WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
November 28, 2010
Number 13
≈
Who are Hebrews, Israelites, Jews and Gentiles?
(Gen. 14:13; Josh.13:6; Jer. 34:9; 1 Kings 8:41-43)
Part 7

Gentile
One should begin his study of “Gentile” by examining the
word and its usages in both the Old and New Testaments. In the
Old Testament, “Gentile[s]” is defined in this way:
Brown-Driver-Briggs – “1) nation, people (noun masculine);
1a) nation, people; 1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people; 1a2)
of descendants of Abraham; 1a3) of Israel; 1b) of swarm of locusts,
other animals (figuratively); 1c) Goyim? = “nations” (noun proper masculine).”

Strong’s – “Apparently from the same root as H1465 (in
the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence a Gentile; also (figuratively)
a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts: – Gentile, heathen, nation, people.”

The following is a sample of verses from the Old Testament:
1. “And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of
Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera,
which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles” (Jud. 4:2, emp.
JDR). This verse shows a distinction between Israel, who was being
oppressed (v. 3) and the oppressor – Jabin, who was a Gentile king.

2. “And the Gentiles shall see thy [Spiritual Israel/ the
Church, JDR] righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt
be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall
name” (Isa. 62:2, emp. JDR). God is stating that the Gentiles (of the first century A.D.) would see the righteous lives of the faithful
members of the New Testament church and be converted. The direct
reference is to the church, Spiritual Israel [Gal. 6:16 “Israel of
God”], but implied is national Israel’s relationship with and responsibility
to the Gentile nations during the Mosaic dispensation.

3. “And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel
eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive
them” (Eze. 4:13, emp. JDR). God would remove Israel (more precisely
– the Kingdom of Judah) from its land and they would be
carried away by the armies of the Babylonians into Mesopotamia.

The three verses offered here show by way of illustration the division
between Israel and all other peoples, regarding their nationality and relationship
to God as a people chosen by God to show forth His glory.

God had chosen the Israelites from among all the people on
Earth to be an example of righteousness and faithfulness, thus separating
them from all others in that regard. Please notice these verses:

1. “The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us,
even us, who are all of us here alive this day” (Deu. 5:2-3, emp.
JDR). This covenant was made with Israel and none other.

2. “ For thou didst separate them from among all the
people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the
hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of
Egypt, O Lord GOD” (1 Kings 8:53, emp. JDR). God separated or
set apart Israel from among all the nations on the Earth.

3. “And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he
made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified
against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went
after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom
the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them”
(2 Kings 17:15, emp. JDR). Israel was not to do the evil things so
prevalent among the Gentiles. They were to be different. They
were to be separate in actions from the nations around them.

4. “For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land
of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy”
(Lev. 11:45, emp. JDR). Israel was to be different from the Gentile
nations around them; they were to be a holy and righteous people.

Israel was separated from all other peoples on the Earth. They were a
singled out nation, therefore, if a man was not of Israel then he was a Gentile.

THE WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Weekly bulletin of the Central Church of Christ
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Number 01
≈

Listen to a sermon on Genesis!

Outlines of the book of Genesis
Outline of Genesis

• 1. From the Creation to Abraham (Gen. 1:1 – 11:26)
• 2. The Life of Abraham (Gen. 11:27 – 25:10)
• 3. The Life of Isaac (Gen. 25:11 – 26:35)
• 4. The Life of Jacob (Gen. 27:1 – 36:43)
• 5. The Life of Joseph (Gen. 37:1 – 50:26)
  This material from David B. Watson, Gospel preacher.

Generations of Genesis

• 1. “of the heavens and of the earth” (Gen. 2:4 – 4:26)
• 2. “of Adam” (Gen. 5:1 – 6:8)
• 3. “of Noah” (Gen. 6:9 – 9:29)
• 4. “of the sons of Noah” (Gen. 10:1 – 11:9)
• 5. “of Shem” (Gen. 11:10-26)
• 6. “of Terah” (Gen. 11:27 – 25:11)
• 7. “of Ishmael” (Gen. 25:12-18)
• 8. “of Isaac” (Gen. 25:19 – 35:29)
• 9. “of Esau” (Gen. 36:1 – 37:1)
• 10. “of Jacob” (Gen. 37:2 – 50:26)

“Generations,” comes from a Hebrew word meaning:
descendants, results, proceedings, generations, genealogies,
(Brown- Driver- Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions).

Beginnings of Genesis

• 1. The heavens and the earth (universe).
• 2. The animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms.
• 3. The human family (and by extension the kingdoms of men).
• 4. Sin.
• 5. The condemnation for sin.
• 6. The unfolding of the scheme of redemption (the coming of the Christ).
• 7. Sacrifices (a type of the Lord’s sacrifice).
• 8. The Israelite people (a type of the church).

This material adapted from brother Bob Winton’s, Outlined
Commentary on Genesis, p.1. Another Outline of Genesis

• 1. The Creation–Genesis 1-2.
• 2. The Corruption–Genesis 3-5.
• 3. The Catastrophe–Genesis 6-9.
• 4. The Circulation–Genesis 10-11.
• 5. The Call–Genesis 12-50.
• a. Abraham (Gen. 11:27-25:11). God’s Call and Covenant.
• b. Isaac (Gen. 25-26). God’s Choice and Covenant.
• c. Jacob (Gen. 27-50). God’s Care and Covenant.

This material from James E. Rogers, “Introduction to the
Book of Genesis,” in The Book of Genesis: Foundational Truth
and The Unfolding of God’s Plan of Redemption, ed. Curtis A.
Cates (Pulaski, TN : Sain Publications,

Listen to a sermon on Genesis!

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
September 12, 2010
Number 02
≈
The Christ and Melchizedek
(Gen. 14:17-20; Psa. 110:4; Heb.5:5-6,10; 6:20-7:22)

The type and anti-type principle found between
Melchizedek [Melchisedec, KJV] and the Christ is clearly set forth
by the inspired penman of the book of Hebrews, “If therefore
perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people
received the law,) what further need was there that another priest
should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after
the order of Aaron,” (Heb. 7:11). Another priest would arise, not of
Aaron’s seed; but of the tribe of Judah, “For he of whom these
things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave
attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of
Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood,”
(Heb. 7: 13-14). Jesus would be High Priest, not like Aaron but
like Melchizedek, “And it is yet far more evident: for that after the
similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is
made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the
power of an endless life,” (Heb. 7:15-16).

The historical account of Melchizedek is recorded in
Genesis 14:17-20. Abraham had fought and conquered the forces
of Chedorlaomer, who had spoiled Sodom and Gomorrah and had
abducted Lot and taken his goods [perhaps including family
members and/or servants of Lot (Gen.14:12,16)]. Upon Abraham’s
return with what had been stolen, he was met in the valley of
Shaveh by the king of Sodom, (14:17). Melchizedek also met
Abraham, (14:18). Melchizedek was the king of Salem and the
priest of God; he brought to Abraham, bread and wine (14:18). Abraham received a blessing from Melchizedek and he also
blessed God Almighty, who had given victory to Abraham over the
invading armies from the north, (14:19-20). After being blessed,
Abraham paid a tenth of the goods; or a tithe, to Melchizedek, (14:20).

The next and only other Old Testament reference to
Melchizedek is found in a psalm of David, “The LORD hath
sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order
of Melchizedek,” (Psa. 110:4). David declares by inspiration that
God has sworn that there is a priesthood, like unto Melchizedek’s, that is for ever.

The Hebrews writer clearly explains the correlation between
Jesus and Melchizedek. The following is a brief look at those points:

 The priesthood of Melchizedek gave us a foreshadowing of
the eternal priesthood of the Christ. Melchizedek was a great man,
“Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the
patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils,” (Heb. 7:4). Thanks
be to God that our High Priest is so much, “better,” “By so much
was Jesus made a surety of a better testament…For such an high
priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from
sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily,
as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins,
and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up
himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have
infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law,
maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.” (Heb. 7:22, 26-28).- John

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
September 19, 2010
Number 03
≈
Who are Hebrews, Israelites, Jews and Gentiles?
(Gen. 14:13; Josh 13:6; Jer. 34:9; 1 Kings 8:41-43)
Part 1

Hebrews
These terms can certainly be confusing. They (and their
counterparts) are found from Genesis to Revelation. Considering
that these descriptive titles are used in different ways at different
times, a basic understanding will be helpful to those who study the Bible.

The word “Hebrew,” was first applied to Abram, “…Abram
the Hebrew…,” (Gen. 14:13). Why was Abram called a “Hebrew.”
The reason for this designation is found in Abram’s previous
home:Ur of the Chaldees, (Gen. 11:31). Stephen said (by
inspiration) that Abraham was from Mesopotamia (Acts 7:2).
“Mesopotamia,” designates a land, “lying between the rivers
Euphrates and Tigris,” (Thayer, p. 401). Mesopotamia was the land
between the rivers. The word “Hebrew” is generally considered,
“one who comes from the region beyond the Euphrates,” (Thayer, p.164).

