Truth Magazine

By Cecil Willis

There are many different religious organizations in existence in our country this day. A multitude of differences: separate and divide these religious groups. Yet they have one thing in common. They each have a creed. The English word “creed” comes from the Latin “credo,” which means “I believe.” Strictly speaking a creed would only be what one believes. The dictionary defines “creed” as being “a brief, authoritative formula of religious belief.” The church of Christ has a creed, but it is very unlike the creeds of denominationalism. Our creed, that which we believe, is the New Testament. We have no other creed. But almost without exception, religious organizations founded by men have a man-written creed.

During the time that I have been preaching I have continually run into this difficulty: Most of the people in denominational churches are not even aware of the fact that their church has a man-made creed. Yet, their creed, is, as the dictionary says, “a brief, authoritative formula of religious belief.” It is considered to be authoritative in the different churches. Different churches call their creed by ,different names. Some will speak of a “Discipline,” some of their “Confession of Faith,” others will speak of their “Rule of Faith and Practice,” some have a “Manual.” But just about every denominational church that I have encountered has a man-made creed of some kind. If you are a member of a denominational church, let me suggest that you obtain a copy of the creed of your church. I have copies of the “Creeds” of most of the more prominent churches. You will be surprised to find some of the things taught in your creed.

In order to be admitted to many denominational churches, one has first to confess allegiance to the creed. He has to promise to abide by the decrees of the creed writing council. Remember these creeds purport to be an authoritative statement of religious faith for that particular denomination. If you do not believe what is authoritatively stated in your creed book, the church to which the creed belongs is no proper place for you. But even more than that, if the church to Which you belong has a man-made creed, you are not in the right church. The church of the Lord has a divinely written creed-book, the New Testament. Churches of Christ do not have man-made creeds.

Objections

There are certain very weighty objections that are to be made against the practice of creed-making. These objections are applicable to any specific creed written by man. First, let us point out that “it is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps” (Jer. 10:23). Had man been able to write ‘ his own creed book, there would have been no need for God to reveal His revelation. Solomon gave us a very timely warning on this point when he said, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; But the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12). Isaiah, the prophet, reiterates this same truth in this language. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8, 9). The best that you can say about your creed is that it is written by the best men in your church. But observe the difference. Your creed is written by men; that which I believe, my creed, is written by God, through inspired writers. Regardless of how good men may be, they yet are unable to improve upon what God has already said to us. The apostle Paul points out the futility of trusting in men in 1 Cor. 1. “For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the discernment of the discerning will I bring to nought. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made the foolish the wisdom of the world? For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe . . . . Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (I Cor. 1: 18-21,25). That which is often mere foollishness in the sight of men is great wisdom with God. And that which is often wisdom in the views of men is mere foolishness with God. A group of men which the world deems to be wise may write a creed that “seems right unto man,” but the ends thereof are the ways of death. The best you can say of these creeds is that they contain the combined wisdom of a group of fallible men. And this is not enough to guide you from earth to heaven.

A second reason why men should not be engaged in the nefarious business of creed writing is because it impeaches the wisdom of God. Why do men need to write a creed? Is it because God did not do good enough a job when He wrote the New Testament? Did He omit things that the creed writing committee can prove should have been inserted into His revelation? Every time a meeting is held with the intention of writing a creed for a group professing to be followers of Christ, God is slurred. Was God not wise enough to give us an adequate revelation?

And if one does not impeach the wisdom of God, but should still insist that a conclave of men needs to write a creed by which they shall be guided in their religious life, if God’s wisdom is not impeached, His goodness must be. If God could give us an adequate revelation, and did not, why did He not? Was it because He was not good enough? Did He purposely clothe His revelation in such ambiguous language that it remained for the creed-maker to make plain for the first time what God meant?

The practice of writing creeds censures the revelation of the Spirit. It says that the Bible is inadequate. There were not such creeds in the New Testament era. There were no “Church Manuals,” or “Disciplines,” or “Confessions of Faith” in the New Testament period. None of these creed books is older than the denomination for which it speaks authoritatively. And none of these denominations can be traced back more than a very few hundred years. How did the New Testament Church get along without these creeds? The simple truth is that they got along quite well with the revelation of the Spirit, which is recorded in the New Testament. It contains all that you could ever want or need. Human creeds slander the Bible by insinuating that it is inadequate.

