Truth Magazine

A few months ago I was watching Walt Disney’s Lion King one night with my two daughters. In this movie the main character, Simba, is searching for his identity and place in the “circle of life” as the future king of his pride. In one scene he makes contact with his dead father, King Mufasa, through the sorcery of the sage baboon Rafiki. During that seance Mufasa said, “Simba, you are more than what I have become!” I had heard that line several times, but this time it hit me like a ton of bricks. The moral? Become what you are capable of being rather than settling for what you are! How many times do we as Christians settle for what we are rather than becoming what we can? Are you more than what you have become . . .

As a personal disciple of the Lord? Is your personal relationship (scripturally defined) with Jesus as it ought to be, or are desires and tangles of life hindering your service (cf. Mark 10:17-22)?

As a student then teacher of the Bible? Compared to where you were in your understanding of God’s word a year ago, how far are you progressing in 1998? This is a vital part of strengthening and maintaining your personal relationship with Jesus (1 Pet. 2:2). We must not, however, keep what we learn to ourselves; we must also share it with others (2 Tim. 2:2; Matt. 10:1; Acts 3:6; 20:35).

As an active member of a faithful local church? Each member of a local church impacts the other members who comprise a local church (Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:25). We must do all we can to insure that our impact is positive, not a hindrance to a local work.

As a contributing family member? Each member in the fleshly family has specific roles (Eph. 5:22-6:4). Are you, as a spouse, parent or child, being what you can and should be, or are you settling for what you are?

As a good citizen in your community? We are to be good citizens, thus good influences on those around us (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:14-17). How well does your light shine in your community? Are you hiding it under a bushel or keeping it on the lampstand God gave you?

For the benefit of all, are you more than what you have become?

By Donnie V. Rader

I’m not sure that the public reading of the Scriptures is given the place that it had in Bible times. I wonder if it is not minimized in the mind of some today as one of the less important things we do as we assemble. Some may think that those who read Scriptures publicly are doing something “less” than those who preach or lead the singing. After all, it takes some ability to preach and some musical talent to lead singing and anyone can read the Scriptures. So, maybe Scripture reading is for those who can’t lead singing.

To the contrary, in the Bible, public reading of the word of God was treated with the utmost respect.

Examples

God’s word has always been read publicly to his people. After all, it is his word and it is how he communicates his will to them.

1. Moses — Exodus 24:7: “Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, ‘All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.’”

2. The Priest — Deuteronomy 31:11-13. Moses gave the written law to the priest and told them to read the law every seven years. He said, “When all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing” (v. 11).

3. Joshua — Joshua 8:34. As the children of Israel gathered (half in front of Mount Ebal and half in front of Mount Gerizim), Joshua read the law that Moses gave to them. “And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them” (vv. 34-35).

4. Ezra — Nehemiah 8:5, 8, 18; 9:3. Ezra worked with post-exile Israel trying to restore the law in their hearts. In so doing he read to them from the word of God. They stood in respect as he read for long periods.

5. Baruch — Jeremiah 36. This chapter records the reading of the scroll in the temple (vv. 1-15). “Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord’s house, in the hearing of all the people” (v. 10).

6. Jesus — Luke 4:16-19. Jesus read from Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth. “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read” (v. 16).

7. The Jews — Acts 13:27. It was the practice of the Jews to read from the Old Testament Scriptures every Sabbath day in the synagogue.

8. The Thessalonians — 1 Thessalonians 5:27. When Paul concluded his letter to the Thessalonians, he told them to read his letter to all the brethren.

Thus, we conclude that there has always been a place for the public reading of the will of God.

Points To Consider

1. It is important. The public reading of the Scriptures is very important. It is as important as prayer. Prayer is man talking to God. Through the reading of the Scriptures, God talks to man. That’s important!

The reading of God’s word was thought to be so important that the people stood when Ezra opened the book (Neh. 8:5). Let’s not minimize Scripture reading whether we are the reader or the listener.

2. Prepare. Those who are assigned to read the Scriptures should think of themselves as privileged. If you were asked to be the one to read a letter that the President sent to the local church, would you be honored? How about being asked to be the one to read what God, the creator, has written to us?

That being the case, the reader should be well prepared as the song leader, preacher, and class teacher should be. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing it well. Read over the verses more than once to make sure you can read them well. Make sure you know how to pronounce the words. Don’t forget how that Ezra read “distinctly” to the people (Neh. 8:8). Speak out loud and clear; else the listener can’t hear.

3. The listeners should listen. I wonder if we don’t think that the “Scripture reading” is just good “space filler” during our services. Many of us don’t even bother to follow along.

We must listen with respect. Remember, those in Ezra’s day stood when he read from the law. I don’t think that’s a bad idea for us today. Literally! The reading of the Scriptures ought to be given great reverence.

Our listening should accomplish more than showing a little respect. In the case where the Priests were reading the law it was for the effect it would have on God’s people:

Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully observe all the words of this law (Deut. 31:12).

Public reading of the Scriptures has an important place and purpose. Let’s lift our attitude and practice to the level that we have described.

Some of the Pentecostal groups teach error concerning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They teach that there is only one person in the Godhead, and that his name is Jesus. They refuse to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but baptize in the name of Jesus only. I have a chart put out by one of those groups. It has a large number of Scriptures which say that there is one God. But the verses which show that the one God is made up of three persons are left out! Right at the beginning of Genesis there is clear indication that there is more than one person who is God. “. . . and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters” (Gen. 1:2). The Holy Spirit was working in the creation.

