Truth Magazine

By Donald Townsley

The word of God pleads for unity among the people of God. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:10: “Now I beseech you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Jesus prayed for unity among his disciples upon the basis of the word of God: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word” (John 17:20).

The Unity of the Spirit Demands

That Brethren Agree

The basis for unity is the word of God (John 17:20-21). All of God’s people are to walk in truth (2 John 4). Jesus said truth can be known: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). He also said that truth can be identified: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). The Apostle Paul said that truth can be understood: “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17). Truth is always consistent because God cannot lie (Tit. 1:2). When we know the truth, understand the truth, and walk in truth, we will be of the same mind and the same judgment (1 Cor. 1:10)  we will agree. All who appeal to truth for their standard in religion will came to the same conclusion when we understand what the will of the Lord is (Eph. 5:17).

Unity Demands That We Speak the Same Thing

Paul said, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). When we understand the will of God, we understand it alike (Eph. 5:17), and we are all to preach the same plan (Eph. 4:4-6).

Unity Demands Effort

The Apostle Paul said that Christians must endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit: “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). The word “endeavor” means to give diligence; to put forth effort; to try. This means that brethren are to work at being united on truth rather than doing and teaching things that divide them. We must all endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Unity Demands That Brethren Stand for the Truth

God’s people are to stand together against all evil. Paul said, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). In Philippians 1:27, he said: “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (NRV).

Unity Demands Oneness

The unity of the New Testament has as its foundation the word of God (John 17:20-21). This unity eliminates all error (2 John 9-11; Rom. 16:17) and prohibits division (1 Cor. 1:10). Paul said in Ephesians 4:4-6: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all ..”It is the dwelling together without differences (1 Cor. 1:10; Phil. 3:16).

Conclusion

Let us consider Paul’s question to the Corinthians: “Is Christ divided?” The answer is “No”! Christ is not divided in authority (Eph. 4:5; Matt. 28:18), in message (Eph. 4:5; Heb. 1:2), in body (Eph. 4:4; 1:22-23) nor in plan (Eph. 4:3-6). Let us all be alert to the difference in Bible unity and “unity-in-diversity” that is so popular among so many to-day. This false unity is the devil’s compromise and is destroying the church of the Lord in many places. We must all work for unity that is based upon the will of God (John 17:20-21).

Guardian of Truth XLI: 19 p. 9
October 2, 1997

By Mike Willis

Each of us has been impressed with the rapid growth of the early church. Three thousand were baptized on Pentecost (Acts 2:41). In a short time the number of the men was 5000 (Acts 4:4). Later Luke records that “multitudes both of men and women” were “added to the Lord” (Acts 5:14). Within his lifetime, Paul could testify that the gospel had been taken to all nations of the earth (Col. 1:23).

What were the causes of the gospel spreading so rapidly? I am sure that most of us have our own ideas about why that happened. The eminent historian, Edward Gibbon, gave his assessment of five reasons for the growth of the early church saying:

I. The inflexible, and, if we may use the expression, the intolerant zeal of the Christians derived it is true, from the Jewish religion, but purified from the narrow and unsocial spirit which, instead of inviting, had deterred the Gentiles from embracing the law of Moses. II. The doctrine of a future life, improved by every additional circumstance which could give weight and efficacy to that important truth. III. The miraculous powers ascribed to the primitive church. IV. The pure and austere morals of the Christians. V. The union and discipline of the Christian republic, which gradually formed an independent and increasing state in the heart of the Roman empire (Decline and Fall of the Romans Empire I:348 [Modem Library Edition, 1995]).

Let’s consider his list one by one.

1. The Intolerance of the Church. The early church saw itself as teaching the only means of salvation. There was no other name under heaven among men by which men could be saved (Acts 4:12). Jesus was the way, the truth, and the life; no one came to the Father but by him (John 14:6). Those who disbelieved the gospel would be damned (Mark 16:16).

Not only were the Christians teaching that there is only one way to be saved, they were unwilling to bend even in the least to compromise with idolatry. “It was the universal sentiment both of the church and of heretics that the daemons were the authors, the patrons, and the objects of idolatry” (357). When he was asked to sprinkle a few grains of incense to Caesar as God, the Christian refused. “The most trifling mark of respect to the national worship he considered as a direct homage yielded to the daemon, and as an act of rebellion against the majesty of God” (358). Hence, the Christian considered it his arduous duty to preserve himself pure from idolatry in every form of its expression. His everyday life was threatened by idolatry.