The word “Hebrew” is inseparably linked to those of
Abraham’s seed. However, this term is not limited to those only of
the lineage of Abraham through Jacob (who are Israelites…more on
this later). Abraham had other children besides Isaac. Most notable
among Abraham’s other children: Ishmael (Gen.16:15) whose
mother was Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid. Abraham also had children
by Keturah, whom he married after Sarah’s death (Gen. 23:1-2;
25:1). Abraham had six children by Keturah (Gen. 25:2). Ishmael
and his offspring (Gen. 25:12-18); along with the six children of Keturah and
their offspring (Gen. 25:1-6), would all be Hebrews.
Additionally, Isaac and his offspring would be Hebrews. Isaac had
two sons: Jacob and Esau (Gen. 25:24-26). The children of Esau
(Gen. 36:1-43) would also be Hebrews, as they are of the lineage
of Abraham. Jacob’s offspring would also be Hebrews, but with
Jacob comes a new term: because Jacob’s name was changed to – Israel.

All those of who are of the lineage of Abraham are
Hebrews but not all Hebrews are Israelites!

Israelites
The name Israel is first recorded in the Bible at Genesis
32:28. In this verse God changes Jacob’s name to Israel. “Israel”
means: power with/through God (Gen. 32: 24-32; Hos. 12:3-4).
The descendants of Jacob took his name: Israel. Notice the
progression of terms in the following passage:

Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which
came into Egypt; every man and his household came with
Jacob. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar,
Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and
Asher. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob
were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already. And
Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.
And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased
abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty;
and the land was filled with them, (Exo. 1:1-7).

Verse one uses “Israel” in reference to the man, Jacob. The
“children” who went into Egypt with Jacob were his eleven sons
(including their households). Joseph, one of the twelve sons of
Jacob, was already in Egypt (verse 5). Notice that all of Jacob’s
sons died and all their generation, but the next verse says that the
children of “Israel” were mighty in numbers. How can that be? The
explanation is very simple: the descendants of Jacob’s family
called themselves after Jacob – whose name was Israel. - John

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
September 26, 2010
Number 04
≈
Who are Hebrews, Israelites, Jews and Gentiles?
(Gen. 14:13; Josh 13:6; Jer. 34:9; 1 Kings 8:41-43)
Part 2

Israelites (cont.)
The descendants of Jacob called themselves after the new
name that God gave Jacob: Israel (Gen. 32:28). Notice the time
record concerning the name:

• 1. Even while Jacob yet lived, allusion was made to his
  descendants being called Israel (Gen. 49:7, 16).
• 2. While in Egypt, Jacob’s descendants were called
  Israel by God (Exo. 4:22) and by the Egyptians (Exo. 5:2).
• 3. God recognized His people as Israel when He gave them
  the Law from Mt. Sinai (Exo. 20:22).
• 4. They were called Israel in the days of Joshua and the
  conquest of Canaan (Jos. 3:7)
• 5. God’s people were called Israel in the days of their first
  king: Saul (1 Sam. 15:1; cf. 1 Sam. 9:2,16-17, 10:17-24).
• 6. They were called Israel in the days of David and
  Solomon (2 Sam. 5:3, 12; 1 Kings 4:1).

At this point in Israel’s history there is a change in the
nation’s name. Because of Solomon’s sins God took the kingdom out of
his son Rehoboam’s hands (1 Kings 11:9-13). In the days of Rehoboam,
king over Israel and son of Solomon; the kingdom of Israel  was split into two
kingdoms (1 Kings 12:15-19; cf. 1 Kings 11: 29-38). So the former
kingdom of Israel was split into two kingdoms.
The ten tribes that separated themselves from Jerusalem
and Rehoboam took the name of: Israel; the tribes of Judah and
Benjamin remained loyal to Rehoboam (the house of David) and
Jerusalem. They took the name: Judah (1 Kings 12:20-21, 23).

The context of the passage will now determine if the
Biblical narrative concerns Israel and/or Judah. The following are some examples:

1 Kings 14:26
“And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of
Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.” The reference
to Jeroboam in this verse tells one plainly that the “Israel” in this
verse is the ten tribes who left behind Jerusalem and Judah and Benjamin.

Jer. 4:1-3
“If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto
me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight,
then shalt thou not remove. And thou shalt swear, The LORD
liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations
shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. For thus
saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your
fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.” This passage is
addressed to Judah (verse 3). However, in verse one God calls
upon “Israel” to repent. From this understanding one may know
that “Israel” is being used for “Judah” in this example.
2 Chron. 30:1

“And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote
letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the
house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the
LORD God of Israel.” Then ten northern tribes “Israel” and the
two tribes of Judah and Benjamin “Judah” are both mentioned in
this passage. The context demands that the “Israel” of “the LORD
God of Israel” stands for both Judah and Israel. Seeing that God is
the God of all the earth (Psa. 47:7) He is the God of both Israel and Judah.

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
October 03, 2010
Number 05
≈
Who are Hebrews, Israelites, Jews and Gentiles?
(Gen. 14:13; Josh 13:6; Jer. 34:9; 1 Kings 8:41-43)
Part 3

Israelites (cont.)
The last article left Israel at the time of the split of the
United Kingdom into Israel and Judah, (1 Kings 12:15-19; cf. 1 Kings 11: 29-38).

A History Lesson
Assyria was a major player in the history of Israel. A point
of reference for the empirical expansion of Assyria is the reign of
Ashurbanipal (883-859 B.C.). This time marked a revival of the
previous thrusts of Assyrian power starting about 1300 B.C.

Assyria grew in strength and became the world empire,
eventually over taking the ten Northern tribes (Israel) in 722/721
B.C. (2 Kings 17:6). The overwhelming of Israel by Assyria was
the end of the Northern kingdom, they would never return as a
sovereign kingdom. The ten tribes of the Northern kingdom were
exiled into the land of Assyria (2 Kings 17:6; 18:11). They would
return to their land (Palestine/Caanan) beginning in 536 B.C.,
when the Israelite people left Babylon during the reign of Cyrus
the Medo-Persian king (1 Chron. 9:1-3; Eze. 37:19-22; Ezra 1:1-4).

Note: One will see how the ten Northern tribes (Israel)
were absorbed into Babylon and then the Medo-Persian Empire
along with the remnant from Judah as the history unfolds.

Assyria remained in power until 612 B.C., when
Babylonian joint forces overtook the Assyrian city of Nineveh (as
prophesied by Nahum). By 606 B.C., Babylon was besieging Jerusalem
(2 Chron. 36:5-7). In 597 B.C., Babylon came again to Jerusalem and
besieged it (2 Kings 24:8-14). Finally in 586 B.C. Babylon came
against Jerusalem and destroyed it (2Chron. 36: 11-20). These are
the three carrying-aways of Judah into Babylon.

Judah and the remnant of Israel would be in Babylonian
captivity for 70 years (as prophesied by Jeremiah; Jer. 29:10), then
come out in the days of the Medo-Persians (2 Chron. 36: 21-23).

There were three returns to the Israelite homeland. The first
return was in 536 B.C., under the Medo-Persian king named,
Cyrus; seventy years after the start of Babylonian captivity in 606
B.C. (Ezra 1:1-3; 2:1-2). The second return was in 457 B.C. (Ezra
7:1-8). The third and final return was in 444 B.C. (Neh. 2:1,11).

Summary
The Northern Kingdom (Israel) was taken into Assyrian
captivity. The Assyrians were defeated by the Babylonians and the
land of the Assyrians became the land of the Babylonians. When
the Babylonians were defeated by the Medo-Persians the
Babylonian land became Medo-Persian land. Because of the
change in world empires from Assyria to Babylon to the Medo-
Persians, the captivity of Judah became the captivity of Israel.
Thus, the remnant of Israel, in the land of the Medo-Persians;
together with the remnant of Judah, returned to their homeland as
one people: just as God said they would (Eze. 37:19-22).

A study of the history of the captivity of the Israelite people
is important in understanding the designations by which they are
called; whether it be Israelite or Jew. The captivity has a great
bearing on the term “Jew,” which is the next section of the study.

Jews
The first reference to “Jews” found in the King James
Version is found in 2 Kings 16:6, “At that time Rezin king of Syria
recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the
Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.”

The context (2 Kings 16: 1-6) shows that the term “Jew” is
used here to distinguish those of Judah (Southern Kingdom) from
those of Israel (Northern Kingdom). And such is the meaning of
the word “Jew.” The word “Jew” relates patronymically to the
word “Judah” (Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions, “Jew”).
That is, the word “Jew” comes from the word “Judah.” Judah was
one of the tribes of Israel and the collective name of the two tribes
(Judah and Benjamin) that made up the Southern Kingdom.
Although the word “Jew” initially referred to the kingdom

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
October 10, 2010
Number 06
≈
CONTRIBUTIONS YOU CAN MAKE
Some members of the church are far too modest in their
assessment of what they can do to help the Lord’s cause. Many
have convinced themselves that they cannot do anything, since
they cannot lead singing or preach, and they become quite content
to do little or nothing. However, there has never been a Christian
who had so little ability or so few resources that he or she could
make no contributions if one really wanted to. Consider some
contributions almost every Christian can make:

1. Faithful Attendance: Sitting in a church building
regularly no more makes one a faithful Christian than sitting in a
henhouse regularly makes one a hen. However, even an infidel
knows that a faithful child of God attends worship and Bible
classes regularly. The regular, public meetings of the church are its
heart-throb and life-blood. Each member who forsakes these
assemblies saps the church of some of its power (not to mention
what he robs himself of). No wonder the inspired writer commands
us not to forsake the assemblies of the church (Heb. 10:25). Every
able-bodied member can make the minimum contribution of
faithful attendance and will do so if he loves the Lord and the church.

