of miracles, then he will not be deceived by the pseudo-miracle-workers of today.

New Testament Miracles Were Undeniable

As we turn to about the nature that the miracles performed by Christ and the were undeniable. When the apostle Peter be present the proofs of Christ’s deity on the Pentecost to a group of unbelieving and murdering Jews, he begins by saying that the miracles that Christ performed were indisputable proofs of His deity. The Jews had a part in the crucifying of Christ and yet Peter said to them, “Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know; him being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye did by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay” (Acts 2:22, 23). Notice that Peter declared that these Jews themselves knew of the miracles which Jesus had performed. Even these who were so profane in heart that they could slay God’s Son could not deny the actuality of Christ’s miracles. Even the most wicked of Christ’s enemies could not deny that Jesus did perform miracles.

Seeing that the New Testament miracles were undeniable, contrast that with the so-called miracles that we are asked to believe. On Pentecost, Peter could declare that these unbelieving Jews knew of Jesus’ miracles; but, today, fake-healers, and pseudo-miracle-workers depend upon testimonials of their own adherents to prove their miracles. It was never necessary for New Testament miracles to be proven by testimonials, for they were of such nature that they were apparent. On the other hand, today’s so-called miracles are questionable.

Not very long ago a fellow came to the church building where I was preaching and had a lot to say about the fact that we denied miracles were worked today. I asked him to point out one modern-day miracle, and he proceeded to do so. He told me that a preacher performed a miracle on a little black boy in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This little boy had lost an eye, and in its stead, he had a glass eye. This man declared publically that the preacher performed a miracle on the glass eye so that the little boy could see out of it. Well, that all sounded pretty good. But quite coincidentally, I happen to be in Chattanooga at the time that this “miracles” was supposed to have been performed. Of course, the man did not know that I was. In fact he was not there himself! He had only heard about it. But I was preaching in a Gospel meeting in that town when this great wonder occurred. The members of the church of Christ there carried a large advertisement in the local newspaper exposing the fraud. After the little boy was supposed to be able to see out of glass eye, the preacher absolutely refused to let a member of the church blindfold the little boy’s good eye. The man who related the story to me, thinking it was the truth, was astonished when I completed the facts for him, but that is exactly what happened. Biblical miracles never depended upon such deception and fraud. Peter could say, “which ye yourselves know”. They were undeniable. But not so with the so-called miracles of today.

New Testament Miracles Were Subject to Empirical Senses

Secondly, let us note that New Testament miracles were such that they could be examined by the empirical senses. They were such that they could be tested by the eyes, ears, touch, taste, etc. We find that Jesus made the dumb to speak. If a man had never spoken, and suddenly began speaking, one could hear what he said, and thus test the miracle. He made the lame to walk and one could see that the healed man could walk. He raised the dead; they could examine the raised man. He turned water into wine and they could test this miracle by taste. But contrast this with the attempted miracles of today. In the first place, they only attempt healing. They never attempt any other kind of miracle that Jesus did.

But, what kind of healings do they attempt to perform? They will heal one of an internal cancer. But did you ever see them heal a man whose face had been eaten off by this terrible disease? Their failure to cure the man would soon be apparent. Hence they do not try it. Or, did you ever see them instantly cure any broken bones? You did not, and will not ever see it. However, they can give testimonials as to people that were cured of indigestions, of stomach disorders, of the smoking habit, or T.B. or some other internal disease. But try to find a single miracle that one can test with the sense of touch, sight, or hearing. You cannot do it! You will not find it!

Some time ago a man came to my home advertising a meeting, and we began discussing the Bible. Eventually the matter of miracles came up. He himself could not work a miracle, but he knew others who could. Finally, I asked him if he had even witnessed a miracle. In his honesty, he admitted that he had not. But he replied that he had talked with people who had. I cite this example just as an, admonition to you. When you hear of miracles’ being performed, try the difficult task of tracing down the person who was healed. Ask for the names and addresses of some of the people who are healed and then find out what they were healed of. It will likely be nervousness, smoking or some disease that is internal. But the miracles that Jesus and the apostles performed were of an entirely different nature. They could be tested with the senses and were undeniable.

New Testament Miracles Were Instantaneous

Another characteristic of New Testament miracles is that these marvelous happenings occurred instantly. They were immediate. I want to cite a few New Testament miracles-please note that they were instantaneous and never partial healings.

Luke 13:10-13: “And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. And behold, a woman that had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years; and she was bowed together, and could in no wise lift herself up. And when Jesus saw her, he called her, and said to her, Woman, thou are loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands upon her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.”

Luke 8:43,44: “And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, who had spent all of her living on physicians, and could not be healed of any, came to him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately the issue of her blood stanched.”

Matt. 20:29-34: “And as they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, Lord, have mercy on us, thou son of David. And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will yet that I should do unto you? They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. And Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and straightway they received their sight, and followed him.”

John 5:2-9 “And straightway the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked.”

Acts 3:6-8 “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. And he (Peter) took him by the right hand, and raised him up: and immediately his feet and his anklebones received strength. And leaping up, he stood, and began to walk; and he entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping and praising God.”

When God enabled a man to work a miracle, he enabled him to do it immediately. Some time ago I received a letter from a lady that I have never met, but in it she told me that some fellows who thought that they could work miracles had been several days trying to heal a boy with a broken leg next door to her. Now if they had persistently continued their efforts, they could have pronounced it partially healed-in about eight weeks.

What I am saying is not in the least to doubt the power of God. God worked the miracles we have just read about, but the purpose of miracles exists no longer. While I do not doubt the power of God, I certainly doubt the assumed authority and power of pretentious men who think that they can work miracles.

Several years ago a “healer” came into Tampa, Florida, and a good personal friend of mine took a little boy of his who had the chicken pox to be healed. The “healer” took the little boy and put him in the healing line. When the time for the healing of the boy came, he took the little boy by the shoulders, shouted at him, jerked him around and then pronounced him healed. Yet, the chicken pox were still very apparent. When the great miracle-worker was asked why the spots did not instantly go away, he replied, “Oh, they will leave in two or three days.” How much longer would they have lasted if he had not “healed” the boy? Not any! Such deceit and fraud does not even deserve to wear the name religion.

New Testament Miracles Were Complete

Furthermore, one never reads in the Bible of where one was partially healed. God does not do a half job on His miracles. Yet, we find people testifying that they can see better after they were “healed” than before. But if God healed them at all, they would have as perfect eyesight as any human being.

One lady was rather provoked at my beliefs (unbelief!) about such healers. She called me up and after a conversation with her, she invited me to her house. We had several good discussions. But, she maintained that God had healed her. I asked of what she had been healed, and she promptly replied, “bad eyesight”. Yet at that very instant she was wearing glasses. God does not halfway heal a person. When God does it, He does a complete job. This same lady claimed to be getting direct revelation from God. She was kind enough to make me copies of the “divine” messages. In one of them, God had told her to vote for a republican, even though she was a democrat.

In this lesson on New Testament miracles it has been necessary to contrast the miracles of the Bible with the “miracles” of today. Since most modern “miracleworkers” attempt nothing, or very little except healing, we have mostly discussed “healings”. Next week the topic will be specifically “Miraculous Divine Healing”.

Truth Magazine XXI: 8, pp. 120-122
February 24, 1977