Truth Magazine

By Joe R. Price

Unquestionably, those who commit suicide were troubled in heart. Our sympathy goes out to those whose lives have been affected by the suicide of a relative or loved one. We also want to understand what God’s word says about suicide so that we can make godly decisions about it. Everyone of us will face despair and trouble in this life. Is suicide how God would have us deal with despair, pain and trouble in our lives? Are there alternatives to suicide?

The Bible does not paint a pleasant or supportive picture of suicide. While more and more people are openly advocating their “right” to commit suicide, the Bible nowhere offers suicide as an option for the right-thinking man or woman. Life is a precious gift which God has given us. We are neither to murder others, nor are we to inflict a fatal wound upon ourselves. Those who advocate suicide reveal a diminished view of life and humanity, who have been made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27; 2:7). Suicide is an act of selfishness. It does not consider its impact upon those it leaves behind.

Suicide is the result of utter despair. Experts tell us that overwhelming feelings of helpless, haplessness, and hopelessness are the warning signs of suicide. There were people in the Bible who reached a point in their lives that the only option they could see was to kill themselves. Notable among these was Judas (Matt. 27:1-5). His hopeless attitude can be contrasted with Peter, who denied Jesus three times, but repented of his sins and was restored (Luke 22:31-34, 54-62). Life is never as hopeless, and we are never as helpless, as we may think. We must learn to trust in God instead of ourselves!

Suicide is often contemplated when one sees no clear resolution of our troubles. Elijah’s life was under the threat of murder from queen Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1-4). The Philippian jailer thought his prisoners had escaped, which meant certain doom for him, so he prepared to kill himself (Acts 16:26-27). The problem is that just because we do not see a solution to our troubles does not mean there is not one — or that God is through with us here on earth. God still had many things for Elijah to do (1 Kings 19:15-18). If the jailer had killed himself he would not have been saved (Acts 16:28-34). Although Paul wanted to be with Christ, he knew there was still much for him to do in this life, so he committed himself to being faithful to Jesus (Phil. 1:21-25).

Physical suffering drives many to kill themselves while they still have life. Although Job longed for death rather than his life which at the moment was filled with pain, agony, and humiliation, he endured, and he was ultimately blessed beyond measure (Job 3; 6:8-11; 7:15-16; 42:10-17). It was not the quality of life which made Job’s life precious, it was life itself! He learned (like we must) that there are many things that God does which we must accept in faith (Job 42:1-6). If Job had killed himself he would have shown a lack of faith in God and trust in his own opinion of how  things were. We should learn from Job not to think that we have all the answers. Paul did not allow his physical disability to lead him to the depths of despair and suicide, but to the heights of faith and service (2 Cor. 12:7-10)! We must trust God even when things look helpless to us. God is great and does great things for those who fear him (Heb. 13:5-6). Many astounding things have been accomplished by people who would not give up. In Christ we do not have to resort to suicide, we are more than conquerors in Christ! (Rom. 8:37-39). You are important to God, so live for Him!

335 Park Pl., Lynden, Washington 98264

By Bobby Graham

For many years it has been the contention of religious liberals that the Bible is not the very word of God, but that the existential moment that one has with that word can sometimes make it God’s word to him for that time. They have historically viewed the Scriptures as the product of man’s search for God, setting forth man’s ideas about God rather than God’s will for him.

In more recent time liberals among God’s people have contended that Jesus is our pattern instead of New Testament Scriptures. This contention has been born out of the crucible of religious controversy, which also have produced a call for a “new hermeneutic.” It is for the benefit of all, particularly those who insist that he is our pattern over Scripture, that we here address the idea that Jesus viewed the Scriptures in a certain way. Of course, the Scriptures available to him were those of the Old Testament. A later article will examine his use of the Scriptures, in relation to the recent call for this “new hermeneutic.” 

1. Jesus viewed the Scriptures as the word that came from God. In Mark 7:10-13 it becomes clear that this is Jesus’ understanding of them. He dealt with the Jewish practice of neglecting parents in need by a dedicating of their means to God. In the context he referred to what Moses had said in the accounts of Exodus and Deuteronomy, and he then accused the Jews of making void the word of God through their tradition in this matter and in other matters. Jesus obviously said that the writings of Moses were equivalent to God’s word. He did not here refer to its becoming God’s word to them at some time when their awareness of its impact suddenly dawned. It was God’s word even while they were guilty of rejecting it in their lives.

2. It was the inerrant and verbally inspired word to Jesus. By “inerrant” the writer means “free from error,” and “verbally inspired” means the very words employed by the writers were endorsed by the Spirit as the product of God’s mind. In Matthew 22:31-32 Jesus replied to the enigmatic case of the woman married seven times, as presented by the Sadducees to overcome any idea of a resurrection from the dead or of a spirit surviving death. His reply began with a citation of what God said to Moses at the burning bush: “I am the God of Abraham . . . ,” because Jesus desired to stress the present tense of the verb — “am.” His point was that God is eternally existent, and he based this contention upon the tense of a verb. If Jesus did not believe in the inspiration and inerrancy of the words used in the Scriptures, then his argument falls flat. (A similar instance occurs in Paul’s explanation of Jesus Christ as the singular seed of Abraham — through whom the entire world can be blessed. He built his case on the singular (as opposed to plural) number of the noun used.)

