____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ April 9, 2000 ____________________________________________________ Artificial Distinctions by Robert F. Turner I have never cared for ``red letter editions'' of the New Testament -- that print the ``words of Jesus'' in red -- for this makes an artificial distinction between quotations assigned to the Lord and what the Lord teaches us through His chosen messengers. John 16:12-13 reads (in red letters, no less): ``I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.'' Jesus specifically states that He did not speak in His personal ministry all things He would have us know. He promised the Holy Spirit to these Apostles to guide them into all the truth; and except we give the same heed to their message as we give to the ``red letter'' passages, we are not getting what Jesus wanted us to have. Verse 14 reads, ``He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.'' Just prior to the Lord's ascension He met with the Apostles, opening their understanding of the Old Testament scriptures, and saying, ``Ye are witnesses of these things (Fulfillment, rt). And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high'' (Luke 24:45, 48-49). When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Apostles (Acts 2) and they ``began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance,'' they then had access to the ``all truth'' Jesus had promised. Peter's reply to the heart-pricked mob--''Repent, and be baptized every one of you....'' (Acts 2:38)--is as much the teaching of Jesus Christ as any passage printed in ``red letters.'' Another concept, common among many but equally damaging to the reception of our Lord's will, is the artificial distinction in the Lord's teaching and ``church doctrine'' or ``ordinances.'' Baptism, the Lord's Supper, Prayer, etc., are as much a part of the teaching of the Lord as are the beatitudes, the ``golden rule,'' or other portions of the sermon on the mount. The true church of Christ is not the source of any binding doctrine; i.e., binding doctrines do not rest upon the authority of the church. Those doctrines that have originated among men, such as infant sprinkling, confession to and absolution by a ``priesthood,'' and mystical concepts about the Lord's Supper are erroneous and vain. But false ``church doctrines'' concerning baptism, etc., do not invalidate the teachings of Christ on these subjects. Christ said (in red letters), ``He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved....'' (Mark 16:16). We observe the Lord's Supper, not because the ``church'' commands it, but because the Lord commanded it (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-f). The true church rests upon Christ's authority and teaching (Matt. 16:18,18:15-f). If you think you can ``follow Christ'' but ignore his teaching, think again! -- Via Plain Talk, October 1968 ___________________________________________ This Is a Hard Saying by Ed Brand Jesus taught men to be careful how they hear or read the word of God. To the disciples, He cautioned, ``With what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you'' (Mk. 4:24). He had been teaching the crowd in parables, (the soils, the sower, and the mustard seed). Men are responsible for what they hear: ``Who hath ears to hear, let him hear'' (vs 9). To the lawyer who made trial of Him, He asked, ``How readest thou?'' (Lk. 10:26). He replied: ``Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.'' Jesus then said, ``Thou hast answered right: this do and thou shalt live.'' Jesus hit an exposed nerve. This man knew what Scripture said, but he did not agree with what he read. It was hard for him. Read the next verse to see his reaction. There are many such ``hard'' verses in the word of God. If you read much in the Bible, you will run across one before long. These ``hard'' verses can usually be divided into at least three categories. 1). Sometimes the passage is hard because we don't have all the information we need to reach a conclusion. Why did Jacob decide to keep Leah as his wife (Gen 29:21-28)? He had agreed with Laban for Rachel and worked for her seven years (Gen. 29:20). Why didn't he tell Laban, ``No deal!''? Instead, he became a bigamist. I wish I knew more about this, don't you? 2). Some passages seem to contradict a cherished ideal or doctrine. The disciples heard Jesus reply to the Pharisees' question about Moses and divorce (Mt. 19:1-9). When Jesus gave His analysis of divorce and remarriage, He stipulated only one cause for such: ``except for fornication.'' The disciples replied, ''...it is not expedient to marry'' (vs. 10). If Moses allowed divorce and subsequent remarriage, this new teaching is so hard that it would be better not to marry at all. It is possible to have the same feelings as the disciples when I read something which contradicts what I already believe. When my mind becomes so inflexible I cannot accept what a passage clearly teaches, I am controlled by tradition, not truth. Each person must so read and hear that all truth is honored and accepted. 