Then in Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image.’” Did you ever ask yourself, “To whom was God speaking?” God was speaking to the other per- sons in the Godhead! Jesus is not the Father, and the Holy Spirit is not Jesus! They are separate persons. In Acts 2:34-35 Peter quotes from David, “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.’”

Notice two things: The Lord spoke to David’s Lord. There were two persons. The Lord was God the Father. David’s Lord was the Messiah, who was in heaven with the Father. That was Jesus Christ. Second — Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father. He is not the Father. He is sitting at his right hand. They are two persons. The Holy Spirit is a person, and he is not Jesus. Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper.” The Holy Spirit is another helper like Jesus, but he is not Jesus! And he is God! In Acts 5:3 Peter said that Ananias had lied to the Holy Spirit. In the next verse he said that Ananias lied to God. The Holy Spirit is God. How can it be that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three persons, yet are one God?

It is not hard to understand. Jesus prayed for his disciples, “that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us” (John 17:21). When we understand that all disciples can be one, we can understand how the Father and the Son are one. Never does the Bible say that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one person! They are three persons! But they are one because they are united in purpose and in nature. Jesus is God, the Father is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. Three persons — completely united. The one God!

I have never written an article for Truth Magazine before. I’ve never thought that I was good enough to do so with my limited ability as a writer. I’ve been a member of the Lord’s church and fellow laborer with God in the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Christ for 30 years. Truth Magazine has been a blessing for me over the years. For 30 years I have preached and taught the gospel in the area that I presently live. I have been a member of a small congregation for 18 years. Truth Magazine has been an excellent aid and tool for me in learning the will of God. Of course an open Bible has been the final say so on religious matters. It is a sad thing though when brethren will not even read a religious paper such as Truth Magazine because I believe they can’t take the truth on certain of their pet sins. I guess they have not read 2 Timothy 2:2 lately. They seem to read everything else.

Recently in Truth Magazine I read brother Fultz’s article dated July 16, 1998 on “Quarreling Brethren.” That particular article mirrored my experience as a teacher and preacher of the gospel. The wide range of issues he struggled with in his early years were also a time of confusion for me. But through reading Truth Magazine and checking the Scriptures, line upon line and precept upon precept, I came to see those issues fall into place and for me were resolved. I don’t mind to say at this point, faithful brethren such as Foy E. Wallace, Jr. and Roy E. Cogdill and all the writers of Truth Magazine played an important part in my resolving these issues.

Brethren, over the years I have taught what I thought and understood to be the truth on such issues as divorce and remarriage, dancing, wearing of shorts, social drinking, mixed swimming, long hair on men, etc. I’ve taught what faithful writers in God’s word over the years have taught concerning such matters, solely for the purpose of saving souls.

I now find myself on the run! The door has been shut in my face with cold calculation by brethren who are supposed to “love one another.” The brethren it seems do not want to hear sermons which deal with these issues for fear that it will drive away the young ones that are coming into the church. So the plan is to get somebody younger and one who will evade these issues and just “preach the gospel.”

So today fundamental gospel obedience and such like are what people want to hear. Tell me what I need to be doing and not what I am not supposed to be doing is the cry heard today.

“Go ahead if you can squeeze in an opportunity some time to preach on these subjects,” they say, “but give us a ‘thou shalt not dance, and thou shalt not wear shorts, or a thou shalt not chew tobacco or be involved in mixed swimming.’” “Where is the chapter and verse?” they wail. No, brethren, you must have a “thou shalt not!” No, words such as lasciviousness, or modesty are not enough to say. We want the verse! As one can tell by this letter and my simple plainness of speech that I am somewhat rude or crude in my explanation of my present feelings as a “preacher on the run.”

Yes, I am discouraged, disheartened, disenchanted, and, it seems, alone when it comes to members of the Lord’s church caring whether or not a brother is cast out and cold shouldered because of this kind of preaching. Brethren, use all the tact you want, or the compassion and kindness and harmlessness as a dove you may — it won’t be enough to prevent the appearing of some brethren through some tactical means of low, underhanded dealing to say in essence, “smile,” you are on your way out and we will have peace and happiness here in the church with one who will just preach the gospel. Of course he will just preach the gospel, but in order to keep his job he will mention not one of the aforementioned sins. Well surely they will let some old buzzard preach every once in a while? No they won’t either. Brethren, you try and change the minds of members of the church today on these subjects! The ones that run the church will not, and just not a few preachers will have enough courage and honesty to teach the truth for fear of losing a job. Maybe it’s time to start all over and build another church for those preaching the gospel (????). I can still “make tents” and support my family, but a real present danger is confronting me daily as I try to be a Christian and preach the gospel (Matt. 28:18-20). I find myself a preacher on the run and nowhere to go. The answer cannot be to just remain silent as a tomb as some do and watch souls slide the slippery slope to hell!

Although frustrated enough, like Jeremiah the prophet, I contemplate doing so. These few words are written in hopes my brethren who write for Truth Magazine might encourage me to stand fast and from “such to turn away” that won’t listen to the whole counsel of God.

Brethren, keep writing articles, but I hope while you are doing so that you are saying the same things to those who are Christians that are there at the church where you preach and teach. From a preacher on the run!