But if the New Testament makes anything plain, it is that it is all-sufficient. To say that the New Testament is all sufficient is to say that it is equal to the end proposed. Now it is true that the New Testament does not tell one how to operate a man-made church, for it was never proposed for that purpose. It was intended to tell one how to enter, and live in the Lord’s church in such a way as to go to heaven when he dies. Paul says, “Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16, 17). The Bible is complete or perfect. It does not need supplementation from any group of ‘men. It is God’s revelation just as God gave it, and man hid better leave it like it is. Peter said, “Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue” (2 Pet. 1:3). The Bible grants you all things that pertain to life and godliness. My friends, if I know my heart like I think I do, that is all that I am interested in. The message in the Scriptures is adequate to save you. What more do you need? What more do you want? James says, “Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (Jas. 1:21). If God’s word does what it says it does, then the creeds of men are not needed. If the Scriptures are adequate for your salvation, what more could a creed writing committee give you? Yet every denominational church has undertaken to write its own creed.

Another objection to the creeds of men is this: if they should contain more or less than the Bible, they are to be rejected, and if they contain only the Bible, they are unnecessary. If I were to ask a member of a denominational church which creed I should accept, I am sure he would tell me to accept the one that is nearest like the Bible. The Bible tells us “if any man shall add unto them (prophecies of this book), God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part, from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book” (Rev. 22:18, 19). One must neither add to nor take from the words of the Bible. If a creed contains more than the Bible, it contains too much, and is therefore to be rejected. But if a creed contains less than the Bible, it contains too little, and therefore must be rejected. But suppose a group of men were able to construct a creed that contains no more or no less than the Bible, what would be its additional value? It would be unnecessary. If it says only what the Bible says, why not accept the inspired word of God rather than the product of men? You see, there is no reason that can be given that is sufficient to justify the efforts of the creed-makers. Every creed must claim to be either less evil than the Bible, or must admit that it is more evil than the Bible. Of course, either of these alternatives is derogatory of the Bible. But if the creed is the same as the Bible. it is unnecessary.

Arguments Used To Defend Creeds

While there really has never been a valid reason given for the writing of creeds, there have been several attempts made to justify the writing of them. Probably the most frequently stated reason for the writing of creeds is that they are plainer than the Bible. They can reduce to fewer statements the word of God. However, one can have much more difficulty understanding what the creeds say than understanding what the Bible says. And they are not as simple as these men would have us believe. For example, not long ago I saw a book advertisement concerning a ten volume series of books by Herman Hoeksema that had just been completed on the Heidelberg Catechism, the Reform ed Confession of 1563. To assert that the creeds written by men are plainer than the Bible inspired of God, is to cast reflection either upon the power or the goodness of God. The Bible claims that it is a book that can be understood by men. Either it is, or it makes 4 false claim. John says “If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself” (Jno. 7:17).

The second reason given for the writing of creeds is an absurdity. We are told that the creeds are necessary to unity. I wonder if the New Testament church never had any unity before the writing of the creeds. In fact, my friends, I know of nothing that has caused more division than the creeds and councils of men. If we can never achieve unity until creeds are written, the New Testament is defective. We now have, perhaps, a few hundred creeds and catechisms in existence, and we are yet a long way from having unity. Actually, every new creed gives birth to a new religious sect. And this seems to be a pretty poor way to create unity. In John 17, we find a record of one of our Lord’s prayers. In it he was praying for the disciples. He says, “Neither for these (apostles) only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word; that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me” (Jno. 17:20). The unity of the disciples depends upon the words of the apostles, not upon the dictates of the creed-writers.

Conclusion

The church of Christ is of divine, not human origin. There was no man that started it; Christ was its builder. It is not of recent origin; one has to go back to 33 A. D. to find its beginning. It was started on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Being divine in its beginning, it likewise has a divine charter. Its rule of faith and practice was not drawn up by a group of uninspired wise men. Rather, its guide-book, the Bible, was written by men inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. They spoke not from themselves, but spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21), not in words which man’s wisdom taught, but which the Spirit taught, combining spiritual thoughts with the Spirit-given words. (I Cor. 2:13). This is our only creed. And any deviation from it must be protested and halted. We must speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent.

