Truth Magazine

By Jeffery Kingry

Gnosticism is a system of philosophy that sought to destroy the New Testament church in the first century. John’s first epistle combats this influence that was prevalent in the church at the time. The situation that brought this error into the church parallels a condition ,hat exists today. Many years had passed from the dawn on Pentecost; the church then had large numbers of 1, second and third generation” Christians. As Jesus had prophesied, “The love of many shall grow cold” (Matt. 24:12). Being a Christian had become an inherited responsibility, a traditional habit, rather than “walking in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). There were those who were no longer content with being a “new man” in the Lord. They were tired of standing out as separate from !he world. They wanted a “new song” to sing, a “relevant” truth to embrace. The threatened destruction of the church to which John addressed himself came not from without, but from within, as had been prophesied (Acts 20:29, 30).

As William Barclay put it, “The trouble which 1 Jn. seeks to combat did not come from men who were out to destroy the . . . faith; it came from men who thought that they were improving (the truth). It came from men whose aim was to make Christianity intellectually respectable. It came from men who knew the intellectual tendencies and currents of the day, and who wished to express Christianity in terms of these current philosophical ideas. It came from men who felt that the time had come for the (church) to come to terms with 1he secular philosophy and with contemporary thought” (Barclay, DSBS, Letters Of Jude And John, p. 5).

Gnosticism was the “secular philosophy . . . and contemporary thought” of the day. It was based upon ,he assumption that only the intellect or spirit of man was of any value, and any philosophy worth following would “liberate” the mind from the flesh. The very word gnosios, from which the Gnostics took their name means “to know.” Since the Gnostics sought “to know” everything, they plumbed the depths as well as the heights. The Gnostic not only looked for God in the light, he also sought God in darkness. John refers to this in 1 Jn. 1:5.

The Gnostic exists today in varying forms without the church, personified in those Eastern Religions which seek a “higher peace” through intellectual meditation. It can be seen in the denial of material reality by the Christian Scientists. It can be observed in another form in the “other-worldliness,” withdrawal, and bodily abuse of some Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox religious orders. To a certain degree Gnosticism is reflected in the humanistic influence of Higher Criticism, in that these critics believe that the intellect of man is the only avenue through which a “knowledge” of Jesus (“The Historical Jesus”) shall ever be accomplished. There is one thing all facets of the Gnostic philosophy have in common: their denial of the simple, non-mystical, and practical teaching of the Scriptures. The Gnostic wants more than a simple way of life that ends in heaven. He desires a mystical experience that reflects upon his intellectual ability and stamina “to know.”

In 1 John, though, it is revealed that we are “to know” God, not through gnostos, but through ginosko. Gnostos means to subjectively learn something,.to have an intellectual knowledge of something. Paul used the word gnostos in Rom. 2:20, “An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge (gnostos) and of the truth in the law.” The Jews knew the facts of the law, but seldom the right application (cf. vs. 21-29). Paul’s conclusion was that it was not the man who knew the law that was saved, but the man who lived by faith in obedience before God (vs. 29). Vine says of another usage by Paul in Rom. 1:19, “Because that which may be known (gnostos) of God is manifest in them, for God hath shown it unto them:” Literally, “The knowledge of God,” referring to the physical universe in the creation of which God has made himself knowable, i.e. by the exercise of man’s natural faculties, without supernatural revelations as those given to Israel” (W. E. Vine, p. 300).

But John does not use the verb gnostos, he uses ginosko. Knowing God is not something achieved by disciplined meditation, as in knowing a fact. Knowing God is having a relationship with God through the revelation of God’s word. The difference in these two words can be seen easily in Eph. 3:19. Paul prayed in verse 16 “that God would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened by his spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; ,hat ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know (ginosko) the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge (gnostos), that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

“Knowing” God means having the right kind of relationship with God. “I am the Good Shepherd, and know (ginosko) my sheep, and am known (ginosko) of mine” (Jn. 10:14). The hireling of verse 13 may know (gnostos) all about the sheep, but he has no relationship with them. “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew (ginosko) him not” (Jn. 1:10). Why did they not know him?”