3. He understood the Scriptures to be authoritative and obligatory. In John 10:35 he declared, “The Scripture cannot be broken.” The traditions of the fathers did not begin to approach this same level. It is quite impossible to deny successfully that Jesus accepted the Scriptures absolutely as the word given by the Father — undiluted and undiminished. Before anyone trifles with the word of truth found in the Bible, he must first contend with Jesus’ teaching that it bears the authority of God on its face and is incumbent upon all human beings in its declarations, promises, and warnings. In this connection he often said that either certain events in his life or his entire ministry fulfilled various Old Testament passages (Matt. 4:14; 21:5; Luke 4:21; 24:27).

4. Jesus believed the Scriptures to be historically true. How else can anyone explain his use of the Old Testament incidents in efforts to teach people? He obviously accepted the historical accuracy of Moses and other Old Testament writers without reservation. His allusions to the creation in Matthew 19:4, to the flood in Noah’s day in Matthew 24:37-38, to the incident of Jonah and the great fish in Matthew 12:40, and to the repentance of the people in Nineveh in Matthew 12:41 all depend upon his acceptance of the historically accurate accounts of which they are a part. Other Old Testament events/persons (Abel, Elijah, Elisha, and Daniel) could also be cited in his teaching as sharing in this endorsement.

5. Jesus believed that the Scriptures were divine teaching in their entirety and vitally beneficial in their effect. Notice that Jesus said that people should live by the words coming from God; that is, life is dependent upon them in Matthew 4:4. In the immediate context we see Satan’s misuse of the Scriptures pitted against Jesus’ correct employment of them, forcing the conclusion that there are right and wrong ways to interpret and use the Scriptures. Satan obviously wrongly construed them in some instances, whereas Jesus interpreted them correctly and used them accordingly.

The view that Jesus held of the Scriptures — a high and lofty one — should dictate our view. Such a high regard for the words that God has given will affect our interpretation of them, our use of them, and our response to them.

24978 Bubba Trail, Athens Alabama 35613 bobbylgraham@juno.com

By Ron Halbrook

When should a person be baptized? When he understands and accepts the gospel of Christ in his heart, or some time later?

Infants and young children should wait. The Bible does not teach infant baptism. The Great Commission says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Faith must precede baptism, but infants and small children do not yet have the ability to understand — much less believe the gospel. 

At some age, we reach an understanding of right and wrong and we have the ability to make a moral choice between the two. It is not merely a matter of choosing to obey our parents, and receiving their approval, or to disobey them, and receiving their disapproval. It is a matter of choosing in a deeper sense, making a moral choice between right and wrong. When a person reaches that age of responsibility and chooses to break the commandments of God, he becomes guilty of sin. Thus, the Bible says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

Christ died to save us from the guilt and condemnation of our sins. His death provided a perfect sacrifice for sin: Sin was punished in such a way as to offer pardon to the sinner. He died for our sins, but he did no sin. This is the basis of salvation rather than any merit in ourselves (John 3:16; Rom. 5:6-8).

Salvation is offered to all men but not forced upon anyone. The conditions upon which we make the choice to receive or to reject salvation include faith in Christ, repenting of sin, confessing Jesus as God’s Son, and being immersed in water by his command (Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:10). There is no merit in man when he accepts these conditions, but he throws himself upon God’s love, mercy, and grace by yielding to these conditions. 

When we accept the truth of the gospel in our mind, should we delay our baptism until later? No, we should be baptized immediately! Just accepting the truth in our hearts will not save us, for we are not saved by faith alone (Jas. 2:24). We must immediately repent of our sins (Acts 2:38), immediately confess Jesus as God’s Son (Acts 8:37; Rom. 10:9-10), and immediately be baptized for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38-41). 

In Acts 2:40-41, the sinners were baptized “the same day” when they believed the truth — they did not wait. In Acts 8:35-38, the eunuch was baptized as soon as he believed the gospel and confessed Christ — he did not wait. In Acts 16:32-34, the jailer was baptized “the same hour of the night” — he did not wait. In Acts 22:16, Ananias told Saul, “And now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” — he did not wait. 

Why did they not wait? Because until they were baptized, they were still lost in their sins. If they died before being baptized, they would have been lost forever! When a person learns his house is on fire, does he leave immediately or does he wait until a later time to leave? He leaves immediately because he does not want to risk his life! When a person learns the truth of the gospel and knows he is lost in sin (his spiritual house is on fire!), he needs to obey immediately — without delay! We do not know when our life may end through disease or sudden accident, nor when the Lord will return. To obey the gospel is urgent! 

The denominations delay baptism because they teach that a person is saved the moment he believes in Christ, but such teaching is from Satan. We are saved by faith, but only when faith acts to receive forgiveness in baptism. We are not saved by faith only (Jas. 2:24). Dear sinner friend, flee the denominations with their “faith only” doctrine. Obey the original gospel of Christ — be forgiven through the blood of Christ — let him add you to the church of Christ — receive a home in heaven at the side of Christ!

3505 Horse Run Ct., Shepherdsville, Kentucky 40165-6954)

By John Isaac Edwards

The average American life span is 76.5 years. According to the National Institute on Aging, “currently no treatments, drugs, or pills are known to slow aging or extend life in humans.” The Bible, however, discusses some things that can add years to your life.

1. Respect for God. The wise man said, “The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened” (Prov. 10:27). Ever wonder why some live longer than others? It may be that some have more respect for God than others.

2. Keeping the Commandments of God. Poetry literature says, “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee” (Prov. 3:1-2). Been keeping the commandments?

3. Honoring Your Parents. Paul penned, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth” (Eph. 6:1-3). No telling how many young people have been sent to an early grave because they failed to show proper respect for their parents.

Remember it’s not how long, but how well one lives that counts!