Truth Magazine

Now it came to pass that a group existed that called themselves fishermen and there were many fish in the waters about them. In fact, the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes and the fish were hungry. Week after week and month after month and year after year the group that called themselves “fishermen” met in meetings and talked about those called to fish, the abundance of fish, and how we might go about fishing. Year after year they carefully defined what fishing meant, defending fishing as an occupation, and declared that fishing be the primary talk of fishermen. These fishermen built large beautiful buildings for local fishing headquarters and their plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and that everyone should fish. However, the one thing they did not do, they did not fish!

In addition to meeting regularly these men determined to send out fishermen to places where there were many fish. This sending committee was headed by those who had great vision and had courage to speak about fishing and to promote the idea of fishing in far away streams and lakes where many other fish of different colors lived. They hired staff and held many meetings to define fishing, to defend fishing, and to decide what new streams should be thought about. But one thing the staff and the committee members did not do, they did not fish!

Large, elaborate training centers were built whose original and primary purpose was to teach fishermen how to fish. Over the years courses were offered on the needs of fish, the nature of fish, how to find fish, and the psychological effects of fishing. Those who taught had Doctorates in “Fisheology.” But the teachers did not fish! They only taught about fishing.

Further, the fishermen built large printing houses to publish fishing guides. Presses were kept busy day and night to produce material solely devoted to fishing methods. A speakers bureau was also organized to schedule special speakers on fishing. After one stirring meeting entitled “The Necessity of Fishing,” two young men left the meeting and actually went fishing and one of them actually caught two fish! He was honored for his great catch and was scheduled to appear at all the big meetings to tell how he did it. So he quit fishing in order to have the time to tell his experiences to the other fishermen.

Now it is true that many of the fishermen sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and had to put up with the smell of dead fish. Some had to endure the ridicule of some who made fun of these fishermen’s clubs because they claimed to be fishermen but they did not fish.

And they wondered about those who thought it was of little use to attend meetings and talk about fishing. I mean, after all, were they not following the Master who said, “Come and I will make you fishers of men”? Imagine their chagrin when someone actually suggested that they were not really “fishermen.” Yet it did make sense. Can we rightfully call a person a fisherman if year after year he never catches a fish?

Can a person really be following Jesus if he is not fishing?

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 16, p. 25
August 15, 1996

By Steve Wallace

Many of us have probably been to a funeral where an unsaved person was “preached into heaven.” By this we usually mean that, at the service for the deceased, a denominational “Pastor” or “Reverend” spoke of how the person had somehow come into a saved state shortly before death or spoke of them as if they were now in heaven. There are several lessons that the living can learn from such events.

1. One must act one’s own behalf to get to heaven. The preacher or teacher’s work is to exhort others to “save them-selves” or “repent” (Acts 2:40; 8:22). Christians should be good examples and “shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15). However, the lost person also has something to do. If he has never come to Christ, he must hear the gospel, believe it, repent of his sins, confess Christ as the Son of God and be baptized for the remission of sins (Mark 16:15-16; Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 2:38). If an individual has once become a Christian and then later fallen away, such a one must repent and pray to God (Acts 8:22; 2 Cor. 7:10). If such people do not act in obedience to Christ’s word it is meaningless to “preach them into heaven” after they die. (It is equally meaningless to try to “fellowship an erring brother into heaven”!) The lost and erring must come out of their sinful state.

2. “Care giving” at the expense of preaching the gospel. In my opinion, one of the main reasons behind the practice of preaching the unsaved dead into heaven is obvious: It is to comfort the grieving loved ones of the deceased. Such sermons are designed to show sympathy and care to those who remain behind. While God’s people are told to “weep with them that weep” (Rom. 12:15), the practice under discussion is obviously an extreme we must avoid. Many a gospel preacher has used the opportunity of preaching someone’s funeral to teach the truth to those who might otherwise not hear it. While not neglecting the comfort and consolation found in the word of God (2 Cor. 1:3-6), the preacher must balance his preaching to meet the spiritual needs of his listeners (2 Tim. 4:2). The main aim of a sermon should always be to bring people closer to the Lord. If we change the focus of our preaching to that of “care giving” or making people feel good, we will have to come up with another message (Gal. 1:9), just like the denominational preachers do when they “preach the lost into heaven.” It is this writer’s conviction that the current trend of preaching lessons which lean heavily on human psychology or books on counseling for their support is a manifestation of this problem (2 Tim. 4:4).

