____________________________________________________ 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). ____________________________________________________ October 12, 1997 ____________________________________________________ Denominationalizing the Church (Part Four) by Roy E. Codgill When Paul wrote the Roman letter and said to the Roman brethren, ``The churches of Christ salute you," he was talking about independent, autonomous, churches in their own locality. They were of the same faith and order. They had been planted by the preaching of the same doctrine, ``The doctrine of Christ''; and where the same seed had been sown it produced always the same fruit. The same gospel produced the same kind of Christians and the same kind of churches wherever it was preached. These ``churches of Christ'' were not only of the same faith and order, they were equal and each of them perfectly, completely, and sufficiently constituted the church of Christ. They were identified, and can be today wherever the gospel is preached, by the same designation, teaching, worship, organization and work. But they were not federated into anything. They did not pool their resources and join themselves together either in a human organization or in an amalgamated relationship of any kind. No local church can delegate any part of its resources, work, or responsibility to another local church and have all of its independence, autonomy, and its sufficiency left. This is just as certain as the fact that it takes all of the parts to constitute the whole of anything. Give a part of the parts away and the whole does not remain. Even our ``brain trust,'' Deaver and Warren, would have to agree with that. The organization that characterized these local churches of Christ was as simple and unpretentious as all other elements of the scheme of redemption. God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound and bring to nought them that are wise, indeed (I Cor. 1:27)! We do not have to presume or guess about the organization of the church anymore than we do about the plan of salvation or the simplicity of its worship. In each congregation or church it was God's order that there should be elders, a plurality of them (Acts 14:23). This divine order was for every church. If every church had an eldership in God's divine arrangement, then no eldership had the oversight of anything that belonged to more than one congregation. The only jurisdiction that God ever gave any eldership is the oversight of one church. This is abundantly established by the divine injunctions: ``Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers'' (Acts 20:28); and ``The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed; feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof'' (I Peter 5:1-2). This identified the elders who were to take the oversight and it identified the flock which those elders were to oversee. When elders act in any other capacity, they are acting without authority (ultra vires) and are therefore guilty of lawlessness -- ''iniquity.'' Whenever any eldership anywhere plans a program of work, either in evangelism, benevolence, or edification, that involves in any way another congregation than the one which they are to ``oversee,'' they are acting without divine justification and therefore in defiance of divine authority. We believe with brother E. R. Harper, of the Herald of Truth, when he said a good many years ago in the Tulsa Lectures, which are in print, that no congregation has the right to plan any kind of a program of work for which it is unable to pay. He does not agree with this now but it is still the truth none the less. All such programs as present day ``area conferences'' or on a still bigger scale ``brotherhood conferences or lectureships'' are inter-congregational activities and therefore bigger than God authorized anything to become. When congregations combine their resources, amalgamate their work, or centralize the oversight of their work under any arrangement, something bigger in the way of an organization than a local eldership is essential to direct it. Brethren may put it under an eldership; but when they do, that eldership ceases to be a ``local'' eldership and becomes either an ``area eldership'' or a ``brotherhood eldership.'' This is just as disrespectful toward divine authority as it could be to form a human organization to do the work of the church. This means that such programs as those promoted by the San Fernando Church, viz., The Valley-wide ``Teacher's Training Program,'' or the Valley-wide ``Women's Meeting'' are completely without New Testament sanction or authority. It means that any kind of ``brotherhood wide'' conference planned either by a local church or by a ``Christian College'' is completely unscriptural. There is nothing wrong with people attending the services of a meeting held by another congregation when they are invited to it. Neither is there anything wrong with a meeting in which different speakers do the speaking or preaching. But when plans are made for a program to involve either the membership, resources or facilities of other congregations, someone has transgressed, and is exercising too much authority. It means also that a ``brotherhood wide conference of preachers and elders'' such as that recently held by the Herald of Truth Missionary Society in Abilene is as unscriptural as an ``interdenominational ecumenical conference,'' and for the same reasons. It means that a ``city wide or county wide'' conference among the elders or ``workshop'' for them goes beyond (transgresses) the doctrine of Christ and therefore leaves God behind. Ambitious elders that promote themselves into any such position establish of themselves a ``hierarchy'' just as certainly as if they were Roman Catholic Bishops. Give them time and they will grow into it. It also is true that ``promoting preachers'' who lead elders and congregations into such activity are worse than denominational pastors; they are parish priests and do not resemble either in attitude or work a plain Gospel preacher. Brethren, we should either practice ``speaking where the Bible speaks and being silent where it is silent'' or we should give up the claim and quit talking about it. God's organization in form includes ``elders in every church,'' ``saints, bishops and deacons'' in the local church. In function it calls for the elders over the local church overseeing only the affairs of the local church and no more than that. When they take upon themselves any other function they pervert God's organization and that is just as sinful as changing the form of it. -- December 23, 1965 ___________________________________________ Habakkuk: ``The Righteous Shall Live By His Faith'' Minor Prophets Series #9 By Jon W. Quinn Perhaps of all the minor prophets, Habakkuk's prophecy hits home to many of us. He asks the question that comes to mind when righteous individuals suffer the consequences of living in a sinful society. Is it fair that the righteous suffer due to the faithlessness of their neighbors? Why don't just the criminals suffer for their acts of crime? Why must the innocent also suffer? It is as plain as can be. Throughout history, when governments are corrupt, everyone suffers. When a nation suffers for its immorality, even those who have remained steadfast suffer the consequences of the immorality. We see it plainly in our own society today. Innocent people live in fear in their crime-ridden