2. Service: We are not saved by God to live lives of
celestial ease on this old earth, but to serve, to work for Christ,
according to our opportunities and abilities. The Lord’s people are
made for good works (Eph. 2:10).  We are to be “stedfast, unmoveable,
always abounding”  in the Lord’s work (1 Cor. 15:58).  God has never
made anyone with so little ability that there is no place
of service for him in the church. Unless we are daily making a
positive impact for Christ and His church, for the Truth of the
Gospel, for the pure life God wants us to live daily, we are failing
Him who died for us. Our work for Jesus demonstrates the
sincerity of our worship on Sunday.

3. Money: Even in the early days of the church, when
civilization depended so very little on money and cash flow
compared to the present, it was necessary for Christians to give
their money to do the Lord’s work. The regular Lord’s day
contribution was commanded for this reason (1 Cor. 16:1–2). Not
everyone can give a large amount because not everyone has a large
amount from which to give. The Lord does not measure our giving by
quantity, but by proportion of our income. Even when we cannot attend,
we can still give so that the Lord’s work may go on uninterrupted.

4. Attitude: Men cannot send you to jail for a sordid,
snobbish, hateful, uncooperative, negative attitude, but the Lord
can send you to Hell for it. Two attitudes that cause the church
great harm are selfishness and indifference. Two attitudes that
make great contributions to the Lord’s work are unselfishness and cooperation.
—Dub McClish Denton, TX

This article is from, www.scripturecache.com. At this
hyper-link, one can find many articles, of varying lengths, by
brother Dub McClish. The reader is encouraged to visit the website
as a source of sound Biblical material.

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
October 17 , 2010
Number 07
≈
Chronological Table of Events 721-444 BC

DISCLAIMER
The chronological table in this issue is adapted from a chart
created by Dan Cates. Brother Cates is an instructor at the
Memphis School of Preaching. As such he is in error concerning
the fellowship of Dave Miller. However, the material presented in
this chart is accurate and is presented here for your learning.

The time frame of this table (and next week’s )
encompasses the time of the Assyrian captivity to the returns of
Israel to Palestine; which is central to our study of who are Jews and Gentiles.

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
October 24, 2010
Number 08
≈
Chronological Table of Events 721-444 BC

DISCLAIMER
The chronological table in this issue is adapted from a chart
created by Dan Cates. Brother Cates is an instructor at the
Memphis School of Preaching. As such he is in error concerning
the fellowship of Dave Miller. However, the material presented in
this chart is accurate and is presented here for your learning.
The time frame of this table (and last week’s) encompasses
the time of the Assyrian captivity to the returns of Israel to
Palestine; which is central to our study of who are Jews and Gentiles.

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
November 07, 2010
Number 10
≈
Who are Hebrews, Israelites, Jews and Gentiles?
(Gen. 14:13; Josh 13:6; Jer. 34:9; 1 Kings 8:41-43)
Part 5

Jews (cont.)
Those of the children of Israel who were in captivity in
Babylon and later in Persia (this included those remaining from the
captivity by Assyria, 721 B.C.) were called collectively by the
term, “Jew.” The following verses are typical (emphasis mine):
1. “Be it known unto the king, that the Jews which came up
from thee to us are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad
city, and have set up the walls thereof, and joined the foundations” (Ezr. 4:12).

2. “That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain
men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped,
which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem” (Neh. 1:2).

3. “And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone;
for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore
Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the
whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai” (Est. 3:6).

4. “Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near,
and accused the Jews”  (Dan. 3:8).

Since Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel are books concerning
the captivity, all of the above verses contain terms that were employed to
designate those of the people of Israel in captivity;
whether they were of the kingdoms of Judah or Israel.

The term “Jew” was used to describe Israel as a whole
throughout the remainder of the Old Testament. But how were the
Israelites described in the New Testament as pertains to the word
“Jew”? Much the same way (emphasis mine):

1. “So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this
saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day” (Matt. 28:15).

2. “And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the
Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant” (Luke 7:3).

3. “And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem” (John 2:13).

4. “But when I saw that they walked not uprightly
according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them
all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do
the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews” (Gal. 2:14).

The inspired Biblical penmen Matthew, (Mark also used the
term “Jew”), Luke, John, and Paul all used “Jew” to describe the
general populace of the children of Israel in the first century A.D.
“Jew” was used somewhat interchangeably with “Israel” or
“Israelite.” Notice how Paul uses the terms, “Hebrew,” “Israelite,”
and “Jew” in reference to himself (emphasis mine):

1. “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a
city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel,
and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the
fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day” (Acts 22:3).

2. “Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am
I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I” (2 Cor. 11:22).
Each designation has its own connotation because of its own
individual background, but all three terms were used to describe
one and the same person and one and the same people. - John

Passages to Ponder
“Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort
you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk
and to please God, so ye would abound more and more” (1 Thess. 4:1)

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
October 31, 2010
Number 09
≈
Who are Hebrews, Israelites, Jews and Gentiles?
(Gen. 14:13; Josh 13:6; Jer. 34:9; 1 Kings 8:41-43)
Part 4

Jews (cont.)
As was mentioned in the October third bulletin, the term
“Jew” in the beginning had reference to those of the Southern
Kingdom. Those of Judah, hence the name “Jew.”

The two kingdoms became one kingdom by being
assimilated into one captivity. The change of power between the
kingdoms of the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Medo-Persians
brought the remnant of God’s people under one king and in one
kingdom. Therefore, when Cyrus gave the decree, “Thus saith
Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all
the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an
house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of
all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to
Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD
God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem” (Ezr. 1:2-3);
his statement: “all His people” (who were living among the
Persians in Persian land) included both the people of Israel and
Judah who lived under Persian rule.

Further evidence of God’s reuniting of His people into one
nation is seen in verses from the pens of Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
God declared by Jeremiah that He would bring Israel (the Northern
Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom) together as one,
“And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel
to return, and will build them, as at the first” (Jer. 33:7). Notice also what
God said through Ezekiel, “And say unto them, Thus
saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from
among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on
every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make
them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one
king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two
nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more
at all” (Eze. 37: 21-22). Ezekiel also wrote, “And I will multiply
men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities
shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded: And I will
multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and
bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do
better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I
am the LORD” (Eze. 36:10-11). God promised that the house of
Israel “all of it” would return and that the “old estates” again
would be inhabited. Both Judah and Israel would return to their
land and all the tribes would dwell in the land of Israel as in the
times before the captivity.

God also promised, “Behold, the days come, saith the
LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised
unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days,
and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow
up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in
the land” (Jer. 33:14-15). The promise of the coming of the Christ
would be fulfilled to both Israel and Judah as one people and in
their own land. The coming of the Christ would transpire in about
586 years from the time of the writing of Jeremiah chapter 33. That
time would be the time period of the Gospel accounts of Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John. If the Christ came then Judah and Israel
returned to their land! The Christ came, “For unto you is born this
day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke
2:11); therefore, Israel and Judah both returned to the land of Israel.

When would this returning begin? Notice once more the
decree of Cyrus, “Who is there among you of all his people…And
whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth…” (Ezr.
1:3-4). The time of the beginning of the return of all Israel to
Palestine was at the time of Cyrus’ decree. – John

This week’s article proves that all the tribes of Israel
returned to the land of Israel. This is also a refutation of the
premillennial doctrine of the ten “lost” tribes of Israel. Wherein
they say that only Judah returned and that Israel will return to the
land only in their so-called “literial thousand year reign of Christ
on the earth.” Their doctrine could not be more false!

This article helps us to see the transition of the name Jew:
from Judah to all Israel; especially as we look at the New
Testament use of the word “Jew” and how it is used today.

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
November 14, 2010
Number 11
≈
Who are Hebrews, Israelites, Jews and Gentiles?
(Gen. 14:13; Josh 13:6; Jer. 34:9; 1 Kings 8:41-43)
Part 6

The following are definitions for the word “Jew” from A.D.
1100 to A.D. 2004. The usage of the word “Jew” (excluding slang
and words of derision) has changed but little in 900 years as is shown below:

A.D.1100-1500
(Time Period – Early English Bibles)
[Jeu (n.)] (a) A Jew, one of the Jewish race or religion, one
following the Mosaic law in biblical or post-biblical times; sarasin
or ~, ~ or painime, jeues and sarasines, sarasines and jeues, jeues
and samaritanes; (b) one of the Jews of the New Testament, i.e.
inhabitants of Galilee and Judea; esp. leaders and officials; (c) a
subject or king of the kingdom of Judah; also, one of the tribe of
Judah; (d) a member of one of the ten lost tribes of Israel; (e) a
Hebrew of patriarchal or Egyptian times; (f) a Christianized Jew of
early Christian times. (Middle English Dictionary, 1100-1500
A.D.; quod.lib.umich.edu; “jeu”). [Editor’s note: There are NO lost
tribes of Israel. All the tribes returned to the land of Israel: per
God’s promise. The previous articles in this series have already
proven that to be true.]

A.D.1612
(Time Period – King James Version, 1611)
[Jew] Jew outward. sig: He that is a Iew by Nation, Name, and
profession onely. Rom. 22, 8. A Iew which is one outward. (Thomas Wilson, A Christian Dictionary (1612); Lexicons of Early Modern English,1480-1702; leme.library.utoronto.ca/search/; “Jew”).

A.D.1828
JEW, n.
[a contraction of Judas of Judah.] A Hebrew or Israelite.
(Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary of American Engish).

