Truth Magazine

 

Editor’s Note:

One of the great minds of the Restoration Movement was Alexander Campbell. Much has been written about him, possibly because so much was written by him. Robert Richardson, the author of the definitive autobiography of Campbell, recorded the following “Rules” saying that the `following qualifications,” were ” . . , necessary to attain excellence in the composing and pronouncing of sermons:’ ‘ Since these works are so hard to obtain, we reproduce these rules here for your reading.

” `1. The preacher must be a man of piety, and one who has the instruction and salvation of mankind sincerely at heart.

” `2. A man of modest and simple manners, and in his public performances and general behavior must conduct himself so as to make his people sensible that he has their temporal and eternal welfare more at heart than anything else.

” ‘3. He must be well instructed in morality and religion, and in the original tongues in which the Scriptures are written, for without them he can hardly be qualified to explain Scripture or teach religion and morality.

” ‘4. He must be such a proficient in his own language, as to be able to express every doctrine and precept with the utmost simplicity, and without anything in his diction either finical on the one hand or vulgar on the other.

” `5. A sermon should be composed with regularity and unity of design, so that all its parts may have a mutual and natural connection, and it should not consist of many heads, neither should it be very long.

” `6. A sermon ought to be pronounced with gravity, modesty and meekness, and so as to be distinctly heard by all the audience.

” `Let the preacher, therefore, accustom himself to articulate slowly and deliver the words with a distinct voice, and without artificial attitudes or motions or any other affectation.’ “

(Robert Richardson, Memoirs of Alexander Campbell. (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippingcott and Co.) Vol. I, p. 138.)

Truth Magazine XIX: 50, p. 786
October 30, 1975

By James W. Adams

In Southwest Texas where I was reared, they is a species of cactus known by the Mexicans as “tasajilla.” (I cannot vouch for the spelling.) It is made up of long jointed stems having extremely long thorns with wicked points. In that section there are also many rattlesnakes, enemies of man and beast, some attaining a length of six or seven feet. This venomous reptile is, however plagued by enemies. One of these is a long-legged bird known popularly as a “Road-runner” and by the Mexicans as a “Paisano.” It is commonly seen running across and along the highways of Southwest Texas. It has long black legs and beak and is mottled gray and black in color. Many rattlesnakes are executed by this innocuous looking creature.

The execution takes place in the following fashion: The bird will find the snake asleep; he will carefully gather a supply of the little spine-like joints of the “tasajilla” bush and with them build a fence or corral around the sleeping snake; having finished the fence, the bird will then fly at the snake and scream at in a high-pitched tone characteristic of the “Road-runner;” the snake will awaken and try to crawl away, but the spines of the “tasajilla” fence will prick his belly and he will draw back; the “Road-runner” will continue to fly at the snake and draw back quickly all the while uttering its shrill cry; the snake will strike and miss and be rewarded for its effort by pricking its tender underside on the “tasajilla;” finally, the snake will become so enraged and frustrated that he will bite himself and be destroyed by his own venom.

As in much of nature, there is a lesson for man in this circumstance. All of us, even Christians, are two-fold beings-body and spirit, animal man and spiritual man, carnal mind and spiritual mind. The animal nature of man, prompted by lust and passion when not controlled, is filled with deadly venom much as the rattlesnake. The Devil and his emissaries are well aware of this fact, hence constantly seek to arouse in the Christian this sleeping, deadly beast. Worldly men and false brethren are often tools of Satan in his efforts to destroy God’s children. Finding they cannot seduce God’s people otherwise, they will resort to persecution, innuendo, defamation of character, and misrepresentation of many species in an effort to stir up the Christian’s animal passion and cause him in fighting back to destroy himself with his own poison.

Christians must oppose evil and false doctrine within and without the church, but let us take care! The Devil and his emissaries are not limited as to weapons, but the Christian must not employ “carnal weapons” (2 Cor. 10:4) in his warfare. Let us not in anger and frustration generated by this fact destroy ourselves. Let us humbly and meekly bear the onslaughts of the wicked employing only truth as our weapon in withstanding his attack. Bitterness, hate, evil-speaking, innuendo, misrepresentation are the “carnal weapons” of the evil one. Faith, truth, loyalty, purity, and works of faith are the armaments of Christians. With these God can and will give us the victory!

Truth Magazine XIX: 49, pp. 781-782
October 23, 1975

By Irvin Himmel

In the days of the Judges, God allowed the Israelites to be oppressed by the Midianites for seven years. This affliction brought God’s people to their knees in repentance. A deliverer was chosen by the Lord to lead Israel against Midian. The chosen leader was named Gideon.

With 32,000 men, Gideon made preparations to wage war against the Midianites. God told him he had too many men. Large numbers mean nothing as God appraises things. Israel would have been lifted up with pride if the victory had been gained through the use of such a sizeable force. God told Gideon to let all who were fearful and afraid go home. That culled out 22,000!

