____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ January 19, 2003 ____________________________________________________ Contents: 1) Why Send for Peter? (Robert F. Turner) 2) What the World by Its Wisdom Cannot Know (Billy Norris) 3) Dr. Spock, Dr. Phil, and God (Al Diestelkamp) 4) News & Notes ____________________________________________________ -1- Why Send for Peter? by Robert F. Turner An angel appeared unto a man named Cornelius. This devout, God-fearing, alms-giving man was praying to God -- as was his custom -- when an angel of God appeared to him in a vision. (You can read it for yourself -- Acts 10.) According to popular conceptions this could mean hallucinations, latter-day revelations, or special divine appointment. An even greater number would say this proved that Cornelius was saved from his sins -- had experienced a "work of grace." I have heard of people "voted into the church" on far less evidence. But the angel was none of these things to Cornelius. The angel told Cornelius to send for Peter, who shall "tell thee what thou oughtest to do"; or "tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved" (See Acts 11:13-f.). Prayers, alms, and devoutness not-withstanding, this man still needed to be saved. Christianity is far more than good citizenship, moral uprightness, or even respect for God. A Christian has all of this, and more; but these things are found among many who have not yet become followers of Jesus Christ and hence have neither salvation from past sins nor hope for Heaven. This lesson is especially needed by those who have placed their hope for Heaven in the "Great Architect" and welfare work of a lodge. But why send for Peter? Could not the angel tell Cornelius all he needed to know? Or the Holy Spirit -- did not this miraculous out-pouring do all that should be done for him? When Peter began to speak (11:15), the Holy Spirit was indeed poured out upon these Gentiles -- a marvelous thing for Peter and those Jews with him to behold. Until recently they had thought the gospel was for Jews only (See 10:9-16, 25-29; 11:1-4). It took this demonstration of divine acceptance (as subjects of the gospel) to convince the Jews that the gospel was for all nations (10:44-f., 11:15-f.). But now that they were proven proper subjects of the gospel, there remained the task of preaching to them and urging those who would to obey. People must be taught of God -- so they may hear, learn and come (Jn. 6:45). We draw nigh to God through the word of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:17-f.). What the angel or Holy Spirit could do was hedged about by divine regulations. God had placed His truth in "earthen vessels" (2 Cor. 4:7) that its divine origin might be the more apparent. It was not His will then or now that heavenly messengers deliver the story of salvation to the world. It was "once for all" delivered to inspired men, and through them to the written form in which we now find it (Jude 3, Eph. 3:1-f., 2 Pet. 1:14-f.). Peter did exactly what God intended he should do: He preached the good news of Christ to Cornelius and his household and baptized those who gladly received the word. Note, "he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord" (Acts 10:48). Cornelius was not saved -- was not a Christian -- until he heard, believed and obeyed the gospel of Christ. -- Via Plain Talk, July 1964 ____________________________________________________ -2- What the World by Its Wisdom Cannot Know by Billy Norris There is much the world can know by its wisdom, as demonstrated by its tremendous advances in the technological age in which we live. Yet there is so much of vital importance the world will never know by its wisdom. The World by Its Wisdom Cannot Know God There is strong evidence of God in nature. "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork" (Psalms 19:1). Nature testifies to the existence of God, but it does not declare the full revelation of God to man. Among the ancients, many of the world's greatest thinkers were without a true knowledge of God. This does not mean that the world was totally indifferent to the idea of God, for men of all ages have been interested in religion and worship some object. Some of the ancient philosophers taught that there is no God. Most taught a plurality of gods, ranging from the sun and heavenly bodies to things of the earth -- man-made images, or glorified beings with passions as that of human beings. In all of their profound thinking, they still did not know the true God. Socrates taught that God "was one, immutable, and the Creator of all things," and yet he admitted that, while he knew what God was not, he knew not what He was. He taught that the people should worship the gods of their own community. Yet some of the community gods were characterized by the corrupt passions of human beings. In the temple of Corinth, a thousand priestesses were on hand to satisfy sexual, lustful desires in the act of worship. Paul states emphatically that the world in its wisdom did not know God. "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe" (I Corinthians 1:21). The World by Its Wisdom Cannot Know God's Great Scheme of Redemption In His infinite wisdom, God deliberately determined His requirements for salvation to destroy the wisdom of the wise. "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written: `I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent" (I Corinthians 1:18,19). God requires today that all believe that Jesus is His Son and man's only Savior (Matthew 17:5). Many in their own wisdom refuse to believe in Christ the Son of God. In their refusal, they condemn themselves to die in their sins. "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24). God requires today that men repent and turn away from their sinful ways to walk in the footsteps of Christ, to change their lives from evil to good. "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). To many whose decisions are made by the wisdom of the world, such a requirement is contrary to their way of life and, consequently, completely unacceptable. God further requires today that the penitent believer be baptized for the remission