Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

Archaeology in General Corroboration of Background and in Dating Books

The assortments of names used in the New Testament were names common to that period of history. Through diggings which have excavated the ossuaries of the first century, scholars are able to find the common names of that time period. “The names of the deceased were invariably carved upon the ossuaries in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, and these inscriptions have contributed materially to an understanding of contemporary family and social organization. Such names as Jesus (Jeshua), son of Joseph, Simon or Simeon, Judas, Ananias, Saphira, Elizabeth and many others indicate that the names in the New Testament were in fact the common names of the day.”1

Also, the format of the letters in the New Testament was the format generally used in the letters of that day. Compare Pauls introduction to that of contemporary letters:

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus…” 2

“Theon to Heraclides his brother, many greetings and wishes for good health.

“Tays to the lord Apollonius, many greetings.” 3

Thus, I have shown that the general background in the New Testament is accurately depicted as confirmed by the spade of the archaeologists.

Dating of Books

Textual critics harangued at one another regarding the dates which should be assigned for the writings of most of the books of the New Testament for years. The battle raged during the last part of the 19th century with many books being “definitely” assigned to the second century. The consensus of liberal scholarship was that the gospels were written in this order: Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. John was definitely assigned a second century date and the rest of the gospels, at the most, a late first Century date.

“.. . in 1935 a fragment of the gospel of John was discovered and deciphered in the John Rylands Library of England which contained five verses of John (18:31-32 and 37, 38). This fragment dates from the first quarter of the second century, and since it was found in Egypt, it means that the original gospel of John would have been composed some time before 125 A.D. in order for it to have circulated that far. Sir Frederick Kenyon says concerning the traditional date of Johns gospel: There is no longer any reason to question the traditional date of the book.” 4

The effect of this find completely revamped liberal scholars thinking regarding the dates for the writings of the gospels. If John were written last and it was written in the first century, then all the gospels were written years earlier than originally suspected. Most scholars now date all die gospels before 70 A.D.

Other books of the New Testament have also been re-dated since new finds in archaeology show that the vocabularies used were common to that period and that apostasies similar to those described actually did exist at that time. Particularly, do these facts bear true for the writings of Paul.

Thus, archaeology has done much to establish approximate dates for the writings of the New Testament.

Footnotes

1. R. K. Harrison, Archaeology of the New Testament. New York: Association Press. 19641, p. 6.

2. Eph. 1:1.

3. Op. Cit. Harrison, p. 12.

4. Arlie. J. Hoover, External Evidences of Christianity, la mimeographed booklet published in Tampa, p. 132.

TRUTH MAGAZINE, XVI: 44, p. 6
September 14, 1972

By Cecil Willis

One of my favorite writers of the Restoration period is Moses E. Lard. What he had to say, he said with “punch” in it. Whatever he felt, he felt strongly. And what he felt strongly, he said strongly. It has always been difficult for me to understand how one of the most brilliant minds produced during that glorious period could so strongly oppose instrumental music in worship, and yet so stoutly defend missionary societies. I guess he had a little of whatever makes Reuel Lemmons “tick” in him also.

A few nights ago, I was reading from Lard and ran across the following interesting quotations. I have put the captions on the quotes.

On Becoming an Apostate

“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 does not teach we must not hold, and whatever it does not sanction we must not practice. He who ignores or repudiates these principles, whether he be preacher or layman, has by the fact become an apostate from our ranks; and the sooner he lifts his hand high, avows the fact, and goes out from amongst us the better, yes, verily, the better for us.”

The Cure for Innovations

One of the issues of Lards day was that of injecting mechanical instrumental music into the worship. Lard said: “The day on which a church sets up an organ in its house, is the day on which it reaches the first station on the road to apostasy. From this it will soon proceed to other innovations; and the work of innovating once fairly commenced no stop can be put to it till ruin ensues.”