Truth Magazine, XVIII:34, p. 3-5
June 27, 1974

By Bob Buchanon

Can you remember the first night you spent away from home? Do you remember tossing and turning in bed for a couple of hours and then complaining, AI think I have a tummy-ache. I want to go home.” That is a feeling most of us are familiar with. It is what we call “homesickness.” Many people who ought to have a spiritual homesickness do not. Too many Christians look at this earth as their “home” and have not developed a homesickness for heaven.

The Scriptures teach of this world and the relation that the Christian is to have to it. We must develop the proper attitude which says, I will live in this world, but not be of this world” (John 17:14-16). One’s soul is more precious than the whole world (Mark 8:36-37). It will either conquer the world or will be conquered by it! Paul told us not to be conformed to this world (Romans 12:1-2). We can never serve this world and look at it as “home” and be with God in the eternal world to come.

Most people would like to think that heaven will be their home after death. The subject of heaven is a very pleasant one to most readers, but we would like to postpone our “homecoming” just as long as possible. People have spent many hard hours and much money in building their houses, buying cars, beautiful clothes, etc. There is too much here that we hold dear for us to be willing to leave at this time. The fleeting joys of this world seem to entice more people than the eternal security in the presence of God. This is why many Christians find service and faithful obedience so difficult. They just are not homesick enough to sacrifice self and the present for eternity with God in heaven.

Jesus promised us that “home” with God will be much better than our “home” on this earth. He said, “Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3). Our life on this earth is so filled with problems and cares that it is hard for us to think of a home where God “shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. . . ” (Rev. 21:4).

Abraham was a perfect example of one that lived by faith. He lived as an alien in the land of promise, not because he disliked Ur of Chaldees or loved Canaan, but because he was homesick, “. . he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11: 10). For true believers, to live by faith is to die in faith. The life of faith is a pilgrimage (see Hebrews 11: 13). Heaven is the only home of faithful believers. It is the better country to which those who live by faith are fully committed (Hebrews 11:16).

Paul told the Christians at Philippi that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20). At one time in his life Paul would have said, “I am willing to go, but I want to stay.” Now he says, “I want to go, but I am willing to stay.” He knew that “to live is Christ” but “to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21).,Paul told Timothy that “. . the time of my departure is come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6-8). He was telling the young preacher that he was ready to die, but not because he was tired of life; he was just homesick.

About the year A.D. 125 a Greek by the. name of Aristeides was writing to one of his friends about the new religion, Christianity. He was trying to explain the reasons for its extraordinary success. Here is a sentence from one of his letters: “If any righteous man among the Christians passes from this world, they rejoice and offer thanks to God, and they escort his body with songs and thanksgiving as if he were setting out from one place to another nearby.” What a beautiful description of faith in immortality~that a man sets out from one place to another nearby! He is going home! Is it any wonder that a religion like that swept paganism? Those who are gone before are not lost, not separated from us permanently; they are only waiting in another place nearby for us to join them. To the Christians it is going to be a wonderful homecoming. Are you homesick for heaven? Enough that you are working and serving God now so that you can draw as close to heaven in this life as possible? Perhaps it depends on where your “home” is.

Truth Magazine, XVIII:34: p. 2
June 27, 1974

By Johnny Stringer

There are those who maintain that the expression “doctrine of Christ” in 2 John 9 does not mean Christ’s doctrine. They affirm that it means doctrine about Christ. They say that from the standpoint of grammar, the expression could mean either Christ’s doctrine or doctrine about Christ, but contend that the context proves that when John used the expression he meant doctrine about Christ.

It is my conviction, however, that the context does not support their conclusion., I believe that the context indicates that when John used the expression “doctrine of Christ,” he meant Christ’s teaching. It is Christ’s teaching that John stressed from the beginning of the letter.

Note the emphasis placed on truth (Christ’s teaching) in verses 1-2. Then in verse 4 John expressed his joy that the elect lady’s children were “walking in truth” (abiding in Christ’s teaching). Again in verse 6 John stressed the importance of walking after His commandments. Thus, the point that was uppermost in John’s mind when he penned this letter was walking in truth (abiding in Christ’s teaching).