The Christian, who with pious honor avoided the abomination of the circus or the theater, found himself encompassed with infernal snares in every convivial entertainment, as often as his friends, invoking the hospitable deities, poured out libations to each other’s happiness. When the bride, struggling with well-affected reluctance, was forced in hymnal pomp over the thresh-old of her new habitation, or when the sad procession of the dead slowly moved towards the funeral pile; the Christian, on these interesting occasions, was compelled to desert the persons who were dearest to him, rather than contract the guilt inherent to those impious ceremonies (358-359).

Faithful Christians did not yield to these expressions of idolatry and they condemned those weak Christians who did. One might expect an historian to list this intolerance as something that restrained the growth of Christianity, but Gibbon identified this as one of the reasons that Christianity spread so rapidly. Every time the Christian refused participation in some idolatrous practice, he had an opportunity to proclaim his faith in Christ. First century Christians were in a life and death struggle with idolatry; their very intolerance is what helped achieve the victory.

2. Their belief in the after life. Christianity was preached in a culture that had limited knowledge of and belief in the world to come. Judaism was divided between the Pharisees and Sadducees about whether or not there was a bodily resurrection. The enlightened Gentiles viewed the body as inherently evil and death freed the spirit from the bodily prison house. The soul was released and became one with the Eternal Spirit.

Christianity announced with clarity its fundamental belief about the resurrection of the body, judgment, and heaven and hell. It brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Tim. 1:10). Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 15 about the resurrection of the body was in conflict with both the Sadducees and contemporary pagan thought. The Christian’s hope of the resurrection of the body from the dead and entrance into heaven brought hope in the midst of despair. It was a message readily received by people with-out hope.

3. The supernatural gifts. The miracles of the gospel separated Christianity from all other religions of the world. When the miracles of the apostles were placed beside the deceitful arts of the magicians, men could easily detect the difference (see Philip’s miracles versus Simon the sorcerer, Acts 8:1-12). Jesus began his ministry with the miracle at Cana of Galilee and gave abundant demonstrable proof that he was the Messiah. He healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, enabled the lame to walk, and even raised the dead. He walked on water, multiplied the loaves and fish, and calmed the sea. He knew what was in the heart of man, events that occurred with reference to which he had no earthly means of gaining information, and otherwise demonstrated his divine omniscience. This is one of the things that created belief. John wrote, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not writ-ten in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:30-31).

When the apostles went forth preaching, their words were confirmed by miracles as well (Mark 16:15-20; Heb. 2:3-4). These miracles distinguished the gospel message from that of Jews and pagans alike, giving men reason to believe the gospel message.

4. Their godly virtues. The early Christians lived a life of moral purity, which showed in their own lives how the gospel can transform sinners. When Pliny the governor wrote to the Emperor Trajan concerning the persecution of Christians, he said,

They affirmed that the whole of their fault, or error, lay in this, that they were wont to meet together on a stated day before it was light and sing among themselves, alternately, a hymn to Christ, as God, and bind them-selves by an oath, not to the commission of any wickedness, but not to be guilty of theft, or robbery, or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor to deny a pledge committed to them when called upon to return it. When these things were performed it was their custom to separate, and then to come together again to a meal, which they ate in common without any disorder (quoted by H.W. Everest in The Divine Demonstration 83).

When one reads the moral teachings of the New Testament, he is impressed with how its teaching set Christians apart from the world. Paul wrote,

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21).

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

In an age when the darkness of sin was so bad that pagan philosophers wanted to protect the youth from the influence of the gods, Christianity was a light that called for moral purity and commitment from its adherents. Some brethren think that preaching on moral issues will drive away potential converts, but Gibbon thought that the appeal of moral purity to consciences floundering in darkness was one of the things that caused the church to grow.

5. The union and discipline of the church. The church was organized during the first century. It had elders or bishops overseeing each local church. These shepherds oversaw the flock of God which was among them. Each local church was an independent republic existing within the Roman empire. Its members obeyed a higher authority than the lo-cal governor or Caesar himself. They were subject to the God of heaven. His laws were executed under the administrative oversight of bishops or elders. The church was served by its deacons so that its work was accomplished in a timely fashion.