Because men loved the darkness rather than the light . . . he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made evident, that they are wrought in God” (Jn. 3:18-21).

How can we know God? How can we tell if others know God? How can we tell if one is in darkness?

(1) By Keeping His Commandments: “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of’ God complete: hereby know we that we are in him. He that says he abides in Him, ought himself also so to walk, even as Jesus walked” (1 Jn. 2:3-6).

(2) By Abhorring and Avoiding Sin: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God . . . when he (Jesus) shall appear we shall be like him . . . And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as Jesus is pure. The one who commits sin, violates God’s law, for sin is the transgression of law, and you know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideih in him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth what is right is right, even as Jesus is righteous” (1 Jn. 3:2-7).

(3) By Keeping a Pure Conscience: “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things” (1 Jn. 3:18-20).

(4) By Loving the Brethren: “Beloved let us love one another. For love is of God, and every one that loveth God is horn of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God.

Truth Magazine XX: 49, pp. 781-782
December 9, 1976

By Keith Ward

Solomon declared, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). A boy raised to be honest will not steal or lie; a child raised in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” will not apostasize once free from parental power; a girl taught modesty will not become a bra-burner.

Bad Attitudes

Parents who have failed object that the proverb is general and not absolute. To illustrate the general nature of proverbs, they cite those where opposite courses are enjoined (26:4-5), and those with obvious exceptions; e.g. we know of poor people who ungraciously badmouth prospective help (18:23). “If true, it would be a violation of free will ” some cry. Considering the number of those who claim to be exceptions, perhaps the general statement should be opposite, “Train up a child in the way he should go and he will depart from it as soon as he gets away from home.”

What “Way” Do We Teach?

Rather than make excuses, parents ought to examine their lives to see if their actions undermine their verbal teaching. A lesson on honesty falls flat when the child remembers the story Dad told the state trooper to avoid a ticket. Soon the child learns the real lesson being taught-morals are useful words and make good conversation, but they are an impractical way to live.

Does your child hate church? Does he boast, “When I am on my own, I won’t go?” Perhaps this attitude extends the complaints he has heard every time the preacher went overtime, reflects the excuses Dad made when called on for service, stems from the greater interest Mom shows in pleasing the baby in front of her than in pleasing God in worship, recalls the number of Dad’s naps followed by a hearty, “Good sermon today” to the preacher.

If he thinks all Christians are hypocrites, it results in part from the numerous cuts and slurs he heard from the back seat. The bulk of the evidence rides in the front seat.

Inevitably, the child leaves and the parents ask, “Where did we go wrong?” or declare, “We raised him better.” When approached, the now grown child replies that Mom and Dad made him go to church, that he does not have to go anymore, and therefore will not.

Obviously, no amount of verbal teaching can ever overcome the training given by the parents’ example, If a boy or girl from a family like this is saved, it will be by the influence of someone else and in spite of his parents’ “training.”

Trained in the Way

Proper raising combines teaching with training by example. My parents set high standards to live by so they could show us the way. Though too young to read, I was instructed, “Sit up and listen to the sermon; you may not understand now, but will remember it when you are older.” It is amazing how much I do remember; of course, the main lesson was reverence. That my parents listened, I had no doubt because they dissected the sermons on the way home to bring pieces down to our level. Their major complaint was (and still is) “too much story telling and not enough Bible.” Dad was available for service and often drove distances to help when a small church had only one man. Attendance was automatic which upset non-christian families when we would not go “to church” with them or skip services for get-togethers.

I rebelled for a time, but patterns carved so deep, seed so carefully sown and tended does not die.

An Attitude That Profits

The only way to treat the proverb is as if it were absolute. With prayer and trembling care, train your children up in the Lord’s way. The parallel with grace is strong. Every Christian must obey the New Testament strictly as if works do save; then in trusting faith depend on God’s grace. The parent must treat the proverb as absolute in the way he approaches child training. If the child departs, he ought to feel that somewhere he failed instead of justifying himself as an exception to the rule and with much soul-searching and prayer, wait on God’s judgment and grace.