But some of the churches of Lards day were beginning to install organs in their meeting houses. Lard said: “But what shall be done with such churches? Of course nothing. If they see fit to mortify the feelings of their brethren, to forsake the example of the primitive churches, to condemn the authority of Christ by resorting to will worship, to excite dissension, and give rise to general scandal, they must do it. As a body we can do nothing. Still we have three partial remedies left us to which we should at once resort. 1. Let every preacher in our ranks resolve at once that he will never, under any circumstances or on any account, enter a meeting house belonging to our brethren in which an organ stands. We beg and entreat our preaching brethren to adopt this as an unalterable rule of conduct. This and like evils must be checked, and the very speediest way to effect it is the one here suggested. 2. Let no brother who takes a Letter from one church ever unite with another using an organ. Rather let him lives out of a church than go into such a den. 3. Let those brethren who oppose the introduction of an organ first remonstrate in gentle, kind, but decided terms. If their remonstrance is unheeded, and the organ brought in, then let them at once, and without even the formality of asking for a Letter, abandon the church so acting; and let ail such members unite elsewhere. Thus these organ grinding churches will in the lapse of time be broken down, or wholly apostatize, and the sooner they are in fragments the better for the cause of Christ. I have no sympathy with them, no fellowship for them, and so help me God never intend knowingly to put my foot into one of them.”

The March of Sin

Speaking regarding the progression of sin, Lard said: “Apostasies begin with things that have no harm in them and end in ruin. At first they creep, but in the end stride continents at a single step. Finally we say watch, beware!”

On Dancing “Christians”

Lard discussed dancing and instrumental music in the same article. Apparently it was true then, as now, that doctrinal defection inevitably led to moral compromise. Lard said:

“Let those who urge it first show that there is no harm in dancing before they ask us to acquiesce. Let them either show where it has the sanction of Christ or the apostles, or was practiced in some primitive church; or else let them forever cease to urge this plea, and abandon the practice. The church never parts from aught but trouble when it parts from such members. If they can be reclaimed and saved by all just means let this be done; but the church should not compromise, not for one day, with dancing. Let its action be kind but firm, and terribly prompt. This alone will save. Of all the unsanctioned acts a church has to deal with, none demands prompter treatment than dancing. It is one of those specious and insidious evils which must be cured in its very inception, or it is never cured. Tolerate it, and by and by those who advocate it will claim the right by prescription to engage in it. Remonstrance is vain then. Our churches should lift a unanimous voice against it, and proceed to rid themselves of it with energy and a promptitude which would leave not a vestige of it in Zion. Let the world know, but especially let professors know, that it must be completely and forever abandoned. A stand like this once taken and maintained with dignity and firmness, and the evil is soon cured. But as long as the shilly-shallying course of some of our churches is persisted in, dancing will increase in them until it ultimately becomes the rule; then the result is clear. Attempt to correct it now and dancing will exclude the church, and not the church dancing… I never knew a dancing Christian on his dying bed to send for a dancer to comfort him, nor a fiddle, called for in the chamber where death completes his work. Let no Christian think that he can scandalize the church of God with the evils of which we are speaking and stand approved in the judgment day…. The churches of Christ in the whole land owe it to themselves, and to the high and just ground they have taken, to guard with Sleepless vigilance against even the semblance of an innovation on the practice and usages of the apostolic churches.” (Lards Quarterly, 1864, Vol. 1, p. 330)

TRUTH MAGAZINE, XVI: 44, pp. 3-5
September 14, 1972

By Leslie Diestelkamp

All over the nation, with a few delightful exceptions, there is a tendency to flee the inner cities. Churches are moving out to the suburbs. Large, attractive and well-preserved buildings are being abandoned or sold to some denominational groups. And the reason is race! The older neighborhoods are being filled with non-white people and the white folks who used to live in the apartments are now moving to the more fashionable homes in the suburbs. So, instead of driving back to the old meeting place, or instead of just starting new congregations in the suburban areas, brethren are moving whole congregations out, deserting the multitudes who now surround the old church building.,

But why should they do this? Why not, rather, make a determined effort to reach the multitudes that have moved into our old neighborhoods? The gospel was not of Caucasian origin nor is it effective only for salvation for people with lily-white skins. In fact, those people of other races who now predominate the inner-cities are loved as much by the Lord as we. And, they may indeed be more receptive to the truth and appreciative of the gospel grace of God than are the sophisticated suburbanites.

