Truth Magazine

By Olen Holderby

Much is being said, orally and in print, on the subject of unity. Appeals for unity are being made by our brethren in almost every paper that comes across my desk, and they are many. It would seem that everyone desires unity. It can-not be denied that there is a lack of unity among God’s people today. Some one(s) has disturbed the unity of the Lord’s people in many places. The disturbers of that unity have been, it seems to this writer, clearly identified, and the means used for this disturbing have been pointedly exposed. This, of course, needs to be done over and over every time there is teaching that is headed in that direction.

While the disrupters of the peace and harmony of God’s people need to be identified and exposed, such is not the design of this article. Our focus at this time is on the “Beauty of Bible Unity,” and we begin by calling the reader’s attention.

Prophecy Concerning That Unity

Some 625 years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Zephaniah stated, “For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent” (3:9). The NAS and NIV both say serve him “shoulder to shoulder,” while both the RSV and NKJ say “with one accord.” Take any of these translations you wish, and it is still obvious that whatever people were under consideration were to be unified in their service to God.

The importance of this prophecy can be better seen when we realize that it concerns the forthcoming Messiah and his kingdom, the church, his people. Dear reader, that is you and me! This is not the only such prophecy of the peace, harmony and unity anticipated for God’s people in this age.

They were to “beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: . . .neither shall they learn war any more,” they were to “sing and rejoice . . . and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord,” and they were to “rejoice greatly” for their “King cometh unto thee: he is just and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Isa.2:4; Zech.2:10; 9:9).

This was to be a wonderful period of time for God’s people; and these beautiful word-pictures are given in grand anticipation of something wonderful to behold and even better to experience. Do you see the beauty of what God here intended?

1 Corinthians 1:10

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of the 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.

To see the beauty which should have been here, we need to remember the problems which they had and the sin that was in their midst: contentions (1:11), envyings and strife (3:3), being puffed up (4:18), fornication (5:1ff), going to law with one another (6:1ff), marriage (ch. 7), meats/idols (ch. 8), paying preachers (ch. 9), Lord’s Supper (ch. 11), spiritual gifts (chs.12-14), and the resurrection (ch.15). Can you imagine how they must have felt about the presence of these things, especially after the apostle called them to their attention?

Consider the man in chapter 5, the one guilty of fornication. How did his father feel about him? How did everyone there feel when they found out that they had to turn that young man over to Satan? Do you reckon that they deeply wished it was not so?

Think about the problem with the Lord’s Supper in chapter 11. Some of them were probably standing with their eats and drinks in their hands when they learned how they were shaming their fellow Christians and insulting the Lord. When they did examine themselves and discovered what they were really doing, how do you think they felt? Assuming their honesty, this must have been an extremely miserable time for everyone of the guilty.

How strongly they must have wished that all these things had never happened! How so very forgetful they had been, to have failed to speak the same thing and to be of the same mind.

Apparently these people could see how they had marred the beauty of Bible unity, for they are later seen as having cleaned up the mess (2 Cor.2:lff; 7:4-16). Can you see the beauty here, even though it was not present at first?

John 17:20-21

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; 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 hast sent me.

These are familiar verses; and we all use them to stress unity. But, where is the beauty in them?

The answer is to be found in realizing, as nearly as we can, the relationship of the Son to the Father. They had shared their glory before the world was (v. 5), the Father had given him the twelve (v. 6), the twelve had shared this glory that they might all be one (v. 22), and they (Father and Son) belonged to each other (v. 10). The Son had been in the form of God and equal with God, and the Son took on the form of a servant and became obedient to the Father, even unto death (Phil. 2:6-8). The Father created all things through the Son; and the Son was the express image of his person (Heb. 1:2-3). The Son was the image of the invisible God, and in him dwelled all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col.1:15; 2:9).

Is it even possible that the human mind can imagine a relationship so wonderful? So perfect? So beautiful in every way? Now, remember that Jesus is praying that his followers would have this kind of relationship. Again, dear reader, this is you and me! Do you see the beautiful unity for which Jesus was praying?

Psalms 133:1-3

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

A thorough exegesis of these three verses could require a sizable volume, but we wish to stick to our theme. We refer first to the ointment. This was not just any ointment, but “precious ointment.” This is a reference to the ointment described in Exodus 30, ordered by the Lord, and made with the four best spices (vv. 22-24). It was used to anoint Aaron, his sons, and all vessels used in the tabernacle, and was called “holy ointment” (vv. 25-30). This holy ointment was known for its wonderful fragrance and its use demonstrated an abundance. The writer says dwelling together in unity is like this!

Next we consider the dew. This was the well known dew that descended upon the land from the mountains bringing its fertilizing power and fruitful harvest. There was nothing like it and livelihood depended upon it to a great extent. It was longed for, looked for, and there was rejoicing when it came. The Psalmist says that unity is that way.