A.D.1912
(Time Period – American Standard Version, 1901)
Jew (jōō), n. an Israelite; Hebrew. Fem. Jewess. [Hebr. Yehūdāh,
Judah.] (New Websterian 1912 Dictionary; pg. 475).
A.D. 1964
Jew n.
1. a member of a people that formerly lived in Palestine, but
now live in many countries, including modern Israel. 2. a person
whose religion is Judaism; Hebrew; Israelite. 3. a Hebrew of the
ancient kingdom of Judah. (The World Book Encyclopedia Dictionary, 1964).

A.D. 2004
Jew [joo] (plural Jews) n
1. RELIGION believer in Judaism:
somebody whose religion is Judaism 2. PEOPLES member of
Semitic people: a member of a Semitic people descended from the
ancient Hebrews. They are now widely dispersed and share
cultural and religious ties based on Judaism. 3. HISTORY
somebody from ancient Judah: somebody who lived or was born in
ancient Judah. (Encarta © World English Dictionary© & (P) 1998-
2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved).

NOTE: These dictionary entries cover the usage of the word “Jew”
as would be found in our English bibles from pre-KJV to modern versions.
The word “Jew” or “Jewish” as it is used today, can have reference to:

1. A person’s ethnic/racial background.
and/or
2. A person’s religion.
and/or
3. A person’s geographic location/where they live.

NOTE: This last point would be a somewhat lesser usage. Most
living in the modern nation of Israel would refer to themselves as
an Israeli; the Israeli and Palestinian disputes notwithstanding.
Today, when one speaks of a “Jew” all three usages above
could be pertinent. However, when “Jew” was used in the Old and New
Testaments, the first two points above would have been its meaning. - John

Passages to Ponder
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth
through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye
love one another with a pure heart fervently” (1 Peter 1:22).

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
November 21, 2010
Number 12
≈
Who are Hebrews, Israelites, Jews and Gentiles?
(Gen. 14:13; Josh. 13:6; Jer. 34:9; 1 Kings 8:41-43)
Part 6

The calendar was very important to the Jewish people.
They were commanded by God to keep several special days and
feasts each year. One example of this command of God is found in
Deuteronomy, “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear
before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in
the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the
feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD
empty” (Deu. 16:16). Israel had to know their calender to please God.

The following charts show the Jewish calender and the
major commemorative days in their calender:

Special Days
Jewish Calendar

Passages to Ponder
“Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with
hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my
footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is
the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things?”
(Acts 7: 48-50) [from Stephen’s sermon before the Jewish council].

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
December 05, 2010
Number 14
≈

Who are Hebrews, Israelites, Jews and Gentiles?
(Gen. 14:13; Josh.13:6; Jer. 34:9; 1 Kings 8:41-43)
Part 8

Gentile
In the New Testament, “Gentile[s]” is defined in this way:
Thayer’s – “G1484; εθνος; ethnos; 1) a multitude (whether
of men or of beasts) associated or living together; 1a) a company,
troop, swarm; 2) a multitude of individuals of the same
nature or genus; 2a) the human family; 3) a tribe, nation, people
group; 4) in the OT, foreign nations not worshipping the true God,
pagans, Gentiles; 5) Paul uses the term for Gentile Christians.”
Strong’s – “G1484; εθνος; ethnos; eth’-nos; Probably from
G1486; a race (as of the same habit), that is, a tribe; specifically a
foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually by implication pagan): – Gentile,
heathen, nation, people.”
and
Thayer’s – “G1672; Ελλην; Hellen;1) a Greek either by
nationality, whether a native of the main land or of the Greek islands
or colonies; 2) in a wider sense the name embraces all nations
not Jews that made the language, customs, and learning of the
Greeks their own; the primary reference is to a difference of religion
and worship.”
Strong’s – “G1672; Ελλην; Hellen; hel’-lane; From
G1671; a Hellen (Grecian) or inhabitant of Hellas; by extension a
Greek speaking person, especially a non-Jew: – Gentile, Greek.”

The following is a sample of verses from the New Testament
showing the contrast between the Jew and the Gentile:

1. “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them,
saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the
Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel” (Mat. 10:5-6). The Lord speaks of the division
between the nation of Israel and the Gentiles.

2. “Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he
go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among
the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles” (John 7:35). The Jews asked
if Jesus would go out of Israel and unto the Jews dispersed among
the nations of the Gentiles. The phrase “the dispersed” has reference
to the Jews that lived away from Israel among the Gentile nations.

3. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body,
whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and
have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13). Both
the Jew and Gentile must be baptized to be added to the body of
Christ, that is, the church. This verse shows that the Jew and the
Gentile are two different groups but one in the church.

4. “But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according
to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If
thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do
the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews”
(Gal. 2:14). Paul rebuked Peter because of Peter’s hypocritical behavior.
Paul contrasts, in general terms, the righteous behavior of
the Jews (those Jews who obeyed God) and the unrighteous behavior
of the Gentiles (those Gentiles who disobeyed God).

Examples of the Gentile nations mentioned in the Bible are
(there are many, many more) :
1. Egypt 4. Moab 7. Medo-Persia
2. Syria 5. Assyria 8. Greece
3. Ammon 6. Babylon 9. Rome

The idea can be simply summed up by saying that every nation
on the earth that was not Israel was a Gentile nation. Some
Gentiles lived in the nation of Israel and some Israelites lived in
the Gentile nations but they were still two separate peoples, separated
by God. This separation was for the purpose of showing the
Jews to be an example of righteousness before God among all the
nations on the earth; and, to be the seed-line for the Coming Christ.
-John

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
December 12, 2010
Number 15
≈

Who are Hebrews, Israelites, Jews and Gentiles?
(Gen. 14:13; Josh.13:6; Jer. 34:9; 1 Kings 8:41-43)

Summary
The past several bulletin articles have been devoted to explaining
who were/are the: Hebrews, Israelites, Jews, and Gentiles.
The following is a summary of what has been compiled
throughout the earlier bulletin articles:

• 1. “The word ‘Hebrew,’ was first applied to Abram,
  ‘…Abram the Hebrew…,’ (Gen. 14:13).”
• 2. “Stephen said (by inspiration) that Abraham was from Mesopotamia (Acts 7:2).”
• 3. “Mesopotamia was the land between the rivers.”
• 4. “The word ‘Hebrew’ is generally considered, ‘one who comes
  from the region beyond the Euphrates,’ (Thayer, p.164).”
• 5. “The word ‘Hebrew’ is inseparably linked to those of Abraham’s seed.”
• 6. “However, this term is not limited to those only of the lineage
  of Abraham through Jacob…”
• 7. “Abraham had other children besides Isaac.”
• 8. “All those of who are of the lineage of Abraham are Hebrews
  but not all Hebrews are Israelites!”
• 9. “The name ‘Israel’ is first recorded in the Bible at Genesis 32:28.”
• 10. “In this verse God changes Jacob’s name to Israel.”
• 11. “The descendants of Jacob took his name: Israel.”
• 12. “In the days of Rehoboam, king over Israel and son of Solomon; the kingdom of Israel was split into two kingdoms (1 Kings 12:15-19; cf. 1 Kings 11: 29-38).”
• 13. “The ten tribes that separated themselves from Jerusalem and Rehoboam took the name of: Israel; the tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to Rehoboam (the house of David) and Jerusalem.”
• 14. “… the word ‘Jew’ comes from the word ‘Judah.’”
• 15. “Judah was one of the tribes of Israel and the collective name of the two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) that made up the Southern Kingdom.”
• 16. “Although the word ‘Jew’ initially referred to the kingdom of Judah, this would change during the captivity.”
• 17. “Those of the children of Israel who were in captivity in Babylon and later in Persia (this included those remaining from the captivity by Assyria, 721 B.C.) were called collectively by the term, ‘Jew.’”
• 18. “The term ‘Jew’ was used to describe Israel as a whole
  throughout the remainder of the Old Testament.”
• 19. “The inspired Biblical penmen Matthew, (Mark also used the term ‘Jew’), Luke, John, and Paul all used ‘Jew’ to describe the general populace of the children of Israel in the first century A.D.”
• 20. “‘Jew’ was used somewhat interchangeably with ‘Israel’ or ‘Israelite.’”
• 21. “The word ‘Jew’ or ‘Jewish’ as it is used today, can have reference to: 1. A person’s ethnic/racial background; and/or 2. A person’s religion; and/or 3. A person’s geographic location/ where they live.”
• 22. “Most living in the modern nation of Israel would refer to themselves as an Israeli; the Israeli and Palestinian disputes notwithstanding.”
• 23. “God had chosen the Israelites from among all the people on Earth to be an example of righteousness and faithfulness, thus separating them from all others
  in that regard.”
• 24. “Israel was separated from all other peoples on the Earth.”
• 25. “They were a singled out nation, therefore, if a man was
  not of Israel then he was a Gentile.”
• 26. “The idea can be simply summed up by saying that every
  nation on the earth that was not Israel was a Gentile nation.”
• 27. “Some Gentiles lived in the nation of Israel and some Israelites lived in the Gentile nations but they were still two separate peoples, separated by God.”
• 28. “This separation was for the purpose of showing the Jews to be an example
  of righteousness before God among all the nations on the earth; and, to be the
  seed-line for the Coming Christ.”