3. Feigned love. The Christian is to love without dissimulation or falseness (Rom. 12:9; 2 Cor. 6:6). An obvious question arises with regards to the one who would claim to be a Christian and then try to preach a lost person into heaven: Is this really showing love for lost souls? Who benefits from his message? Neither the living or the dead. But he seems so loving as he stands there putting forth his message! Though most such preachers may be unaware of it, they are not showing true love to anyone in “preaching the lost into heaven.” Using opportunities given us for “speaking the truth in love” will help us avoid such false displays of affection (Eph. 4:15).

Conclusion

Helping others get to heaven involves instructing them in the ways of righteousness and encouraging them in that way (e.g., Acts 2:38-40). If we are truly concerned about the needs of our audiences we will base our message to them on what the Bible says about their state and needs, and encourage them to apply God’s word to their lives.

Guardian of Truth XL: 7 p. 19
April 4, 1996

By Ron Halbrook

And Abram said unto Lot, “Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren” (Gen. 13:8). “Behold, how good and how pleas-ant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Ps. 133:1).

Fervent, sincere appeals for unity based upon truth are always in order, but false teachers seeking tolerance for their errors always raise the specter and phantom of endless divisions over every possible difference. Brethren promoting a false unity-in doctrinal-diversity scare up the same ghost, offering their theories as the only alternative. Some brethren who know the truth on divorce and remarriage will not take an unmistakably clear stand for the truth and will not openly oppose and assail false doctrine. They are intimidated by the fear that to do so will result in division every time a difference of any kind occurs. This article will show that such fears are unfounded.

Are we doomed to divide over every difference of opinion, every conscientious difference, every difference of expression in teaching the truth, every difference in judgment as to the exact significance of a word or phrase in a passage, every difference in application of a common principle, every difference in unravelling a complicated case, every difference over whether or when to withdraw fellow-ship from certain parties, in short, over every difference of every nuance and of every magnitude? No, we are not so doomed! The answer is not that we must embrace and tolerate every possible difference in teaching and practice in order to escape the opposite extreme. Not only does sound, balanced Bible teaching avoid these opposite extremes, but also the general experience of brethren demonstrates the practical avoidance of both extremes.

Unity Mandated

The unity of God’s people is man-dated from heaven. Paul wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “I there-fore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3).

This unity is not based on the arts of human diplomacy, crafty negotiation, and political compromise. Rather, it is a unity based upon a plat-form given by divine revelation: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all (vv. 4-6). This plat-form embodying the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ was revealed by and is perpetuated by New Testament apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (v. 11). The work of revealing truth was completed in the first century; the work of propagating and perpetuating that truth continues. God ordained this plan “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (v. 12). As faithful men continue “speaking the truth in love,” they are able to maintain “the unity of the faith” along with the spiritual health and proper function of “the whole body” (vv. 13-16).

To save the lost and to strengthen the saved, gospel preachers are still proclaiming to all mankind the words of Jesus Christ on marriage, divorce, and remarriage:

But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery (Matt. 5:32).

And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, comritteth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery (Matt. 19:9).

Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery (Mark 10:11-12).

Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery (Luke 16:18).

In short, Jesus gave one divine rule for all mankind. God’s law requires one man to be married to one woman for a lifetime. One and only one exception is given. When one mate commits an act of immorality, the innocent partner is permitted (though not required) to put away his or her mate, and to marry another.

No inspired apostle or prophet of the first century ever revealed anything which added to, subtracted from, or otherwise altered this law announced by the Lord of lords and King of kings during his earthly ministry. No New Testament evangelist ever preached any other doctrine. Our task today is to preserve, to preach, and to defend what Jesus and his apostles taught on this matter and on all other matters.

The Bible ground is the unity ground. During the 1800s in America, many people came out of sin, denominationalism, and error of various kinds with a determination to “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Pet. 4:11). They were dedicated to a restoration of the ancient order of things by demanding positive divine authority for all that they preached and practiced. Speaking where the Bible speaks and being silent where the Bible is silent led them back to the Bible ground on marriage, divorce, and remarriage.

History records that these Christians generally believed that “no release” could be given to a mate “unless the other party has been guilty of fornication.” The claim of “desertion” as “a just cause for divorce and re-marriage” was rejected. Brethren were “cautious and circumspect in inspecting the marital status of their members and rigorously disciplined offenders. … In general, the churches were probably more diligent in enforcing their code of morality in this area than in any other” (David Edwin Harrell, Jr., Quest for a Christian America [Nashville, TN: Disciples of Christ Historical Society, 1966], pp. 196-97). What brethren did does not prove what we are to do, but it demonstrates that God’s plan for truth, purity, and unity will work if only we have the faith to work God’s plan.