Those who maintain that the expression “doctrine of Christ” in verse 9 means doctrine about Christ point to verse 7. They observe that according to verse 7 the particular error John had in mind was that of the deceivers who denied that Christ had come in the flesh. This error John mentioned in verse 7 was erroneous teaching about Christ; thus, it is concluded that John must have meant doctrine about Christ in verse 9, referring only to the one specific error named in verse 7.

It is true that the error that was a particular threat when John wrote was the error mentioned in verse 7. However, the teaching of this particular error was but one specific instance of not abiding in truth. The general principle of abiding in Christ’s teaching is that which John stressed throughout the letter, and verse 7 simply mentions one particular violation of that principle.

Truth Magazine, XVIII:33, p. 13
June 20, 1974

By Denny A. Diehl

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a series of five articles to he carried on instrumental music in worship. These articles were written by five young men, all of whom were students at Florida College last year. The next article in this series is scheduled to appear in the July 11th issue, since next week’s issue will he a special issue prepared by request, and there will be no July 4th issue.)

It will be my purpose in writing this paper to clearly demonstrate. our need to listen to the silence of the Scriptures in our worship to God today, i.e., that we should adhere to the words given to us through the Scriptures and cast out anything not found to be in accordance with God’s word. In regard to instrumental music, it will not be my purpose to show that the use of the musical instrument in worship to God is not to be found in the New Testament Scriptures, but that should it be the case that it is not found therein, that it would be sinful and against God’s will to use it in worship to Him.

Jehovah said to Moses, “I will raise up a prophet from among your countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him” (Deut 18:18,19). God said that, He was going to send His prophets to His people to speak to the people God’s words, all of them. This prophecy is quoted in Acts 3:22,23 as having its ultimate fulfillment in the Messiah. The Christ was sent from God not to do His own will, but to do the will of God the Father. All the words which Jesus spoke were given to Him by God, for He spoke not on His own accord, but only what the Father had showed Him. “And it shall be that every soul that does not heed that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people” (Acts 3-23). So, if we do not hearken to this Prophet, Christ, we shall be cast out of the realm of God’s people. We are to give heed to all His words.

Not only did Peter claim that Jesus was the Prophet to whom we should give heed, but God the Father also made this, very clear when on the mount of the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus in a glorified state. When Peter saw this he said, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Matt 17:4). God heard this statement made by Peter and stopped things short. God told them, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I as well pleased; hear Him!” (Matt 17:5). This statement should be very plain as to the meaning of what just took place. Moses was God’s lawgiver and Elijah was representative of God’s prophets.’They were the ones whom the people were to look to for direction of God’s desires, but now that God has sent His Son, we are no longer to listen to the Law and the Prophets, but we are to listen to Jesus for our direction in how to please God and to do His will. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews sums it up nicely when he says, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken, to us in Ris Son” (Heb 1: 1,2). So, if we are looking for our source of authority in religion today, it does not come by the Old Testament (Moses and the prophets) but by Jesus Christ; whatever He says we are to do. Jesus Himself claimed that,”all authority had been given to Him in heaven and on earth” (Matt 28:18).

Jesus, having received all authority from the Father, had the right to commission men to carry out His divine mission of making known unto the people the will of God, which Christ was sent to the earth to do. This is seen in the book of Matthew when Jesus told the apostles, “whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Matt 18:18). The apostles had right and obligation to bind or loose all things that had been already bound or loosed in heaven. This they were to do through the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, after leaving the earth, sent the Holy Spirit who taught the apostles all things and brought back to their remembrance”everything that Jesus had told them (Jn. 14:26). So the apostles were to be the representatives of Christ here on earth, with the Holy Spirit to guide them in everything that they taught, and even gave them the words in which to teach the truth 0 Cor. 2:13). If a person is to reject the teaching of the apostles, he rejects Christ, and if he rejects Christ, then he rejects God (Lk. 10:16). Suffice it to say that we have for our authority in religion today the writings of the New Testament.