All could be summed up by saying:
1. “Hebrews” refers to the descendants of Abraham.
2. “Israelites” refers to the descendants of Jacob.
3. “Jews” refers to Judah at the first and then to all Israel.
4. “Gentiles” refers to all who are not Israelites/Jews. – John

Passages to Ponder
“For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that
circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which
is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and
not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Rom. 2:28-29)

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
December 19, 2010
Number 16
≈
OLD TESTAMENT PEOPLE
PART ONE
GENESIS 13:12-18

Why study Old Testament history, since the old covenant
has been replaced by the new? Because Old Testament history not
only helps us understand God and the way of righteousness, but
also provides background for the New Testament. New Testament
writers frequently refer to Old Testament characters and events,
and a knowledge of these enriches our knowledge of the New Testament.

I. SIXTEEN LEADING CHARACTERS
An outline of Old Testament history built around sixteen
leading characters is easy to learn and remember:
Adam • Moses • Saul • Isaiah
Noah • Joshua • David • Jeremiah
Abraham • Gideon • Solomon • Daniel
Joseph • Samuel • Elijah • Nehemiah

II. ASSOCIATED EVENTS AND PEOPLE
To make this list of names an outline of Old Testament history,
learn to associate with each name a few other names and
events recorded in the Old Testament.

1. Adam and the Creation: Along with Adam we think of
the beginning of the world, mankind, sin, and punishment. But
with punishment came the first promise of redemption (Genesis
3:15). Associated with Adam are his wife Eve and his sons Cain and Abel.

2. Noah and the Flood: The first sin was by no means the last.
As men became more numerous they became more wicked,
and at last God determined to destroy all mankind except the one
family still willing to serve Him. This was done by the great flood,
through which Noah and his family were saved in the ark. Associated
with Noah are his three sons, Shem, Ham, Japheth.[Editor’s
note: Those who died in the Flood were those who refused to repent
at the warning of God through Noah (2 Peter 2:5).]

3. Abraham and the Chosen People: As mankind multiplied
after the flood, wickedness again increased. This time God
did not destroy all the wicked, but chose one godly man to become
the head of a godly race that would be God’s witness in a godless
world and finally would bring the Savior into the world. The man
chosen as the father of this race was Abraham. With Abraham we
associate his nephew Lot, his son Isaac, and his grandson, Jacob,
whose twelve sons became heads of the tribes of Israel.

4. Joseph and Egypt: Sold as a slave in Egypt, Joseph became
a ruler and was able to save his father and brothers from starvation
and give them a pleasant home. In later times, however,
their descendants were oppressed and enslaved in Egypt. With
Joseph we associate his oldest brother Reuben, his youngest and
favorite brother Benjamin, and Pharaoh, the chief ruler of Egypt.

5. Moses and Freedom: Moses, a Hebrew reared and
trained in the palaces of Pharaoh, was chosen of God to lead the
growing nation of the chosen people from Egypt back to Canaan,
to give them God’s law, and to write the books of law. With Moses
we associate Pharaoh, (not the one of Joseph’s time, but a later
ruler of Egypt who was an enemy rather than a friend); Moses’
brother Aaron, who became the first high priest of Israel; and
Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, a wise advisor.

6. Joshua and the Promised Land: Moses, a hundred
twenty years old, died at the border of the Promised Land. Joshua
led his people as they wrested the land from the heathen for their
home. With Joshua may be remembered Caleb, a faithful fellow
soldier; Eleazar, Aaron’s son who succeeded him as high priest;
and Rahab, a friend in and enemy city.

7. Gideon and the Judges: After Joshua died, the chosen
people often fell into sin and were punished by invasions of heathen
people. Each time they repented of their sins, God gave a
leader to help them drive out the invaders. These leaders were
called judges, and Gideon was one of the most notable of them.
Besides Gideon we may remember Samson, the strong man; Deborah,
the woman judge; and Ruth, a foreign woman who became
an ancestress of Christ.

8. Samuel and a New Era: Samuel was the last of the
judges. He anointed the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David.
With Samuel we may remember Hannah, his mother; Eli, the high
priest who trained him; and Joel and Abiah, his wicked sons.
– Orrin Root

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
December 26, 2010
Number 17
≈
OLD TESTAMENT PEOPLE
PART TWO
 1 SAMUEL 10:20-26

9. Saul, the First King: In Samuel’s old age, the people asked
for a king. God and Samuel did not approve, but they consented. [Editor’s
note: Samuel prayed unto God concerning this matter and obeyed
the voice of the Lord. Samuel was God’s servant in all this matter (1
Sam. 8:5-22).] The chosen king was Saul, who proved to be an able leader
for a time and won some notable victories. But all too soon he began
to ignore God’s will and follow his own selfish inclinations. In time this
led to his defeat and death. With Saul we remember Kish, his father;
Jonathon, his son who was a close friend of David; and Abner, Saul’s great general.

10. David, the Great King: David was the second king of Israel.
He defeated the surrounding heathen nations and made Israel the most
powerful empire of the time. He was also a great musician, and many of
the psalms are his work. Though notable sins are recorded against him,
the main course of his life was so good that he is known as a man after
God’s own heart. With David we may remember Goliath, the giant whom
he slew; Nathan, the prophet who rebuked his sin; and Absalom, his conceited
son who led an armed rebellion against him.

11. Solomon, the Wise King: Solomon, David’s son and the
next king, was specially gifted with wisdom. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and
the Song of Solomon are evidences of this. He began his reign well,
building a magnificent temple and adding glory to the great empire David
had built. Later, however, he failed to follow the wisdom of his own
inspired teachings. He taxed the people too heavily,and drafted them
mercilessly for public works as well as for the army. [Editor’s note: Solomon
did require much of Israel to accomplish the many building projects
of his reign (1 Kings 5:13). However, Solomon never made forced slave
laborers of the Israelites (1 Kings 9:22) as he did of the Canaanites
remaining in the land (1 Kings 9:21).] He also married many heathen
women and helped them introduce idolatry and wickedness into Israel.
Because of his oppression and growing sin, his people were ready to revolt
at the end of his reign [Editor’s note: Israel did ask Solomon’s son,
Rehoboam, to lighten the load placed upon them by Solomon (1 Kings
12:3-4). Rehoboam’s foolish answer precipitated the split between Israel
and Judah which followed.] With Solomon we may recall the queen of
Sheba; Solomon’s son Rehoboam who became the next king; and Jeroboam,
king of the northern part of Israel that rebelled and became an independent nation.

12. Elijah, the Prophet: After the kingdom was divided, each
section had many kings, but not many good ones. The rest of Old Testament
history can be outlined better by using the names of great prophets.
One of the greatest was Elijah, who boldly stood against the efforts of
King Ahab and Queen Jezebel to turn the worship of Israel from Jehovah
to Baal. There is no book of Elijah, but his work is recorded in the two
books of Kings. With Elijah we associate Jezebel, the heathen queen;
Ahab, the king who brought her from Phoenicia to be his wife; and
Elisha, another prophet who was a helper and successor of Elijah.

13. Isaiah, the Gospel Prophet: We have come to a point in history
about seven hundred years after Moses and seven hundred years before
Christ. Isaiah prophesied when the northern part of Israel’s split nation
was taken into captivity. He foretold so many things about Christ
and Christianity that he is called the gospel prophet. With Isaiah we remember
Sennacherib, the Assyrian king who took the northern kingdom
into captivity; Hezekiah, the good king of the southern kingdom who survived
the attack of Sennacherib and for a time almost ended idolatry in
the south; and Manasseh, the wicked son and successor of Hezekiah.

14. Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet: Jeremiah lived when Jerusalem
was destroyed and the remnant of the southern kingdom was taken
into captivity. He foretold and lamented the captivity, but foretold also
the later restoration and the new covenant. With Jeremiah we may remember
Huldah, a prophetess, who also foretold the fall of Jerusalem;
Jehoiakim, the wicked king who burned God’s Word written by Jeremiah;
and Zedekiah, the last king of the southern kingdom.

15. Daniel the Brave: Daniel was one of the Israelites taken to
Babylon in captivity. With God’s help, he became a trusted advisor to
kings of Babylon and Persia. In mystic symbolism his book tells of great
events to come [Editor’s note: Daniel’s prophecies were inspired of God
and written in figurative or symbolic language; e.g. Dan. 9-12.] With
Daniel we associate Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king who
conquered the Old Testament world and made captives of the people of
the Jew’s southern kingdom; Belshazzar, last Babylonian ruler of
Babylon, whose doom Daniel foretold; and Cyrus, the Persian king who
conquered Babylon and freed the Hebrew captives.

16. Nehemiah the Restorer: Nehemiah was a governor of the
Jews after they returned from captivity in Babylon. He rebuilt the walls
of Jerusalem, reorganized its government, and restored respect for the
law of God. Associated with Nehemiah are Artaxerxes, Persian king who
appointed Nehemiah as governor of Judah; Ezra, a scholar devoted to the
teaching of God’s law; and Malachi, who wrote the last Old Testament
book about 400 B.C. - Training for Service by Orrin Root, 1964.

Passages to Ponder
“That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be
with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen,
and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall
pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of
men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will” (Dan. 4:25).

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
January 02, 2011
Number 18
≈
TEN POINTS OF COMPARISON

PATRIARCHAL AGE

• 1. Lasted about 2,500 years.
• 2. God spoke to the patriarchs (Gen. 12:1; Heb. 1:1).
• 3. Covered in Genesis through Exodus 19.
• 4. Time of family religion (Gen. 8:20; 12:7).
• 5. No written law. [No documents earlier than the writings of Moses (ca. 1450-1400 B.C.) are part of the Bible, unless the book of Job predates the Pentateuch.]
• 6. Blood of animals offered as sacrifices (Gen. 8:20; cf. Heb. 9:22).
• 7. Father was priest.
• 8. No set day of worship (Some claim the patriarchs kept the Sabbath but there is no support of this.) (Exo. 31:13; Deu. 5:15; Neh. 9:12-14). [The Sabbath day law was instituted by God at Mt. Sinai (Exo. 20: 9-10); not before.]
• 9. No set place of worship. Anywhere they built an altar,
  they could worship (Gen. 8:20; 12:7 ).
• 10. Became member by physical birth.