Doubtless, further historical re-search will show that brethren patiently and vigorously discussed differences at times through the years. Perhaps some overreacted and others compromised with error. One thing is certain: Recent history shows the far-reaching implications and wide-ranging applications of error on the divorce issue. The issue has be-come more urgent because divorces and remarriages have become epidemic. History helps us to see the end results of certain courses of action, confirming the exhortations and warnings of Scripture, but our only authority in religion is the Bible and not the record of history (1 Cor. 4:6; 2 Thess. 2:15).

Inevitable, Unavoidable Division

While the system or scheme of redemption gives men time to learn and grow in the truth, the New Testament also warns against the danger of de-parting from the faith by teaching the doctrines and commandments of men (Heb. 5:12-14; 1 Tim. 1:3; 4:1; 2 John 9-11). When this begins to happen, brethren bear with one another as far as possible to permit time and opportunity for issues to be fully examined in the light of God’s word. When that process has been exhausted, brethren embracing error harden themselves in the error, and division becomes inevitable. “For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you” (1 Cor. 11:19).

How can we recognize an inevitable and unavoidable division coming? We live in a time when false theories on divorce and remarriage are being preached, pressed, and practiced. Four key earmarks of approaching, inevitable division can already be seen.

1. The theories being advocated and advanced directly contradict the fundamental rule, base lines, or perimeters given by Jesus (one man for one woman for life, the only exception being that a moral mate can put away a fornicator and marry another person). Some other rule is substituted for the one given by Jesus. It is not that brethren share the common playing field of truth given in such passages as Matthew 19:9 and differ only as to whether a given situation constitutes an infraction of the rules shared by all. No, the playing field itself is changed!

Totally new playing fields are created by these theories: The fornicator can marry a new mate; desertion in the absence of fornication permits subsequent marriages; alien sinners are not amenable to Christ’s law on marriage no matter what it means; baptism sanctifies adulterous marriages; and, adultery is non-sexual covenant breaking. All these theories openly advocate that people can stay in marriages contrary to the rule of one man for one woman for life, the only exception being that the innocent party can divorce the fornicator and marry another person. That is why division is inevitable.

2. Brethren defending these false theories almost invariably appeal to the premise that divine silence permits people to remain in marriages contrary to what Jesus stated. The absence of a specific prohibition is cited as authority, contrary to 1 Peter 4:11 (“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God”). This reflects and reinforces a departure from the fundamental precepts of Bible authority. Rather than appealing to positive di-vine authority for their position, falseteachers make such arguments as, “Where does the Bible say certain people cannot remain in their marriages?” As we have learned from past apostasies, when one practice is justified by appealing to a perversion of divine silence, other practices are soon justified on the same basis. This makes division inevitable.

3. Because these theories involve an open departure from the rule of morality given by Jesus, and appeal to silence, they breed looseness on other moral issues as well. Error is a progressive and degenerative disease (2 Tim. 2:16; 3:13). As time goes on, more and more people under the influence of these theories participate in such worldly practices as immodest dress (in mixed swimming and daily dress too), gambling (lottery tickets and Las Vegas too), dancing, and drinking intoxicants (beer, wine, mixed drinks, etc.). This carnality will increase. Worldly-minded people and spiritually minded people inevitably separate themselves from each other (2 Cor. 6:17; Eph. 5:11).

4. Ninety percent of the fellowship question takes care of itself when the truth is consistently taught. False teachers will not tolerate the preaching of the truth, though they plead for toleration toward their teaching of error. This is generally true both of those who teach error on divorce and remarriage and those who claim the truth but want unity-in-doctrinal-diversity on the matter. People who cannot abide sound doctrine simply cannot abide the open examination of controversial issues and cannot stand the searchlight of truth (John 3:19-21; 2 Tim. 4:3-4). Such people eventually and inevitably go out from us (1 John 2:19).

(For further study on passages and principles directly setting forth fundamental truth on marriage, divorce, and remarriage, see my following articles: “Matthew 5:31-32 On Marriage and Divorce,” “Matthew 19:3-12 . . .,” “Luke 16:18…,” and “What Shall We Do With Christ’s Law on Marriage,” Guardian of Truth, 7 July, 18 Aug. 1983, pp. 397-99, 426-27, 431, 459, & 489-90 respectively; “David Lipscomb on Marriage and Divorce,” GOT, 1 Dec. 1983, pp. 707-709, 726-27; with Harry R. Osborne, Lee Stewart, and Tim P. Stevens, “Re-cent Studies With Homer Hailey on Divorce and Remarriage,” GOT, 17 Nov. 1988, pp. 689-91; “Matthew 19 and Deuteronomy 24: Moses and Christ,” GOT, 4 Jan. 1990, pp. 3-6; “Married for Life, With One Exception,” Searching the Scriptures, Sept. 1991, pp. 491-92; “Divorce and Re-marriage: No Waiting Game,” GOT, 18 Mar. 1993, pp. 168-69; Ward Hogland, “Comments on 1 Corinthians 7 by Ron Halbrook West Columbia, Texas” and my “Commendation of Gospel Truths’ Open Door Policy,” Gospel Truths, Aug. & Oct. 1993, pp. 175-77 & 223-24; “Temporal Consequences of Sin,” GOT, 16 Sept. 1993, pp. 558-59; “Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage: Study Material by J.W. McGarvey,” GOT, 2 Dec. 1993, pp. 716-19, 730; “`Marriage Is Honorable:’ A Study of Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage,” GOT, 20 June 1996, pp. 368-371. See also the Halbrook-Freeman Debate recently published by the G.O.T. Foundation.)