3). A few passages are hard because they conflict with my own desire. Have you ever read a passage you wish read differently? When Scripture conflicts with lifestyle, the result may be Scripture is too hard to obey. For example, the prevalence of sexual promiscuity indicates many people find pleasure in casual sex. With great clarity, Scripture proclaims this unacceptable and sinful (1 Cor. 6: 9-10). It then becomes ``hard'' in application, not in understanding. By far, the best thing to do is accept and obey the ``words of life'' which come from Jesus and His men. No matter how ``hard.'' -- Via Think on These Things, January-February-March, 1998 ___________________________________________ Is School Out for You? by Steve Klein School is out for the summer. Yesterday was the last full day of school for my children. As I write this, many children are thankful to be free from books, lectures, tests and term papers. They are looking forward to a summer of play, rest or even work -- anything but school! Teachers will notice next fall how much knowledge has been lost over the summer. During the first few days of the next school year, many fundamentals will have to be reviewed and relearned. Certainly there will have been little or no educational advancement over the summer. Many who are Christians suffer from a sort of permanent ``school's out'' mentality. At some point, early on in their spiritual education, they learned the spiritual fundamentals. But they did not stay in school (so to speak). They've ceased seeking to grow in knowledge. They've stopped using or reviewing much of the knowledge they have. For them, school is out permanently. The Hebrews had this sort of disposition. After having been Christians a good long while, they had failed to progress in their spiritual education. The Lord was not pleased. Through inspiration He told them, ``For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food'' (Hebrews 5:12). God expects His children to stay in school. It doesn't matter how much one knows or thinks he knows. ``Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning'' (Proverbs 9:9). If you don't think you are suffering from ``school's out'' syndrome, take this test. Ask yourself, ``Have I LEARNED anything new about God's will in the last six months?'' Have I advanced? Have I gained a better understanding of some things I already knew? Do I study my Bible regularly? Do I prepare for Bible classes? Do I often engage in stimulating Bible discussions with friends, family or co-workers? If your answer to any of these questions is ``NO,'' you need to go back to school. If you answered with all ``yes'' answers, make sure you stay in school! -- Via The Exhorter, May 30, 1999 ___________________________________________ What Does God Want? by Leon Mauldin Have you ever struggled with this question, ``What does God want from me?'' Different answers are given. Some conclude that what God wants is for us to be good people morally. Others suppose that if they make a monetary contribution to a church, that surely God will be pleased. Still others would presume that if they donate some of their time to a good cause, that surely God's intentions for them would be satisfied. There is some validity to each of these answers. God does require moral purity in heart, thought, word, dress and conduct. Further, Christians are told to give generously each first day of the week, that the work God has assigned to the church may be discharged (I Corinthians 16:1-2). And certainly the command to redeem the time calls for careful and wise stewardship of each day that God grants unto us (Ephesians 5:16). But if we stop with any one or even all of these, we have fallen short of what God really wants. The story is told of the pig and chicken who observed the plight of a poor, hungry man. They were moved with compassion for him. ``I think we should give him a meal,'' said the chicken. ``Me, too,'' the pig responded. ``What did you have in mind?'' ``Well,'' replied the chicken, ``I thought we would give him some ham and eggs!'' To which the pig retorted, ``Now wait a minute. I'll have to think about that a while. What you are proposing requires only a donation from you, but it calls for total commitment from me!'' My friend, what God wants is not so much a donation from you; what He wants is YOU! When Paul described the Christians of Macedonia, he said they ``first gave themselves to the Lord'' (II Corinthians 8:5). That, my friend, is the key to it! What God wants from you is an attitude that says, ``Speak, Lord, for your servant hears'' (I Samuel 3:9). What God wants is ``Christ in you, the hope of glory'' (Colossians 1:27). Have you given yourself to the Lord? -- Via The Old Path II, June 7, 1998 ___________________________________________ NEWS & NOTES It is good to now be living in Willowdale, PA, and working with the Avondale church of Christ. I appreciate the help of all who lent a hand in my moving to this new location. Thank you! You were a big help! The 26' U-Haul was so packed, I had to shove things in just to slide down the back door. Everything is now pretty much organized in my cottage. For our sick list, we want to continue remembering the following people in prayer for a complete and speedy recovery: Ryan, the nephew of Robin and Brady Bates; David Frame; Joe and Blanche Thompson; Margaret Mosier; and Glenda Combs. (Though Glenda is now back with us, she has still been experiencing some inner ear trouble.) My new address: 125 W. Street Rd., Kennett Square, PA 19348 (Be sure to spell out ``Street,'' but you can abbreviate ``West'' and ``Road.'') My phone number: (610) 925-3567 If you are visiting with us this day, we want you to know that we are glad you are here! Please come again! ________________________________________ Avondale CHURCH OF CHRIST P.O. Box 421 1606 Glen Willow Rd., Avondale, PA 19311 (610) 268-2088 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 11:00 A.M. Worship 6:00 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:00 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (610) 925-3567 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________