MOSAICAL AGE

• 1. Lasted about 1,500 years.
• 2. God spoke through Moses and the prophets (Heb. 1:1-2; John 1:17). [This was a new law – given unto Israel and not unto the Gentiles (Deu. 5:3).]
• 3. Covered from Exodus 20 through Acts 2. [From the giving of the Law at Sinai to the establishment of the church on the Day of Pentecost.]
• 4. The time of the national religion.
• 5. Now a written law – [The Law of Moses: Genesis to Malachi].
• 6. Blood of animals offered for sins (Heb. 9:13-14; 10:1-4).
• 7. Priests came from the tribe of Levi (Heb. 7:11; Num. 1:50-53; Deu. 18:1).
• 8. A set day for worship – THE SABBATH, THE SEVENTH DAY,
  SATURDAY (Exo. 31:13; Deu. 5:15; Neh. 9:12-14).
• 9. A set place for worship – first at the Tabernacle then at Jerusalem when the temple was built (John 4:20-24).
• 10. Became members by physical birth. Some were proselyted
  into the Jewish religion.

CHRISTIAN AGE

• 1. Will last from day of Pentecost until Christ comes again.
• 2. God has spoken through His Son (Heb. 1:1-2; Matt. 17:5).
• 3. Covered in Acts 2 through Revelation.
• 4. Congregational religion (Family religion – saved are the [faithful] children of God).
• 5. A change in law – Now the Law of Christ (Heb. 9:15-17; John 12:48; Heb. 8:6-13; Heb. 7:12; Gal. 3:15-29).
• 6. Blood of Christ offered for sins (Acts 20:28; Eph. 1:7; Rev. 1:5).
• 7. All Christians are priests (1 Peter 2:5,9).
• 8. New day of worship – THE 1ST DAY, SUNDAY (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2, Rev. 1:5).
• 9. No set place of worship [John 4:23-24 (Worship in the church – wherever it is assembled. Note: the church is not the building. The church is the saved people – those called out of sin by the Gospel, 2 Thess. 2:14)].
• 10. Become members by Spiritual birth (John 3:1-5).

[Editor’s Note: The material for this article comes from a chart, in
the possession of the editor, whose author is unknown. This article
is an adaptation of the original chart.]

PASSAGES TO PONDER
“For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of
grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word
which by the gospel is preached unto you” (1 Peter 1:24-25).

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
January 09, 2011
Number 19
≈
The following material was taken from a book entitled: You Can
Understand The Bible! Volume 3 in the Series: The Truth About The
Truth, by Thomas B. Warren, pages 56 thru 60. This book was originally
published in 1995 by National Christian Press, Inc.; Moore, Oklahoma.

PART 1
“Some Things We Should Treasure”
“The following matters are so important that they demand, during
the course of our lives, consistent and systematic study, fervent prayer
and determined application. However, lack of space demands that each
be treated only briefly. It is hoped that each reader will search the Scriptures
for himself or herself in order to grow in each of the matters noted (Ac 17;11; 1 Jn 4:1).”

“Treasure Your Life”
“Each of us has only one life on earth. We should treasure its importance.
This life is a time of probation: will one love and serve God, or
reject Him? ‘…it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh
judgment;’ (He 9:27). Each of us will be brought into judgment to give
an account for the deeds done in the body. (2 Cor 5:10). At the judgment,
only one thing will really matter: has one done the will of God (Mt 21:28-31)?”

“Treasure Your Time”
“Every moment of life is precious. Death is certain in one sense
(He 9:27), and uncertain in another (Jas 4:13-15). Unless you are alive at
the time Christ returns, you will die (1 Th 4:13-17). But we do not know
exactly when Christ will return or when we will die (Jas 1:10; 1 Pet 1:24;
1 Th 5:2). So, each person should treasure each moment of his life, striving
with all of his being to make each moment of
each day what it ought to be (Mt 6:33; 1 Jn 2:17).”

“Treasure Great Things You Can Do”
“Each person should treasure the possibilities for greatness
which are in his life. Jesus, through Paul, made clear that everyone is to
strive for excellence. No one is to be satisfied with living a “second
-rate” life (Php 1:9-11). Treasure the great things which you can do for
God and for your fellow man.”

“Treasure the Truth”
“Truth should be treasured because truth saves (Jn 8:32; 1 Pet
1:20-25; Mk 16:15-16) and a lie (false doctrine) damns (2 Th 2:10-12;
Ga 1:6-9). Truth is so valuable that one should be willing to pay any
righteous price in order to ‘buy’ it, and then not be willing to ‘sell’ it (Pr
23:23). No one can be saved without learning (coming to the knowledge
of), believing, and obeying the truth (the gospel of Christ). Let every
man love the truth with all of his heart, and hate every false way (Ps 119:104).”

“Treasure Your Influence”
“Men ‘preach’ by what they do as well as by what they say (Mt
5:16; 2 Pet 3:1-2; 2 Cor 3:1-2; 11:26). It has been well said that the only
‘Bible’ some people will ever read is the life of some Christian. Wives
(or husbands) may, by their manner of life, lead their spouses to believe
in and obey the Lord (1 Pet 3:1-2).”

“Treasure Your Body”
“God expects us to care for our bodies. That is, he wants us to
keep it as physically fit as we can and to keep it free from works of the
flesh (Ga 5:19-21; 1 Cor 6:13; 2 Cor 6:12-20). No one should be a glutton,
a drunkard, a ‘work-a-holic,’a fornicator, … Husbands and wives
should be faithful to one another.” (Note: The above reference of 2 Cor
6:12-20 is incorrect. Chapter six ends at verse eighteen. Perhaps it is 1
Cor. 6:12-20 or 2 Cor. 6:12-18, both passages are relevant. Ed.)

“Treasure Your Mind”
“God wants us to be rational so that we can determine and follow
His will, which is taught in the Bible. That is, he wants us to determine
and then do good by drawing only those conclusions which are warranted
by the Biblical evidence (1 Th 5:21; Ac 17:11). Anyone who chooses
to be irrational regarding a proposition thereby declares that he is willing
to hold to that proposition regardless of what the Bible teaches about it.
This is another way of saying that the Bible is worthless. To reject the rationality
of the human mind is to reject the Bible, which God gave to rational
men. Further, each person should treasure his mind by filling it
with that which is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous
and praiseworthy (Php 4:8). To lust in one’s heart after a woman is
to be guilty of adultery (Mt 5:28). No one should allow the precious
treasure which is his mind to become a ‘garbage can’ of vulgarity, hatred,
or any other such thing.”

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples. FL
January 16, 2011
Number 20
≈
The following material was taken from a book entitled: You Can
Understand The Bible! Volume 3 in the Series: The Truth About The
Truth, by Thomas B. Warren, pages 56 thru 60. This book was originally
published in 1995 by National Christian Press, Inc.; Moore, Oklahoma.

PART 2
“Treasure Your Soul”
“The soul of each human being is worth more than the world (Mt
16:26). To lose one’s soul is to lose everything that gives worth or value
to a human being (2 Th 1:7-9). One should be willing to make any righteous
sacrifice in order to be sure that he is saved (Rev 2:10; Ac 21:13; Lk
14:26-33). To that end, one should live a life not of sparing himself but,
as Jesus did, of giving himself away (Mt 16:21). Jesus gave His life on
the cross so that men might have their sins forgiven and be with Him in
heaven throughout eternity. Every soul should be treasured beyond all
mere earthly treasures, which ‘perish with using’ (Col 2:22; 1 Cor 6:13).”

“Treasure Your Family”
“Each person should treasure his parents and every member of
his family (Eph 5:21-33). Everyone should honor his father and mother
(Eph 6:2), and every child should obey his parents in the Lord (Eph 6:1).
‘In the Lord,’ here, means to be in harmony with the Lord’s teaching.
The unmarried should treasure his or her future spouse. Each one should
dare to choose his companion on the basis of Bible teaching. Such a
choice should not be done merely on the basis of physical attraction
alone. Let each person remember that in choosing a companion one is
choosing not only a husband or wife. But he or she is also choosing the
mother or father of his or her children, even the grandparents of those children.”

“Treasure the One True Church”
“Before He was crucified, Jesus promised to build His church (Mt 16:13-20).
Just as Jesus is the only Saviour, even so He has only one
body of saved people, His church (the church of Christ), the body (Eph
1:22-23; Col 1:18). Salvation is in that body (Eph 2:13-16; Ac 20:28). No
man has the right to start another “church.” It is rebellion against God to
found a church in competition with the church which God planned in
eternity (Eph 3:10-11), which Jesus promised to build and then did build(Ac 2:1-4).”