The very mention of either the ointment or the dew would most likely produce thoughts of joy and happiness, followed by a determination to have them, whatever the cost. They were very desirable and the faithful pursued them with dedication.

We are told that for brethren to dwell together in unity is like these two items, it is “good and pleasant.” Do you see the beauty in these verses?

Closing Comments

Have you ever read Proverbs 6:16-19? Have you thought upon these six things that God hates, the seven that are an abomination? Have you noticed the last of these, “He that soweth discord among brethren”? Such an one destroys this beauty, this pleasantness, this pleasure, this peace, this wonderful harmony among God’s own people. That discord may be the fruit of gossip, tale-bearing, nasty attitudes, the teaching or the practice of error, or even by a self-appointed critic. Whatever the way used to sow that discord, God hates such a person and let us not ever forget this solemn fact.

Ought we not then to pursue the course expressed by Paul in Ephesians 4:1-3, and, “endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”? Our every fiber must be exerted, even exhausted, to keep this unity, whatever the cost may be. The Beauty of Bible Unity! Is it yours? Why not?

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 19, p. 20-21
October 3, 1996

By Mike Willis

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift (Matt. 5:23-24).

I wish that I could live above sin. If I never sinned, I would not have to be concerned about making things right with those against whom I have sinned. Because I am a sinner and hurt others by my sin, these words from the Sermon on the Mount are extremely relevant.

Seeking God’s Forgiveness Is Not Enough

Sometimes men act as if they think that forgiveness is only vertical  between oneself and God alone. That this is not so can be shown, not only from the text cited above, but also by practical illustration.

Suppose that I were to leave the parking lot this morning, totally consumed with our worship. In my preoccupation with other things, I back my 1987 Bonneville into the door of your new car. Immediately I stop and pray, “Lord forgive me of my carelessness and negligence. Please bless Sam financially so that he can afford to have his car fixed.” Have I taken care of my offence? Of course, not.

Sin is not limited to one’s relationship with God. It also affects those against whom one sins.

What Am I To Do?

This text lists the requirements. There are four steps to take:

1. Stop. When one recalls that he has sinned against his brother, he needs to make it right. It should not be put off, even for worship. Every-thing needs to stop until the offence against the brother is corrected. Continuing to offer one’s worship to God does not bring reconciliation with the offended brother.

We see just how important proper brotherly relationships are to God. He will not accept the worship of a man who sins against his brother but does not correct it. We might tend to minimize our offences, forget them, and go on, but God calls men to account.

2. Go. The one who has sinned against his brother needs to go to his what the Lord commanded. Rather, a person is raising him-self up when he obeys the Lord. When one’s foolish pride keeps him from making things right with his brother, it is keeping him out of heaven.

3. Be reconciled. The word “reconcile” comes from the diallasso that means “to change; to change the mind of any one, to reconcile.” The person is trying to change the enmity that the brother feels against him because of his offence. For reconciliation to occur, a person must: (a) Ac-knowledge that the conduct which he is confessing is wrong, inappropriate behavior; (b) Acknowledge that he was guilty of that inappropriate behavior. Without both of these occurring, reconciliation cannot occur.

A person may avoid correcting his behavior by failure to acknowledge one or the other. For example, a drinker may say, “I know that drinking is wrong” but deny that he is guilty. Or he may say, “Yes, I drink” but deny that drinking is wrong. Neither corrects the offence. A person must do both: acknowledge that the conduct is sinful and admit that he committed it.

The TV character Fonzie had trouble saying, “I was wrwrr- wro wrong!” Sometimes Christians are like that. Even when their sins are exposed for everyone to see, they lack the humility to say, “I have sinned.” “I was wrong.”

4. Return. Having made things right with one’s brother, the person can now offer acceptable worship to God. He now returns to worship with God.

What If He Does Not Forgive Me?

The obligations of forgiveness are not always easy to bear. The innocent party has to bear the pain of forgiveness. He has to suffer the offence without retaliation. Just as the innocent God bore the cost of man’s forgiveness, so also the innocent bears the weight of forgiveness in our relationships with one another. He has the strength of character to say, “I have no desire to retaliate. I want our relationship with one another to be right so much that I am willing to forgive you.”

Conclusion

As you assemble for worship, ask yourself, “Is there anyone with whom I need to speak before continuing with my worship?”

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 20, p. 2
October 17, 1996

By Connie W Adams

We are being told by men of considerable knowledge and influence that the text of Matthew 19:9 is too ambiguous for any of us to be dogmatic about it. Others have reminded us that men of scholarship have taken at least five different positions on the passage. What that is sup-posed to prove escapes me. Men reputed as scholars have taken different views on baptism, music in worship, the nature, work and organization of the church, and a host of other things.

