____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ August 29, 1993 ____________________________________________________ "Slain In The Spirit" by Carroll R. Sutton Something that is called ``Being slain in the Spirit'' is being practiced by some Pentecostals and Neo-Pentecostals and is being popularized by ``Tele-evangelists'' such as Oral Roberts, Benny Hinn, etc. These false teachers have concocted the expression. ``Being slain in the Spirit'' to describe those who lay down, fall down or (as is sometimes the case) are shoved down because they are in a certain emotional state when a false teacher has them under his influence and control. Roberts, Hinn, etc. claim that those people are ``slain'' by the power of the Holy Ghost. Does God's word teach (or authorize) such a practice? There are several passages in the Old Testament that mention being ``slain.'' For example, we find the expressions ``Slain by the sword,'' (cf. Ezek. 31:18; 32:21, 25, 26, 31; Jer. 18:21). ``Slain with the sword,'' (cf. 2 Chron. 23:14; Lam. 4:9; Ezek. 31:17; 35:8), and ``Slain with hunger,'' (cf. Lam. 4:9). In the New Testament we find ``Slain by the sword'' in Heb. 11:37 in reference to men and women in the Old Testament period who suffered because of their faith and truth in God. There are references to ``the slain of the Lord,'' (cf. Jer. 25:33; Isa. 66:16). There are hundreds of passages that mention the idea of ``slaying'' and ``being slain'' and there are hundreds of passages that mention ``the Spirit.'' However, there is not ONE passage that mentions ``being slain in the Spirit!'' This expression is the figment of someone's imagination. It is not found in the Scriptures! Consider the following facts. 1. There is NO precept (i.e., command or statement) in the New Testament where a believer (or unbeliever) should be or may be ``slain in the Spirit!'' 2. There is NO necessary implication that a person should or may be ``slain in the Spirit!'' 3. There is NO inspired example where a person was ever ``slain in the Spirit!'' 4. The passages often used by the promoters of ``Being slain in the Spirit'' do not mention being ``slain,'' or they do not mention ``in the Spirit'' or they do not mention either! Strange, isn't it? Your New Testament does NOT teach that the Holy Spirit physically knocks people down because they are under His influence or in His presence! Don't be deceived by those who claim that ``people are being slain in the Spirit.'' ``Prove all things: hold fast that which is good'' (1 Thess. 5:21). ___________________________________________ When...? When should we start saving souls? ``I'm gonna convert somebody someday!'' (``gonna'' is not in the dictionary, ``somebody'' isn't in the phone book, ``someday'' isn't on any calendar...) It is difficult to get young married couples to do personal work. It is more difficult to get middle-aged adults to teach home studies. It is almost impossible to get older adults to change their ways. Everyone finds it easier to make excuses than to busy themselves in the Master's Kingdom. In the summer we say, ``Wait until school starts and we get back to the more regular routine.'' When school starts we say, ``Wait until summer when we will have more time for church work.'' When it is summer, it is too hot. In the winter it is too cold. When we are young we want to wait until we are finished with school or get married, or ``settle down.'' When we are older we wish we had begun before we had to work so hard and when we could learn easier. On and on, excuses are made and souls are lost. There will never be a convenient time for doing the Lord's work. Pick out a close friend and constantly watch for opportunities to teach the Gospel. Study 2 Tim. 2:24-25 thoroughly in order to develop the proper attitude for personal evangelism. If your attitude is correct, you (through the Word of God) will never offend him and you will have done the Lord's will. You will never learn until you try... and the time to begin is NOW! -- Selected ___________________________________________ "'Behold, days are coming,' says the Lord, 'when I will effect a new covenant with the house of Israel and with...Judah; not like the covenant...I made their fathers....'" (Hebrews 8:8). ___________________________________________ The Complete Truth by Tom Edwards I think it was about 20 years ago when I heard a comedian pretending to be a sports newscaster and saying something to the following effect: ``Now here are a few of the baseball scores around our nation today: 5 to 2, 8 to 3, 7 to 1, 9 to 4, and 6 to 5.'' Though these numbers could have been representing actual baseball scores, do they not seem silly without mentioning the teams with whom they correspond? Sometimes just part of the truth is not enough. Though we live in a time in which many people favor a ``smorgasbord''-type religion, the Lord has never given man the right to pick and choose his own form of worship if he truly wants to please God. When Jesus told the woman at the well that one must worship in ``spirit and in truth,'' He was emphasizing not only the need to have the right attitude--from the heart--but also to do so in accordance with the truth of God's word. Both are important. True worship cannot be of just one without the other. How often, though, have we become guilty of not observing all in which the Lord has commanded us? Remember, Jesus said that ``...Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God'' (Matt. 4:4). To only observe part of God's word--to the neglect of the remainder--is actually disobedience. This we see illustrated in King Saul who was commanded to destroy all the Amalekites, along with their oxen, sheep, camel, and donkeys (1 Sam. 15). According to the account, Saul destroyed every person, but Agag, the king of the Amalekites; and he also spared the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good (v. 9). Though it appears that Saul did most of what God required, his lack of complete obedience actually resulted in disobedience; and God was sorry that he had made Saul king (v. 11). Let us each learn to accept the whole truth, to rightly divide it, and to rightly apply it; for if we want our lives to be complete with meaning, we must believe in and live according to the complete truth of God's word. ___________________________________________ Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth by Tom Edwards In studying God's word, we need to consider not just the text, but also the context; not just the speaker, but also to whom the speaker is addressing; and not just the requirement, command, or blessing, but to whom does this requirement, command, or blessing apply. Does it pertain to us today? When Jesus said, ``Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you....'' (Matt. 24:9), was the Lord referring to every person who would ever become a child of God? Surely not. For many have come and gone, but have done so without being delivered up to tribulation and killed. We need to be careful that we don't make the blanket statement as some have that ``if it's in the Bible, it is part of the instruction as to how I should live and worship today.'' Many of our religious friends often use verses from the Old Testament to authorize various beliefs or practices that they hold to in our time. Though we can learn much from the Old Testament, do all its numerous laws apply to us today? If they do, then we need to observe the Sabbath day, and put to death those who don't (Exod. 31:15); stone to death adulterers (Lev.20:10), as well as put to death children who curse their father or mother (Lev. 20:9); and what about observing the special feasts in Jerusalem as God's people of old did? On and on we could go, for there are hundreds of laws that God gave during the Old Testament times; but we need to consider to whom He gave those. Are they still for us today? Not according to many verses in the New Testament, such as Ephesians 2:13-16 and Colossians 2:14 which shows that the Lord has abolished the Old Law by His death on the cross. It is the New Covenant that we are to be in subjection to today. Therefore, to go back to the Old Law for the laws we are to live by is to fall from grace--or to cut oneself off from Christ (Gal. 5:4). I once heard an old preacher--who was pointing out how that some wrongly divide the word of truth--tell the story about a person that had been randomly reading in the Scriptures. He first read in Matthew's account, ''...and he [Judas] went out and hanged himself'' (Matt. 27:5). Next, he read the verse in Luke 10:37 that has the Lord making the exhortation to ``Go and do the same.'' Lastly, the man was further prompted after he read in John 13:27 that ''...What you do, do quickly.'' What a fatally wrong conclusion the reader would have come to, had he put these verses together to be applied to himself. Let us study to obtain the full panoramic view of the Scriptures and strive to not only rightly divide it, but also to rightly apply it! ___________________________________________ "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15, NASB). ___________________________________________ The Conqueror No matter how the storms may rage Upon the sea of life, No matter how the waves may beat, No matter what the strife; The Lord is just the same today As when He walked the sea, And He can conquer every storm That life may send to thee. The waves are raging everywhere And men are sore distressed, But all they need is found in Him Who giveth perfect rest; So cast your care upon the Lord Whose strength will never fail, He calms the waves for your frail bark His power will e'er prevail -- Selected ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________