Let us go back to Deuteronomy 18:18,19. God said that He would raise up a prophet like Moses to guide the people, because God would put His words in the prophets mouth, and the prophet would speak all those words to the people. God had commissioned Moses to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt. God, through Moses, gave to Israel His law for them to keep. Moses was careful to tell the people that they were to keep the law of God. He explains this explicitly by telling them, “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you”(Deut. 4:2). And again, “Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it” (Deut. 12:32). The principle involved here is that God entrusted His will to the Israelites who were to keep His will; but the only way they could keep His will would be to do exactly as He said. Now if they were to take away from His word, they would not be doing enough, or if they added to His word, they would be doing too much, and, therefore, would not be doing His will, but man’s will, since Moses spoke all of God’s words to the people. This principle was true then and will always be true as long as it is God’s word under consideration.

In like manner, in the New Testament dispensation, we have Christ speaking to us all the words of God. Since we have all of God’s words, then we are not deficient in any way of having what God would have us to know. Let us hear the New Testament on this matter. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). We have Christ’s promise that His words shall endure forever. If that is the case, then today we have everything that God ever intended for us to have. We have all the words of God in the Scriptures. Paul states that “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16,17). Through the Scriptures, we have everything, all things, that we need for every good work. If that is the case, then there is not any good work as pertains to religion that is not found in the Scriptures. The same principle holds true in the New. Testament as it did in the Old Testament; that is, if we are going to do God’s will, we can not add to it, nor take away from the words which He has spoken to us.

From I Pet. 4:11, we see the idea behind the authority of the silence of the Scriptures, as it says “Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God.” Since we have all of God’s words, then the only way a person should speak religiously is according to the New Testament. Anything spoken religiously that is not in the New Testament would not be according to “the utterances of God,” hence, we see that we need to be silent where the New Testament is silent. This is one of the biggest problems in religion today. People do not give heed to the silence that God has placed in the Scriptures. Let us develo”p this argument more fully.

In the book of Hebrews we find the writer telling of Jesus being a priest after the order of Melchizedek, but not being a priest according to the Old Testament standard. Why couldn’t Jesus be a priest under the old law? Because the old law stated that the priests were to come from the tribe of Levi, even though the law had not said that a priest could not come from the tribe of Judah. “For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests” (Heb. 7:14). Moses had not spoken concerning this, therefore, a person from a tribe other than Levi could not officiate at the altar. Moses was silent on the subject, therefore, it was not sanctioned.

Let us examine an Old Testament example to see if they were restrained to that which was spoken in the Old Testament. “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them” (Lev. 10: 1). God had given the source from whence the fire was to come, Lev. 16:12, but He had not condemned any other source of fire. Was God pleased with these- two men who took it upon themselves to offer to God something that He had not commanded? Not in the least! “And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord” (Lev. 10:2). Why did God require the lives of Nadab and Abihu? They were worshiping the true and living God; by all evidence in the Scriptures, they were worshiping sincerely; they were burning incense unto the Lord as the Lord God had commanded them; so why was God displeased with these two men? It was because they had not used the fire that God had commanded them. They took it upon themselves to get fire from some other source which the Lord had said nothing about. They had disobeyed God by offering something that He had not commanded them, even a little thing like the fire for which to burn incense.

Even though God had not expressly forbade, any other source of fire, Nadab and Abihu sinned and God required their lives for it. We will find the reason for God’s action farther down in the same chapter in verse 10, “and so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean.” Nadab and Abihu had substituted the profane for the holy and the unclean for the clean; they had substituted that which was not, commanded for that which was commanded; in short and simple words, they had not respected the silence of God’s Scriptures.

It will do us well to keep this example fresh in our minds when we get the urge to introduce or substitute anything into the worship service of our Lord God, for “these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction” (I Cor. 10:11). For us to introduce or substitute into the church of our Lord any such thing that has not been commanded by God to worship Him, would he for us to parallel our actions with Nadab and Abihu. But let us hear what the New Testament has to say on the subject of worship to God.

Throughout the ministry of Jesus, He repeatedly exposed the efforts of the Pharisees and the scribes to make the people walk in line with their own commandments and traditions instead of God’s commandments. “And He said to them, ‘Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, this people honors Me with their lips but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” (Mk. 7:6,7). By teaching the precepts of men, they had made void their worship unto God. They were not adhering to the silence of the Scriptures. Where the Scriptures were silent, the Pharisees and scribes had not felt restrained in putting in their own wants and desires. Jesus said that this deemed their worship vain.