neighborhoods. Drug addicts and gangs prey upon the innocent to support themselves. Diseases that are spread by immorality find a way to affect even those who have never partaken in the immoral acts which cause them. Corruption and fraud in government costs everybody. Honesty becomes an outdated concept to most. Moral principles and standards as taught in the Scriptures, and those who choose to live by them, are regarded as foolish and mocked by the entertainment and news media. What is in store for our nation? As things grow progressively worse, and society falls apart as our once sacred institutions collapse, must the righteous also suffer with the guilty? The book of Habakkuk both asks and answers that question as well as gives other information concerning such downfalls of nations. Background to Habakkuk ``The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw. `How long, O Lord, will I call for help, and wilt Thou not hear? I cry out unto Thee, "Violence!" Yet Thou dost not save...therefore the law is ignored and justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore, justice comes out perverted'" (HABAKKUK 1:1-4). Habakkuk was written around 612 to 606 B.C. A series of prophets had warned that the consequences of apostasy from God would ultimately lead to the downfall of the nation of Judah and captivity. Habakkuk writes just previous to the beginning of the fulfillment of these warnings. Chaldea, or Babylon, had been growing in power and spreading out to consume the other nations around it. The Assyrians, the ancient enemies of both Israel and Judah, had been conquered by the Chaldeans in 612 B.C. This, too, had been in accordance with the prophecies. As more nations fell to this new empire, it was drawing ever closer to Judah. Habakkuk's message is given just before Judah itself is invaded. The first invasions and the carrying away of the first group of Judah's population will occur in 605 B.C. Judah's fall will be complete in 586 B.C when Jerusalem is destroyed and the last deportation is made. The Reason for Judgment ``Why does Thou make me see iniquity, and cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; strife exists and contention arises'' (HABAKKUK 1:3). The book begins with Habakkuk complaining about the wickedness that pervades the land. In the first four verses he complains about the violence, iniquity, wickedness, destruction, strife, contention, lack of law, and perversion of justice in the land. His is a cry unto God to do something about it. He felt the same sorrow as he witnessed the corruption of Judah as any righteous American feels when he considers America's own similar dilemma. We can well imagine a lump in Habakkuk's throat as he looks at the temple standing in Jerusalem but no longer used to glorify Jehovah. It would be much like hearing the National Anthem of our own country, seeing our flag fluttering in the breeze, and remembering the noble principles upon which our own nation was founded but which now seem to be discarded. Habakkuk thus asks, ``How long will I call for help, and Thou wilt not hear?'' They say to be careful what you ask for because you may get it. God's Answer ``Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days - You would not believe it if you were told. For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that fierce and impetuous people who march throughout the earth to seize dwelling places which are not theirs'' (HABAKKUK 1:5,6). The warnings had been coming for generations. The people had not responded. There had been some good times under good leadership, but much of Judah's history had been like taking two steps backwards for every step forward as far as their spirituality and morality were concerned. So the Lord tells Habakkuk that the time has come. Habakkuk had wanted the Lord to do something drastic, and the Lord informs Habakkuk that this has been His plan all along. He is raising up the Chaldeans to punish Judah for their infidelity. They will fly like an eagle swooping down to devour and collect captives like sand and laugh at every fortress and heap up rubble to capture it (HABAKKUK 1:8-10). Habakkuk had pleaded for the injustice and wickedness to cease in Judah, and God promises it shall for Judah will fall into the hands of Chaldea. Habakkuk's Objection ``Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, and Thou canst not look upon wickedness with favor. Why does Thou look with favor upon those who deal treacherously? Why art Thou silent when the wicked swallow up those who are more righteous than they?" (HABAKKUK 1:13). It is important to see that Habakkuk's objection is based upon his belief in God's justice and righteousness. As wicked as Judah has become, Chaldea is much worse. How could God allow Judah to be punished by giving them into Chaldea's hands? At least there are a few righteous persons left in Judah. What will happen to them when the Chaldeans invade? And will not this be looked upon by the Chaldeans as some kind of reward? That they can get by with being as wicked as they want to be and gain from it at the same time? The Lord's Assurances and Lessons to be Learned ``I will stand on my guard post and station myself upon the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved'' (HABAKKUK 2:1). Habakkuk has stated his case and feels it is a pretty good one. He awaits an answer and it comes. He is told to write it down (2:2). ``Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him'' (2:4). The Lord knows that the Chaldeans are wicked. They are not conquerors because they are interested in doing the Lord's work and punishing Judah for their sin. They are conquerors because they are wicked, greedy and treacherous. The day will come when Babylon, after having served God's purpose, will itself be invaded, looted and destroyed. ``The cup in the Lord's right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will come upon your glory'' (see 2:6-17). Chaldea will get away with nothing! Likewise, there will be a day of reckoning for all who do wickedly. Even those today who suppose they are getting away with committing sin and mock those who try to live righteously. ``But the righteous will live by his faith'' (2:4b). Whatever happens, those who are righteous will live by their faith. Whether the Chaldeans come or not. Whether the moral climate improves or not. In all circumstances, good or bad, the righteous continue to live by faith. Our faith is not tied to prosperity or poverty; sickness or health; the morality or lack of it in others. It is tied to our God and His word (ROMANS 10:17). Whatever happens to our own nation today, the righteous shall live by his faith. ``Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength...'' (HABAKKUK 3:18,19). Habakkuk now understands. Come what may, he will continue to trust in God, even in the most terrible of storms. He will be secure and happy, even as his nation falls and everything he knows is swept away. He knows that even in the darkest hour, the righteous will never be forgotten by God. Whatever is in the future for our own nation, be sure to always remember that. ___________________________________________ NEWS & NOTES Angie Pitman has been recently hospitalized due to not feeling well. Let us pray that she will soon be better. ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 713 13th Street, 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 ________________________________________