“Treasure Your Conscience”
“Our conscience tells us to do the right thing although our conscience
does not tell us what the right thing is (Ro 2:14-15; 9:1; Ac 23:1;
24:16). The conscience functions somewhat as a traffic light functions.
Take the case when a person faces the choice of either following or not
following a course of action which he believes is wrong (sinful). In this
situation, the conscience ‘flashes’ a ‘red light,’ urging him not to go that
way. But when the person faces the choice of either following or not following
a course of action which he believes he must do to be right, the
conscience flashes a green light: it urges him to go that way. But note
that the conscience does not tell one what the will of God is. That can be
accomplished only by a proper study of the Bible (Ro 10:17; 1:16-17).
The conscience simply urges one to choose that course of action which
that person himself believes is right. Every person owes it to himself to
treasure his own conscience. No one should ever allow another person or
group of persons to function as his conscience. This is true, even if that
group should be comprised of all the rest of mankind. No one should do
what he himself believes is sinful just because people he may highly respect
urge him to do it. May every person choose to live in all good conscience
(Ac 23:1) and not sear his conscience by violating it (1 Ti 4:1-5; He 6:1-8).”

“Treasure Your Eternal Destiny”
“There never will be an end to any human being who has ever
lived or whoever will live in the future. Everyone who has ever lived will
be brought before the Lord in judgment. There, everyone shall hear the
words which will usher him or her either into eternal life or eternal punishment
(Mt 25:46; Jn 5: 28-29; Ac 17:30-31; 2 Cor 5:1-11). A man can
kill the body of another man. But no man can kill the soul (inner man,
spirit) of another man (Mt 10:28; Jas 2:26). In fact, no man call kill his
own soul. There is no way that any human being can avoid existence
throughout eternity.” – Thomas B. Warren (deceased)

Passages to Ponder
“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law
of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that
seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk
in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not
be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.”
(Psalm 119:1-6)

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
January 23, 2011
Number 21
≈
Bible Authority
Paul wrote to Timothy, “All scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect,
throughly furnished unto all good works,” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
The Word of God furnishes to us all that we need for life and godliness,
(2 Peter 1:3). Many times the Lord said, “He that hath ears
to hear, let him hear.” Hearing and obeying brings forth salvation,
(Rom. 10:17; 1:16-17; James 1:21).

The Lord commands that we obey His words, “But if ye
will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;
And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments,
so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye
break my covenant,” (Lev. 26:14-15), and “See that ye refuse not
him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that
spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away
from him that speaketh from heaven,” (Heb. 12:25).

Therefore, we should ask how God commands by His Holy
Word. God speaks with authority in His Word in three ways: direct
statement, implication, and account of action.

The direct statements of the Bible appear in several forms.
A familiar passage from Mark sixteen is a good example, “And he
said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to
every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but
he that believeth not shall be damned, (Mark 16:15-16). “Go ye…”
is a command. We are commanded to preach the Gospel throughout
the world, to all people. However, “He that believeth…” is not a command
but is a direct statement. This verse teaches conditions of salvation.
Though these two verses use two different types of statements,
each has the same weight of authority. Authority which
we are obligated to obey, if we desire to please God.

The Bible authorizes by implication. Peter commanded
those that heard his sermon on the day of Pentecost as recorded by
Acts chapter two, to repent and be baptized, “Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost,” (Acts 2:38). This verse says nothing about confession
(Rom. 10:9-10); but since it is necessary for salvation (as
per the direct statement of Romans 10:9-10) we may correctly understand
that confession is implied by Acts 2:38, though not actually
stated. Correctly understanding the links between verses (the
harmony) is a necessary skill in order to correctly infer what God
teaches by implication. To that very end Paul wrote, “Study to
shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth,” (2 Tim. 2:15).

The Bible also commands by account of action. Please note
the verses noted above from Romans, “That if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with
the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation,” (Rom. 10:9-10). Paul wrote
these direct statements and an account of action can be found in the
book of Acts, “And as they went on their way, they came unto a
certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth
hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with
all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot
to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip
and the eunuch; and he baptized him,” (Acts 8:36-38). The eunuch
confessed his faith in the Lord. This confession was made before
an inspired evangelist, Philip, and has been recorded by the inspiration
of God as an account of righteous action. We are directed to
confess. The account from Acts gives an approved way to confess, but
does not restrict one to confess in only the exact words said by the eunuch.

Bible authority is rendered in three ways: direct statement,
implication, and account of action. One must carefully apply
knowledge and logically reasoning in order to correctly determine
what God authorizes in His Word. - John Rose (Dalton Defender, 028, 05/25/08)

Passages to Ponder
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter
into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father
which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
January 30, 2011
Number 22
≈
THE DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION FOUND IN BAPTISM

TEXT:
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

THESIS:
We participate in a death, burial, and resurrection when we are baptized.

INTRODUCTION:

• 1. Christ experienced death, burial, and resurrection when
  He was sacrifice for our sins (I Cor. 15:3-4).
• a. Jesus certainly died while hanging upon the Cross (Luke 23:46).
• b. He was laid in a tomb (Matt. 27:58-60).
• c. The Lord was resurrected from death (Rom. 6:9).
• 2. New Testament baptism involves a death, a burial, and a resurrection.
• a. When one obeys the Gospel, one becomes dead to sin.
• b. Baptism is complete immersion in water, thereby, we enter a watery grave.
• c. We rise from that watery grave as a new creature in Christ.

DISCUSSION:

• I. When one obeys the Gospel, one becomes dead to sin.
• A. Death can be looked upon as separation.
• 1). Physical death is the separation of the spirit from the body (Gen. 35:18).
• 2). Spiritual death is separation from God (Isa. 59:1-2; Eph. 2:1)
• B. When we are baptized into Christ we become dead to sin or, separated from sin.
• 1). We are separated from all our past sins (2 Peter 1:9).
• 2). We are also separated from the love and practice of sin (Rom. 6:2,12).
• C. Baptism and all the prerequisite steps involved with it must be
  done in order to be saved: for the following reasons:
• 1). We become dead to sin through baptism.
• 2). To be Scripturally baptized then all necessary prior steps must be accomplished.
• 3). We should recognize that only complete obedience to God’s Word will save.
• II. Baptism is complete immersion in water, thereby, we enter a watery grave.
• A. When the Lord was buried, His entire body was put into the tomb (Matt. 27:57 60).
• 1). He said He would be three days and three nights in the
  heart of the Earth (Matt.12:40).
• 2). Baptism is described in Romans 6 to be like the Christ’s burial (Romans 6:5).
• 2). Any departure from this description would be a departure from the Word of God.
• B. Understanding this does away with the notion of acceptable baptism being anything other than immersion.
• 1). Pouring, as a method of baptism, cannot meet these requirements.
• 2). Neither can sprinkling, as a method of baptism, meet these requirements.
• 3). Only total submersion in a watery grave will suffice.
• III. We rise from that watery grave as a new creature in Christ.
• A. It is obedience to the Gospel of Christ that brings us into contact with the cleansing blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-22).
• B. The old man of sin is put to death (Rom. 6:6).
• C. We now walk as a new person in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 6:4).
• D. That new life in Christ should be evident by our actions (Matt. 5:16).

CONCLUSION:

• 1. New Testament baptism involves a death, a burial, and a resurrection.
• a. When one obeys the Gospel, one becomes dead to sin.
• b. Baptism is complete immersion in water, thereby, we enter a watery grave.
• c. We rise from that watery grave as a new creature in Christ.
• 2. The message is given to us in such forthright and simple terms we must conclude the matter with this question asked of Saul by Ananias, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized,
• and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
  – John

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
February 06, 2010
Number 23
≈
The Greatest Gift of All
When the idea of “gifts” is pondered, one commonly would
consider the act of “giving.” Truly one cannot receive a gift except
it first be given by someone. Giving is indeed at the very heart of
the Biblical Message (cf. John 3:16; John 15:13-14; Rom. 8:32). It is to the
verse from John chapter three that this article would bring the reader’s attention.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life” (John 3:16). “God so loved the world,” Our Heavenly
Father loved man, whom He created in His own image, to
such an extent that He did a certain thing – that thing was to
“give!” What precipitated such giving? The answer is found in
Genesis chapter three.

Adam and Eve had transgressed the law of God, thereby
sinning (Gen. 3: 6; cf.1 John 3:4). The punishment prescribed for
their sin was death, “…thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17). Adam
and his wife stood condemned before their Creator and were
powerless to redeem themselves or to justify themselves in the
sight of God. Action now had to be taken to save these two precious
souls from everlasting destruction (1 Thess. 1:7-9). Who took
action? God. As was exemplified in the inquiry by God of Adam,
who was hiding in shame among the vegetation of the Garden
(Gen. 3:8-9); so God was the One to move first. He put into place
His eternal plan to save men from their sins, “Who hath saved us,
and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in
Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Tim. 1:9; cf. Eph. 3:11; Titus 1:2; Rev. 13:8).
It is/was the eternal plan or purpose of God to save man
by the sacrifice of His Son upon the Cross.

What [or more precisely: who] then was “given?” The very
Son of God, “… that he gave his only begotten Son…” The Son was
“given,” but who is the Son? “In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1; cf.
John 10: 30; Php. 2:6). Jesus is God – He is Deity. The Lord told
Philip, “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…” What is the
implication of these facts? That God gave Himself! What could
be more sublime or majestic than this Heavenly ideal – God gave
Himself for us; for our sakes. We who were sinners (Rom. 5:8) and
enemies of God (Rom. 5:10) received this unfathomable gift! The
One that had been scorned and despised and disregarded; was the
very One that took away the scorner’s reproach.

The concept of such great love as has been demonstrated by
God toward us requires spiritual maturity to grasp and the end of
its depths shall never be found by the minds of men. However,
when one does lay hold of this great example, many passages of
Scripture open with greater meaning and depth, such as:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts
than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:8-9). What has been the great example
of this? God gave Himself for us.