It is quite evident from the next passage that not everyone who believes himself to be a Christian shall inherit sonship with Jesus Christ and enter heaven in the last day. “Not every one who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father, who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles.= And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness=@ (Matt. 7:21-23). People who want to follow Christ should guard against self-deception. Sometimes there are those who want something in religion so bad that they overlook what the Bible has to say on a subject. They believe that it has to be right because it makes them feel good or because they want it so much. How could this be wrong? Jesus tells us of disciples who were working in His name, but when it came time for judgment day, Jesus had to say to them that He never knew them and that they were to depart from His presence. Why? Because they were workers of lawlessness! The Greek word translated ‘lawlessness’ is anomia. Thayer renders the meaning of this word as, “l. the condition of one without law, either because ignorant of it, or because violating it. 2. contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness.” So the reason they were not given admission into heaven was because they acted without law, they were not letting themselves be regulated by the law. Jesus has given us His law in the Scriptures. If we refuse to let ourselves be limited by this law, then we are the very same people whom Jesus said were going to be cast out of the kingdom of heaven. “Since this is true, many who claim to be his servants and doing wonders in his name will be driven from the presence of God for doing what they imagine good service to him. We can not be too cautious in doing his commandments and in rejecting from his service everything not commanded by him.2

We shall cite one more author of the Holy Writ and then draw a conclusion from the sources herein presented. In his second epistle, John exhorts his readers to walk in truth. To walk in truth would be to walk according to that which is in the gospel of truth, nothing added and nothing lacking. This can be done because we have all the words that God has chosen to give us. We should not add to nor take away from the word (Deut. 4:2), so that we may walk according to truth. The apostle John gave strict warning to those who would not limit themselves to the words given to us by God. “Any one who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son” (2 Jn. 9). To walk, according to truth would grant us fellowship with both the Father and the Son, but he that “goes ahead” (RSV), “runs too far ahead” (NEB), or “goes beyond” (REV) that which was given us does not abide in the teaching (the words given to us by God), and therefore, does not have fellowship with God. From this Scripture, it is evident that we must give heed to the silence of the Scriptures to be pleasing to God; for if we do not, we do not have God.

In this paper, I have tried to show that we must regard the Scriptures as completely authoritative in everything we do in the name of Jesus. To be pleasing to God, we must observe His commandments and obey them; but we must be careful to cast out, reject, everything that is not to be found in the Holy Scriptures when we are trying to adhere to God’s commands. It is my sincere desire that “whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God … so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Pet. 4: 11). Dear brethren, allow God to be glorified and not man; allow the Scriptures to speak and man be silent. Moses E. Lard has well stated his view of anyone who would consent in any way to not limit himself to the doctrine of Christ, in that, “as a people we have from the first and continually to the present proclaimed that the New Testament and that alone is our only full and perfect rule of faith and practice. We have declared a thousand times and more that whatever it (the Bible) does not teach we must not hold, and whatever it does not sanction we must not practice. He who ignores or repudiates these principles … has by this become an apostate from our ranks; and the sooner he … goes out from amongst us the better, yes, verily, the better for us.”3

Footnotes

1. Joseph H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon (Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors Inc., (n.d.) ) 48.

2. H. Leo Boles, A Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1936), 183.

3. Moses E. Lard, “Instrumental Music in Churches and Dancing,” Lard’s Quarterly (Rosemead: The Old Paths Book Club, 1952),1,330-331.

Bibliography

Bales, James D. Instrumental Music and New Testament Worship. Searcy: James D. Bales, 1973.

Boles, H. Leo. A Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew. Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1936.

Girardeau, John L. Instrumental Music in Public Worship of the Church. Richmond: Whittet & Shepperson, Printers, 1888.

Lard, Moses E. “‘Instrumental Music in Churches and Dancing.” Lard’s Quarterly, I, Rosemead: The Old Paths Book Club, 1952.

Lewis, John T. The Voice, of the Pioneers on Instrumental Music and Societies. Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1932.

Roberts, J. W. The Letters of John. Austin: R. B. Sweet Co., Inc., 1968.

Thayer, Joseph H. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon. Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors Inc., (n.d.).

Truth Magazine, XVIII:33, pp. 11-13
June 20, 1974