But some brethren will say, “We have invited them to come and we have made those welcome who did attend our services, but we can~t seem to really reach them for significant teaching and for obedience.” In this regard I beg consideration of the following:

1. A hundred times in the last generation or two you invited the white people near the meeting iiouse. How many come? Even though only a few came, you kept trying, and gradually a few were won. Then dont expect the new neighbors–of another race to be more easily reached or more quickly responsive.

2. When you were trying to reach the former white neighbors you didnt call in a black preacher, did you? So now, if you want to reach non-white people, dont depend entirely upon white preachers.

3. Be sure all are considered equal. Dont allow a “white side” and a “black side” to develop in the seating arrangements. Treat the non-white people as neither superior nor inferior. Sit by them, sing with them, take your wife and children when you visit them and urge them to visit your home. Use those who are Christians in the public service just as you do others.

4. Be patient. Remember, the old white congregation didnt grow up in a year. It took one, two, or three decades, didnt it, and even then most of the “additions” were Christians who moved to the city from rural areas. So it will take time under these different circumstances, but it can be done.

5. Be firm and steadfast regarding truth. It is a pity that many white brethren who oppose sponsoring church arrangements and church support of human institutions seem willing to concede these departures to black people. Consequently many faithful brethren are content to let unsound brethren evangelize and teach those of other races. I have even heard of v.4 one strong, faithful, inner-city church that bag considered giving their old building to unsound brethren — just because they happen to be black and may be willing to take over the work in that inner-city area. These white brethren would not consider giving their building to unsound white people. But we have not done our duty just because we turn the building over to black brethren. We must maintain truth and fidelity.

It is indeed gratifying to notice that a few inner-city congregations have become fully integrated and that in doing so they sacrificed no scriptural truth. Some have thus become truly unified, fruitfully victorious and significantly happy in real brotherhood. I hope many more will enthusiastically follow the game wise and scriptural way soon.

TRUTH MAGAZINE, XVI: 44, p. 2
September 14, 1972

By R. C. Smart, Sr.

“And Shiloh is coming to Natick on Sunday evening, April 30, at six p.m. At least a couple of representatives of Camp Shiloh in New Jersey will be coming—coming to share something of the plans, the work and the future of the Christian Camp that ministers to many children of the Mid-Atlantic inner cities. Representatives of Camp Shiloh will be speaking at the Brookline congregation on Sunday morning and here in the evening.”

The above is a quotation from the bulletin of Church of Christ, 324 N. Main St., Natick, Mass., April 26, 1972. There is nothing personal in this article as I have never met anyone from the Natick church. I have received their bulletin for some time. It has often contained items that were of a liberal nature but this seems to be the extreme example of their liberal attitude towards the scriptures. I almost said blasphemy.

The quotation from Genesis 49:10 “until Shiloh come” is given the following exegesis by various commentaries.

A. Clark, Vol. 1, p. 269: “Judah shall continue a distinct tribe till the Messiah shall come.”

Pulpit Comm. Vol. 1, p. 526: “Believing Shiloh to be the name of a person, the majority of commentators both Jewish and Christian and ancient as well as modern agree that the Messiah is the person referred to, and understand Jacob as fore-announcing that the time of his appearance would not be till the staff of regal power had dropped from the hand of Judah.”

Hippolytus, A.D. 170-236, (quoted from Ante Nicene Fathers, Vol. 5, Pg. 206): “Now the blessed Jacob speaks to the following effect in his benedictions, testifying prophetically of our Lord and Saviour . . . a ruler shall not depart from Judah, nor a leader from between his thighs, until be come for whom it is reserved; and he shall be the expectation of the nations.”

We could fill pages with such quotations but we feel we have established the meaning of the verse. It seems that it has been left to the modern day distorter to garble such prophetic statements which should be held in the greatest of respect by the lover of Gods word. Whether it is done in ignorance, jest, or carnality, the effect can be conducive of no good to the cause of Christ.

With such an attitude toward God and his word we understand more clearly the actions of some of our liberal brethren. We doubt very much that Shiloh came to Natick, Mass., April 30. If he ever does, it may well be to fulfill Revelation 2:5: “Remember therefore whence thou are fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I come to thee, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.”

TRUTH MAGAZINE, XVI: 43, p. 13
September 7, 1972