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 16, p. 16-18
August 15, 1996

By Nell Kercheville

Have you ever learned a foreign language just for the express purpose of preaching the gospel to those in another country? Have you ever left your home and the surroundings you are so accustomed to and comfortable with to go to another land and preach to a humble and sincere people? Have you ever been blessed to stay in the home of one of these people and sleep on the floor with the rest of the family, all in their one-room house? In the middle of the night you awaken so sick that you have to get up and tread your way through the sleeping bodies to get outside since there is no indoor plumbing.

Have you ever repeatedly chosen without hesitation to travel into a country where you know that at some point you have a good chance of being sick? Have you ever been in a hotel room alone in that country and been so sick you think you might not live until morning? Because of your sickness you purposely do not lock the door for fear some-one will not be able to get to you to help. The next day the local preacher finally becomes worried and comes to see about you. You pray, “0 Lord, thank you for this good man.” He goes home and has his wife make “atole” (a rice drink) for you. How soothing it is! By the time evening services come you are so weak you can’t imagine being able to preach. But you must and you do. Too weak to stand, you have to sit while you preach. The thought occurs time and again in your mind, “Can I make it?” But then you look at all those eager faces. They have come to hear the gospel, but not as an American would hear, they have come to hear that which they have never heard before. As you preach you hear them exclaiming, “Que precioso!” (“How precious!”). Suddenly all your weariness is forgotten and you could preach all night to these who so desire to hear the Good News.

Have you ever traveled to another country to preach and found that the brethren have secured a huge tent for a meeting place? “Wonderful!” you think. But then you find out that the tent has to be moved, not once, but three more times. The tent has to be taken down and moved to another town and put up again, ready just in time for the next services. Your job? You are to crawl under this dusty dirty tent and put the poles in place while the men on the outside have several “business meetings” on how it should be done. (Ever attended a business meeting?) By the end of the day you are tired, dirty, and hungry. You have just enough time to get cleaned up and start preaching. The thought runs through your mind repeatedly, “Is this worth it?” But all those thoughts are soon erased when you see over 500 souls from the community who have gathered hungry to hear the pure gospel of our Lord. “Que precioso!” they say. “Que precioso!”

Have you ever had your ribs broken just before leaving on one of these trips? You travel over rugged bumpy dirt roads to reach a community where you arrive with your ribs in worse condition than when you left. The bed you sleep on is hard and when you roll over on one of those ribs  wow, the pain! But on this trip you have a real treat. They have built a room for the visiting preacher. How nice, but then it strikes again, the “revenge.” This time you don’t have to climb over bodies because the men of the community have built the “little house” on the hill. You think, “What a relief, better than last time when there was nothing and the outhouse was just “out.” But then comes the negative side. Walking up that hill hour after hour in a weakened condition is no picnic. And then there is the little house. The men dug the hole too big for the house. Dig another hole? Naw, throw a couple of logs across the hole and set the little house on the logs. Have you ever tried to sit in a privy with a canvas for a door and the west wind blowing? You have to hold the canvas with one hand and steady yourself with the other so that you do not get thrown over by the rocking of the little house on the logs. But still you must preach as you hear the voices of hungry souls, “Que precioso!”

Have you ever been invited to the humble home of one of these Christians to eat? You tremble as you realize you may be taking food from their children. But you cannot refuse because they would be so hurt. How glad you are that you have come! The graciousness with which they serve you is so heartwarming that it often brings tears to your eyes. No matter what the obstacle, no matter the hardship, they serve you and give to you what they have. These people are so grateful for the precious words of life you have brought them. How precious the word of God! And now it is you who say, “Que precioso!” You go away knowing you have received much more than you have given.

After over fifty years of this work, you come to the evening of your life. Your steps are slower and your health fails. But you press on. The love of Christ constrains you. You work as long as there is breath and one more soul to save. As you reflect on your life you know that materially you have little and the hardships have been many. But oh what riches you do have. Would you change your life if you could do it over? No! “Que precioso!”

Guardian of Truth XL: 7 p. 9
April 4, 1996