Truth Magazine XX: 49, p. 780
December 9, 1976

By Irvin Himmel

In ancient times soldiers fought with swords. The sword was but a tool in the hand of the warrior. The action performed through the agency of the sword was credited to the soldier. God’s word is the Spirit’s sword. Paul instructed Christians to take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17). Some want to lay down the sword and have the Spirit fight for them in a supernatural way. This is not God’s plan.

In Eph. 5:18, 19, we are instructed to be “filled with the Spirit,” speaking to ourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. The parallel passage, Col. 3:16, says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly . . . teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs . . . ” Considering these two passages together, we conclude that to be “filled with the Spirit” necessitates letting Christ’s word “dwell” in us. Some people suppose they can be filled with the Spirit apart from the word. This is not God’s plan.

Many preachers teach that there must be a direct operation of the Spirit on the heart before one can be converted. In the Bible, in every case of conversion, the word of the gospel was preached as the means of bringing the sinner to God. This leads to the conclusion that the Spirit operates through the word to convert the lost.

The word was revealed by the Spirit and is the Spirit’s instrument for converting the lost, leading the children of God, producing the fruit of the Spirit, and filling our hearts. Denominationalism makes the Spirit’s work mystical, inexplicable, and irresistible. Whatever the word of God discloses about the Spirit’s workingwe should accept, but let no operation be chargedto the Spirit unless the word teaches it. All we can know about the Spirit and His functioning is what we learn through the word.

Truth Magazine XX: 49, p. 779
December 9, 1976

By Ron Halbrook

For the truth’s sake, members of churches of Christ must respect what God revealed about the organization of the local church. Either there is a pattern revealed in the Bible for local church organization and function, or there is none. If there is no pattern, then no organizational arrangement under the sun could violate the pattern! Everything from intercongregational “steering committees” to full-grown missionary societies to diocesan bishoprics to denominational conventions to the papal system itself would be scriptural! In fact, that is the very viewpoint widely advocated today. Where there is no law, there is no sin.

But there is a pattern for the organization of the church. Where is it found? In the New Testament. The Scripture completely furnishes us unto “all good works.” The things written were meant to be kept “always in remembrance,” even after the apostolic men died. These things were to be committed to faithful men, “who shall be able to teach others also.” Yes, the New Testament Pattern for the Church is binding for all ages-and we are not too “smart” today to be exempted from that pattern. “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught” in God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:15; 2 Tim. 2:2; 2 Thess. 2:15).

In the New Testament days, as soon as there were qualified men, there were to be “elders in every church.” Acts 20:17 and 28 show that “elders” are the same as “overseers” (same word as bishop), and they are to “feed” or tend or pastorize (function as a pastor or shepherd) the flock. The qualifications for elders are specified in Scripture, and there was never one pastor or elder or presbyter over one church but always a plurality over each church. The local eldership had a tremendous responsibility, but that work was limited to overseeing the local church. There were no outside organizations latched on to the church, nor sub-organizations within the local church, nor did the eldership of one church ever oversee the work (or any part of the work) of other churches (Acts 14:23; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2; Phil, 1:1).

In the early 1800’s, there was a return to the simple New Testament pattern. This effort to restore the Gospel and the Church to their original purity was called “The Restoration Movement.” But in 1849, representatives from many churches came together to form the American Christian Missionary Society-thus creating an inter-congregational organization outside the local church. That led to a great falling away from the Bible pattern for the work, worship, and organization of the church; the Christian Churches and the Disciples of -Christ denominations resulted. Many churches of Christ are headed down the same road of apostasy today. The present Nashville “Let Freedom Ring” Campaign is just one sign of apostasy. It is directed by an inter-congregational “steering committee” made up of representatives of many churches, latched on to the Radnor church of Nashville, but capable of “pulling up stakes” and latching on to another church or just existing independently.

Remember, brethren: Either there is a Bible pattern, or there is not. Which is it? Look before you leap!

Truth Magazine XX: 49, pp. 778-779
December 9, 1976