The local church was not something that needed to be abolished or repaired so that church growth could occur. As the church came from the hand of God, it was fully capable of doing the great work God gave it to accomplish. Gibbon saw the local church as one of the things that contributed to the spread of Christianity.

Conclusion

What is amazing is that some of the very things that caused the church to grow in the first century are the things under attack in the twentieth century. Some condemn the church for being intolerant; others equate the miracles of Christ and his apostles with the pseudo-miracles of pagan-ism; some have decided that belief in heaven is a childish belief in a pie-in-the-sky in the sweet bye and bye that must be replaced with a social activism that creates its heaven on earth now; others wish to eliminate from preaching any call for such strict ethics as condemnation of the lottery, social drinking, lasciviousness (dancing, pornography, and such like things), immodest dress, fornication, homosexuality, and such like things; and some wish to diminish the local church by emphasizing that we need to be preaching Christ instead of the church. The very things they wish to change are the things that Gibbon saw as contributing to the rapid growth of the church!

Without regard to what Gibbon or anyone else has said, we need faithfully to proclaim God’s word and trust him to give the increase. He will bless those who walk in obedience to him.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 19 p. 2
October 2, 1997

By Jim McDonald

In June conflict arose between government troops and Muslim rebels in southern Mindanao resulted in many deaths to both combatants and created much suffering for the saints in the area. From Benjamin Libertino who lives in Midsayap, Cotabato comes the following report: “(June 27, 1997) I’m sorry to inform you that the Pikit and Kabacan congregations are greatly affected by the battle between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government troops that just happen last June 25-26 and I don’t exactly know if there was a ceasefire agreement, for there was an urgent meeting yesterday between the MILF and the government panel while the battle is going on. The rebel Muslims are responsible of kidnapping for ransom in Mindanao. There are still several kidnap victims that are in their hands .. . As of now there are about forty thousand evacuees in the municipalities of Kabacan, Pikit and Pagalungan. These three municipalities are being declared in the state of calamity. The members of the churches in that towns mentioned are in need of your helping hand. . . . (July 23) When I wrote my first letter to you, the battle between the Muslim rebels and the government troops was in its culminating point. However three days later it calms down not knowing that the rebels had another treacherous attacked in between the barrio of Nalapeoon and Takepan Pikit where the building of the church of Christ is located. The refugees has increased from 40,000 to 72,000. At present majority are still in the school buildings afraid to return to their respective homes for fear that they might experience worse evacuation than the former one …”

From Dominador Neniel, Digos, Davao Del Sur … “(July 5, 1997) . . . for two weeks now an encounter between government troops and the rebels a matter of fifteen (15) kilometers from Kidapawan to Kabacan. Some of our brethren were affected and evacuated from Kabacan to Magpet where I am residing …”

From Juanito Balbin, Davao City …”(July 3, 1997) I would like to pass on to you the plight of some of our brethren who are presently in trouble caused by the encounter of the Arm Forces of the Philippines against the Moro guerrilla rebels. The Military launched an all-out offensive against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). So, 40,000 people fled their homes and are now in evacuation centers in central Mindanao. These places under attacked are Pilch, Maguindanao; Kabacan, Cotabato, and partially in Matalma, Cotabato. We have many brethren here, for there are existing faithful churches of the Lord here in these places …”

It is not known just exactly how many Christians are affected but portions of three congregations are specifically mentioned. Help is needed for (1) those who have fled and are in evacuation points, and for (2) those who have chosen to remain in the critical areas. If you can help, assistance for evacuees might be sent to Dominador Neniel, Roxas Extension Street, 8002 Digos, Davao Del Sur, Philippines and assistance for those who still are in the contested territory, send help to Ben Libertino, Poblacion 5, Midsayap, 9410 Cotabato, Philippines.

I would suggest that cashier checks be sent and please register your letters.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 19 p. 5
October 2, 1997

By Greg Litmer

Over the past twenty-one years I have officiated at many marriages. In every marriage that I performed I was absolutely convinced that the couple had a right to marry. In each one of those marriages the man and woman stood be-fore me and however many guests were present, and most importantly they stood before God, and promised  vowed  that they would remain married to each other through sickness and health, richer or poorer, whatever circumstances arose, until death caused them to part. These were the most solemn vows that they could possibly make. In each case not one of them had a shotgun to his head, nobody was forcing him to make the covenant that they were making with another and with God. Now, twenty-one years later, I really hesitate to perform any marriages because in so many that I have performed over those years, it turned out that one or the other of the parties involved just did not tell the truth. I say that because they did not keep their vow.