Scholars have been known to grind personal axes. Commentators have been known to do a pretty good job with many passages only to lose their objectivity when some passage militates against one of their theological sacred cows. Then watch out!

The church at Corinth was instructed to “deliver unto Satan” the fornicator in its midst. “Put away from among yourselves that wicked person” (1 Cor. 5:1-13). Before they could do that they had to be able to deter-mine what a fornicator actually is. In verse one Paul said this man “had his father’s wife.” He had a woman he had no right to have. That made him a fornicator. Paul knew what to do about it and taught them the same thing. We do not know if the woman’s husband was churlish or genteel. Was he much older than she and not able to gratify her sexual appetites? Had she and her husband’s son established a “meaningful relationship”? Could they both repent of the sin, then have the woman get a divorce so they could marry and live happily ever after while the brother then enjoyed the fellowship of the church at Corinth? Have I missed something here? Was the matter ambiguous to Paul? When he got through writing them what is found in chapter 5, was it ambiguous to them? The evidence from the second letter is that they clearly understood what he wrote and attended to the matter so completely that Paul then wrote them urging them to accept his repentance.

The family is generally considered the foundation of all orderly society. It was designed by God for the blessedness of mankind. Upon the basis of stable, godly families the fate of nations hangs, to say nothing of the welfare of the church. The general rule is that if a woman marries another man while her husband lives, she “shall be called an adulteress” but if he is dead she “shall not be called an adulteress” even though “married to another man” (Rom. 7:1-4). I believe I understand that. Do you?

Now, Matthew 19:9 says, “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her that is put away doth commit adultery.” Now whence come the ambiguity? Well, maybe it is the word “whosoever” for surely that does not include an alien sinner. “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17). Does that include the alien? Well, yes, but you see … Yes, I see all right. Someone has an axe to grind on Matthew 19:9 but not on Revevelation 22:17.

“Shall put away his wife.” Is that the cause of the uncertainty?

“Except it be for fornication.” Here is the exception to the general rule stated in Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18 and Romans 7:1-4. Jesus said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John. 3:3). If that “except” is ambiguous then none of us can be assured of entering the kingdom.

“And shall marry another.” Is that the area of ambiguity? Here is a man who puts away his wife and marries another. Do you get that? I think I do.

“Committeth adultery.” If I did not know better I would surely think the Lord was telling us that a man who puts away his wife and marries another commits adultery! “Except it (the putting away) be for fornication.”

“Whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” Any man who puts away his wife (except for fornication) and marries another commits adultery and whoever marries one who is put away commits adultery.

Pray tell, where is the ambiguity? You know it sounds just like the Lord said, “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” Now, brethren, you just can’t make Romans 14 elastic enough to justify either the one who puts away his wife (except for fornication) or the one who marries the one who is put away.

Since the Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures, then whose fault is it if something as serious as adultery and the stability of the marriage union is in doubt because of ambiguity? If one or ten thousand scholars take other views than what the Holy Spirit guided Matthew to write, then we would do well to ignore them and stick with what the text says.

Too ambiguous for any of us to be dogmatic! What next?

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 20, p. 3-4
October 17, 1996

By Robert F. Turner

In my boyhood days my hometown in Kentucky was a trade center. Each Saturday and on county court Mondays farmers brought their produce to town for sale. They used the opportunity to trade pocket knives, hound dogs, two-dollar pistols, and hard liquor.

Most farmers were proud of their products. They guaranteed fresh eggs, and if you wanted a watermelon you could “plug it” before you paid for it. That sweet red sliver from deep inside the melon was your earnest of good things to come.

Even today a reputable dealer stands behind his merchandise. He is happy to have you investigate his wares, for he believes in them. What would you think of a store that refused to allow its weights and measures to be checked against the standards? Who is angered by your desire to “plug” his product? Hmmmmm!!

But you and I know churches that are angered if their practice is questioned in the light of God’s word, the admitted standard in religion. Is a preacher or elder to be trusted who by sheer weight of position or popular approval states his case then denies all appeals for proof fromthe Scriptures? And what of those who refuse to read or study any other view?

We hold that truth is verified by an appeal to the standard of truth. My conceptions of the church, its organization, and work will shine more brightly when investigated in the light of God’s word  if my conclusions are right. If I am wrong, yet truly desirous of serving God, the uncovering of my error is my gain  something devoutly desired.

A proper attitude (humility) welcomes investigation and correction. But the arrogant, puffed with “party” pride, and those uncertain and fearful of their position cannot afford to have their doctrines “plugged.” Plunge the sword of the Spirit into this melon, and its source of human tradition or social gospel is revealed. “Come Let Us Reason Together” is an empty slogan for decoration of bulletins, etc., but not for use. They are few who welcome the cry: “Sure, you can plug it!” (Reprint from Robert E Turner, Stuff About Things, p. 75, by permission)

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 20, p. 4
October 17, 1996