The remaining force of 10,000 was still too large. God told Gideon to bring his men down to the water and put them to the test. All who bowed down upon their knees to drink were to be sent away. Gideon was told to retain the men who put their hand to the mouth, lapping the water from the hand with the tongue. The water test eliminated all of Gideon’s army except 3000.

Gideon took the 300 men who remained and divided them into three companies. Each man was told to take a trumpet and a pitcher with a torch inside it. In the middle of the night Gideon’s men quietly came close to the Midianite encampment and completely surrounded it. The torches were concealed inside the earthenware pitchers. When Gideon gave the signal, suddenly every man was to blow his trumpet then break his pitcher and hold his torch high, crying out, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.” The unexpected noise and commotion coming from all sides of the Midianite camp awakened the enemy, and in whatever direction he looked, torches were burning and men were shouting. Panic followed! The Midianites began slaying each other. Through this strategy and with God’s help, Israel was delivered from the oppressor.

How important it was that Gideon’s 300 men follow instructions. They had to move quickly and silently for the plan to work. The Bible says, “And they stood every man in his place round about the camp . . .” (Judges 7:21). If one man had dropped his pitcher and broken it before everybody was in position, the scheme would have failed because the enemy would have been alerted. Every man had to know his position, be in his place and ready to act according to the directions previously received, and stay in his place until Gideon was ready for his men to move against the confused Midianites.

This thrilling chapter of Old Testament history offers a timely lesson. Today, we need to find our place and stand in it. There is a work for which all are suited, but not everyone is capable of doing the same job. Sometimes a person is a good worker, honest, conscientious, dependable, and eager to do his best, but he may never be well-suited for the particular task he is undertaking. Problems often arise in business relationships because someone is out of place. Our ambitions sometimes surpass our abilities. Happy is the person who knows both his powers and his limitations, and who wisely finds the kind of work for which he is best equipped.

A good preacher may not do his best work in every field. Some good preachers are misfits in certain localities. It is fortunate when a preacher finds the kind of place for which he is best suited.

In the church of the living God, everyone needs to recognize his proper place and stay in that place.

Elders need to stay in their place. The overseers of a congregation are not dictators. Their place is not to make laws. Jesus Christ is the lawgiver. Elders are shepherds, but they are under Christ who is the Chief Shepherd. The oversight of an eldership is limited to the flock over which they are given the charge. Elders have no place meddling in the private business or personal affairs of the members of the congregation.

Deacons need to stay in their place. Deacons are qualified servants, not overseers of the church. In some congregations there is not a particle of difference between what the elders do and what the deacons do. While elders and deacons should work together closely, the differences in their qualifications and functions should not be ignored.

Preachers need to stay in their place. It is disgusting to me that some preachers seem to feel that they should oversee the flock. Although we cry out against the denominational “pastor system,” it is just possible that some of us accept it in effect. Preachers are to preach and teach, not set themselves over the elders, nor act as if having pontifical authority. This is not to say that a man could not be both a preacher and an elder if qualified and if chosen to be an elder, but I am saying that being a preacher does not entitle a man to usurp the eldership.

Women need. to stay in their place. The Bible puts limitations on women as to their work in the Lord. A woman is not to exercise dominion over the man (1 Tim. 2:12). Women are not authorized to be public proclaimers of the gospel. They cannot be elders in the church. Woman has a noble and glorious work in God’s kingdom, but she must stand in her place.

May we all study to find our place and recognize the importance of staying in our place. We find true happiness ourselves and we contribute to the joy of others by standing in our place.

Truth Magazine XIX: 49, p. 780
October 23, 1975

By Keith Sharp

The July 4, 1973 Houston Post carried the following quotation of Milton G. Henschel, “a top official” of the Jehovah’s Witnesses: “The exact number who will make it to heaven is 144,000 . . . Revelation 14, one in four, gives the exact figure . . . .” Does Revelation 14:1-4 teach that exactly 144,000 people “will make it to heaven?” The Watch Tower Society, the ruling body of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, has a peculiar habit of making figurative and symbolic things literal and literal things figurative in order to pervert a passage to suit their own purposes. For example, in Revelation 7:1-8 the 144,000 are depicted as being chosen from the twelve tribes of Israel-Hebrews to the man. The tribes are even named. “But,” we are told, “this is figurative.” In Revelation 14:4 the 144,000 are described as virgin men. Again we are told this is figurative. The blessed ones of Revelation 20:4, whom our Jehovah’s Witnesses friends claim are the 144,000, are identified as “the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus . . . .” You guessed it-figurative again! If every description of the 144,000-Jewish, virgin men, beheaded for Christ-is figurative, by what rule of scripture, logic or sanity is the 144,000 itself regarded as literal? Indeed, the legs of the lame are unequal! All in Christ have only one hope (Ephesians 4:4), for a home in Heaven (2 Timothv 2:10; 1 Peter 1:3-9; Hebrews 11:16).

Truth Magazine XIX: 49, p. 779
October 23, 1975