In Ecclesiastes 5:4-5, Solomon wrote, “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better it is that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.”

In Numbers 30:1-2, we find, “And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded. If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.”

The same idea is expressed by the Lord in the New Testament with slightly different language and emphasis. In Matthew 5:33-37, Jesus said, “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: but I say unto you, Swear not at all: neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: nor by the earth, for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall thou swear by thy head, be-cause thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” What was the Lord’s point? That whatever comes out of the mouth of a person should be the truth and should not have to be backed up with an oath. If you make a solemn promise, be a person of character and keep it. That is a basic, foundational, bedrock, biblical principle  whatever a person promises before the Lord they must keep it.

In the book of Malachi we see this principle applied specifically to marriage. Judah had done many things wrong in the sight of God and one of the things that he strongly rebuked them for was the divorcing of their wives and remarrying that they had no right to do. It was a twofold problem; they did not keep their vows to their wives and God, and they added an additional sin by marrying those they had no right to. Malachi 2:13-16 (NAS) says, “And this is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. Yet you say, For what reason? Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then, to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. For I hate divorce, says the Lord, the God of Israel, and him who covers his garment with wrong, says the Lord of hosts. So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”

Looking specifically at v. 14, we find that they were guilty of breaking the covenant they had made with their wives and God. They were putting away their wives when they had promised them and God that they would live with them until death caused them to part. He makes the point in v. 15 that no one with a remnant of the Spirit would have done as they had done. The Lord emphasizes his point by emphatically stating, “I hate divorce” or “I hate putting away.” The putting away was a sin  marrying another was a second sin!

In Matthew 19:3-9, we read,

The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God bath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whose marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

The first thing that I want to notice and pay particularly close attention to is found in v. 6. Jesus said, “What there-fore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Does anyone have difficulty understanding that simple command? God joins the couple together in marriage and no one has the right to sever that relationship. If you do “put asunder” what God hath joined together, that is sin. We are not talking about “remarrying” now, we are talking about putting asunder that which God has joined together, and we are specifically forbidden to do that. Secondly, we need to notice that marriage was for a man and a woman, together for life; not a succession of any number of mates. Thirdly, there is one reason, and only one, for which divorce is permitted. That reason is fornication. God permits a man, or a woman, to put away his or her spouse for fornication, and that is the only reason. The one guilty of fornication has no right to remarry, while the obvious implication is that the one who was innocent can remarry.

In the last year I have heard on several occasions the idea expressed that people can divorce for reasons other than fornication and as long as they don’t remarry that is O.K. There is no scriptural basis for that idea. “What God bath joined together, let not man put asunder.” That is clear. God “hates divorce.” That is also clear. To divorce for reasons other than fornication is sin. To say, “I will go ahead and get a divorce, than repent of getting that divorce, God will forgive me and everything will be O.K.” is also sin. It is the idea of trying to manipulate God. Part of what is required for forgiveness of any sin is repentance, and that scenario has no repentance in it at all.

Some have advised a brother or sister who was deter-mined to go ahead and get a divorce for a reason other than fornication to go ahead and do it. Then in the future, if their former spouse should marry someone else, they would be free to remarry themselves. Brethren, it is a sin to so advise a brother or sister. That is telling them something that is just not true. That is telling them something that is not ac-cording to God’s righteousness. If we look at Matthew 19:9 without the exception clause, the meaning is clear. If a per-son has been divorced for a reason other than fornication, they cannot remarry without sin. The passage, without the exception clause, says, “Whosoever shall put away his wife, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away cloth commit adultery.” Divorce is not an option where no fornication has been committed.

Others have advised, “Well, don’t get a divorce, just separate and live apart.” You might even hear the expression, “legal separation.” You may hear that, but you certainly do not find it in God’s word.

Brethren, when a marriage is falling apart, the goal is to fix it, not to destroy it. The marriage would not be in such a state in the first place if both of the individuals involved had walked with God as they should and a marriage will never be fixed by leaving God out of the solution. We must not think like the world, act like the world, or talk like the world. Our families should be the happiest of all.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 19 p. 10-11
October 2, 1997