of sins. "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). The reasoning of the world sees no connection between baptism in water and remission of sins. Such a requirement appears foolish. Even many religious people who claim to be guided by the word of God rebel at the idea of baptism for the remission of sins. To them, salvation is by faith alone, salvation at the point of faith. If this position is true, not only is baptism not essential, but also repentance, and everything else that God requires for the sinner's justification. In its own wisdom, the world will never know God's plan of salvation for the alien sinner. The World by Its Wisdom Cannot Know and Appreciate the High Moral Principles of God An excerpt from the sermon on the mount gives an example of these principles: "You have heard that it was said of those of old. `You shall not commit adultery,' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart;' Furthermore, it has been said, `Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery" (Matthew 5:27-32). The world in it wisdom does not know this standard of moral conduct. The World by Its Wisdom Cannot Know the True Worship of God The world's idea of public worship has been extravagantly showy, entertaining, and, in some cases, sensual. Christ taught the requirements of true worship. "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). When one worships God "in spirit," he or she worships in reverential awe, in humble recognition of God as worthy of all praise and adoration. When one worships in truth, it will be according to the guidance God has given in His word. It will certainly not be in worship of man as if he were God (Acts 10:25,26). If one depends upon all the wisdom the world has to offer, he may be judged wise, but he still will not know how to please God and reach heaven. He will not know "the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (II Timothy 3:15). -- via Gospel Guide, Russellville, AL ____________________________________________________ -3- Dr. Spock, Dr. Phil, and God by Al Diestelkamp During the decade of the 60's when our children were born, almost every new mother had her own copy of a book by Dr. Benjamin Spock. Whenever a question arose about the health and well-being of children he was the one to turn to. Regarding medical advice, his was as good--and perhaps better--than most. However, in his later years he lent his considerable influence to the crusade against spanking children as a means of discipline. Many parents, accustomed to following his advice in other matters, "swallowed" his psychology-based doctrine, rejecting the clear instruction of God's word regarding discipline. Today another advice-giving "doctor" has emerged on the scene. Phillip McGraw, PhD, better known as "Dr. Phil," is not a medical doctor, and his advice is not strictly about the care of children, but deals with all kinds of relationship issues. Dr. Phil gained popularity as a weekly guest on the Oprah Winfrey TV show. His straight-talking style along with his wit and cordial Texan drawl made him an instant hit. As a result he now has his own immensely popular TV show. I like Dr. Phil. So do a lot of other people. However, his advice, which happens to be right much of the time, is rooted in psychology rather than the word of God. The fact that he is so likable must not distract us from the rejecting his advice when it is not in compliance with the Bible. Take, for example, the issue of spanking children. Though he does not come across as adamant as some, he clearly does not approve of spanking. He devoted an entire show to the issue and questioned the effectiveness of the practice. In response to a couple who believed and practiced spanking of their unruly child, he said, "If it works so well, why are you here?" In other words, because the child still was somewhat difficult and disruptive, he concluded that their spankings were not effective. I doubt that he would apply that same test to parents who sit down with their child and tell him how much his behavior "disappoints" them. Or will he conclude that "time outs" are ineffective because the child continues to misbehave? I do not advocate spanking because it's what my parents did to me, or even because my wife and I used that method of correction on our children. I advocate it because our Creator has revealed in His word that it is what is best for the child, the home and society. The Holy Spirit inspired one to write, "we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect" (Heb. 12:9). He went on to note that "no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but grievous" (vs. 12). I don't get the impression that the "grievous" chastening was limited to "time out" and talk. It is distressing to see some Christians taking worldly advice over the truth of God's word. They've read: "He who spares his rod hates his son" (Prov. 13:34); "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it far from him" (Prov. 22:15); "Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, and deliver his soul from hell" (Prov. 23:13-14). They've read these, but the question is, do they believe God, or Dr. Phil? -- via Think on These Things, October-November-December, 2002 ____________________________________________________ -4- News & Notes We want to be remembering Blanche Thompson (of Cochranville, PA) in prayer for the surgery she'll be having this Friday (1/24). It will be to improve an artery in her neck that has been giving her trouble due to some blockage. Let us pray that all will work out fine. Also, Blanche's husband Joe (who is 86) can also use our prayers. His health has been poor for a long time, but he has been feeling even worse this last month. ____________________________________________________ MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST 1022 Myrtle Street Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 664-8208 Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM Wednesday: 7:00 PM evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520 e-mail: tedwards@onemain.com web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go ____________________________________________________