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,
and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God
created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them” (Gen. 1:26-27). What is the
greatest means by which God has shown us how to be like Him?
God gave Himself for us.

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I
have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay
down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13). How has God loved
us? God gave Himself for us.

Finally, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1).

Why is it our “reasonable service” to “give” our entire beings
(Matt. 22:37-40) unto God in service and subjection? Because God
gave Himself for us! Oh, how unsearchable are the riches of God
(Rom. 11:33; Eph. 3:8)! – John

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
February 13, 2010
Number 24
≈

 Listen to a sermon on Worship Part – 1

Artificial Worship
Artificial respiration is well-known to the average household in
America. If a heart failure is apparent, artificial means may save a
life. How may our hearts be stimulated? Should we leave the Word
of God for man-made procedures? Years ago I sat in an audience of
several hundred brethren and listened to the preacher talk about the
Lord’s Supper. He laughed and joked about “three songs and a
prayer.” He ranted about formality, routine, and form. He suggested
that worship could be made meaningful by simply changing
procedure. He thought weak hearts could be revived by artificial
means. We know that the routine does not stimulate the Bible
heart. For over sixty-five years I have been taking the Lord’s Supper,
and it never occurred to me that I might be engaging in a ritual.

My mind, at the Lord’s Table, goes back over two thousand
years to the death of Christ. It never dawned on me that the order
of the worship had anything to do with the solemnity of the Lord’s
Supper. For over thirty years I have visited the graves of my mother
and father. I need no artificial means to stir memories at the
graveside. It makes no difference at which gate I enter the
cemetery or the direction I approach the graves. The denominations
use candles, shout and burn incense, use quartets, solos, testify,
and play the organ. Paul said, “…let a man examine himself and
so let him eat…” (1 Cor. 11:28; JDR). May God have mercy on us
if we have to have some form to stir our memories.
– G.K. Wallace (deceased)

An Open Door
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Mat. 7:7). Are we asking,
seeking and knocking? Our prospect for success in the Lord’s
work is as bright as the promises of God. We should keep our
minds more on the resources than on the difficulties. Let us attempt
great things for God and expect great things. All great forward
movements have been brought about by men who trusted the uncharted
and unknown. Think of the work of Christopher Columbus,
the Wright brothers, and Thomas Edison. Paul was not afraid
to go to Rome with the Gospel of God. We have a promise of victory.
The church will stand as long as the world lasts (Mat. 16:18).
The messenger may be imprisoned but not the Message. The Seed
of the Kingdom is to grow silently and irresistibly. The door is
open and God will answer prayer. His promises are conditional.
Victory is conditioned on faith (1 John 5:4). Help from God is conditioned
upon love and obedience. “…If a man love me, he will
keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come
unto him, and make our abode with him,” (John 14:23). Prayer is
conditioned on doing the will of God (1 John 5:14). If we do our
part, we need not be afraid that God will fail in His promises.
– G. K. Wallace (deceased)

Evil Companions
“…Evil communications [companions] corrupt good manners
[morals]” (1 Cor. 15:33). The choice of personal associates is
very important. To go wrong here could cause one to lose his soul.
There is an old proverb that says, “There were two dry logs and
one green log, but the dry logs burned up the green one.” Our associates
could destroy us. We all need congenial society. The kind of
people with whom we associate is a sure sign of our character. We
are the result of our choices. One may be ever so sound in the
Faith, but if he frequents the company of corrupt men he will soon
become as they are. We should be careful of our company because
of what we are. Evil companions will not tolerate us unless we adapt
to their so-called “lifestyle.” Our dedication to Christ should be
so complete that we will shun evil companions. Half-hearted men
lead only half a life. The only way to keep character up is to live
up to the highest standard at all times – Jesus Christ. Paul said,
“…have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but
rather reprove them”(Eph. 5:11).
– G. K. Wallace (deceased)

 Listen to a sermon on Worship Part – 1

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
February 20, 2011
Number 25
≈
Great Soldiers
We constantly talk about the men who have fought great
battles on the frontline. We overlook the great men and women
who have served in a more humble position. The preacher is important
in the congregation and so is the janitor. The place one occupies
is not as important as the faithful service rendered. There
was a law in Israel that said, “…but as his part is that goeth down to
the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall
part alike” (1 Sam. 30:24). This was a just law. He who stayed at
home and served had a right to share in the booty of war. The
preacher and the janitor who serve to the best of their ability will
be recompensed alike. If we have served to the best of our talents,
we shall all be crowned alike. We praise the great preachers of
today and yesterday and overlook the great mothers who gave us
their sons and trained them so well. “Brighten the corner where you are.”
– G.K. Wallace (deceased)

A “De-sexed bible”
Editor’s Note: The word “sex” as is used in the following
article has reference only to gender.
Recently there has been published a new bible. Note that I
spelled Bible here with a small “b”. It was brought out by the
United Church of Christ – no relation to us. It is like most others –
an effort, not to translate the Word from the Greek but to destroy
the Bible. God made man and then He made woman. We would
like to pass along this statement by Burton Coffman as printed in
the May 8th issue of Firm Foundation (p.8). He says, “Brethren,
how far are you willing to go down the road of arrogance, conceit,
unbelief,  and blasphemy with those sons of the devil who arrogate to
themselves the right to determining what is and what is not the word of God?

Sex is a distinction taught not only in the Bible but by
every fact associated with human life, indeed of all life: and for
those who do not accept what God has revealed we should not attempt
to accommodate to their views. Let them alter the facts of
life and of history first, then fulminate against the Bible.”
How long will it be before some preacher or Sunday school
teacher will bring this book for use in our services? Will you object?
If so, some will say, “You are as contrary as old brother Wallace.”

How long will it take us to learn that most of these so-called
translations are only paraphrases or books that have been changed
to accommodate certain denominations?

Some of the theologians who are trying to de-sex the Bible
are now saying that Jesus was a woman. What will they say when
they start discussing the devil? Will they tell us that the devil is a woman?
– G.K. Wallace (deceased)

Our Worship
Jesus said two men went up into the temple to pray. One of
them trusted in himself and “…set all others at nought” (Lk.18:9;
ASV). Paul said of the men of Athens that they “…spent their time
in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing” (Actsv17:21).
They, like some of us, were too self-centered to truly worship God.
When I take my place in the assembly of the saints of
God, do I immediately begin to ask myself, “Is the preacher positive
or negative? Is he relevant for this day and age? Why don’t we
have a great orator? Just who is that song leader? Why is not this
congregation more friendly? Is he going to speak overtime?” Like
the Pharisee, I feel self-righteous and “set all others at nought.”
When the service is over the worship has been ignored. Worship
has nothing to do with who leads the songs. Worship has nothing to
do with the talents of the preachers. Jesus said, “…the true worshippers
shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth…” (John 4:23).
– G.K. Wallace (deceased)

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
February 27, 2011
Number 26
≈
REMEMBERING WHAT THE LORD OUR GOD HAS COMMANDED

TEXT:
“And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and
for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD’S law
may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the
LORD brought thee out of Egypt. Thou shalt therefore keep
this ordinance in his season from year to year”(Exo. 13:9-10).

THESIS:
To show the importance of keeping in memory what
the Lord has commanded.

INTRODUCTION:

• 1. God commanded remembrance of His Law in the Patriarchal
  and Mosaic Dispensations.
• a. Abraham and his descendants were to remember the
  law of circumcision (Gen. 17:9-10).
• b. Moses and the Israelites were to remember all the words of the Law (Deu.11:18).
• c. At the end of the Old Testament canon we find that God continued to instruct the people to remember His Law (Mal. 4:4).
• 2. The New Testament calls us to remember the following things:
• a. We are to remember the Word of God.
• b. We are to remember our Savior.
• c. We are to remember Heaven as our home.

DISCUSSION:

• I. We are to remember the Word of God.
• A. The New Testament requires this (2 Tim. 1:13).
• B. God’s Word provides all that we need to live in a pleasing
  manner before Him (2 Peter 1:3).
• C. The Gospel is God’s power to save (Rom. 1:16).
• II. We are to remember our Savior.
• A. Jesus died for our sins (Rom. 5:8).
• B. Jesus purchased the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28).
• C. Jesus is returning (1 Cor. 11:26).
• D. The Gospel tells us how often and in what manner to show
  our remembrance of the Christ (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11: 23-29).
• III. We are to remember Heaven as our home.
• A. Our reward is in Heaven (Matt. 5:12).
• B. Our reward in Heaven is eternal (2 Cor.5:1).
• C. In Heaven we shall be with God (Matt. 16:17, John 14:1-3).

CONCLUSION:

• 1. The New Testament calls us to the remembrance of the following things.
• a. We are to remember the Word of God.
• b. We are to remember our Savior.
• c. We are to remember Heaven as our home.
• 2. Do we keep in memory what God has provided (1 Cor. 15:2)?
• 3. Let us lay up these words of David, king of Israel, deep within
  our hearts, “Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face
  continually. Remember his marvelous works that he hath
  done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; O ye
  seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen
  ones” (1 Chr. 16:11-13). – John

Passages to Ponder
“I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren,
like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall
speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to
pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he
shall speak in my name, I will require it of him” (Deu. 18: 18-19).

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
March 06, 2011
Number 27
≈
THE MEANING OF LIBERALISM
“Liberalism” is a term which is being heard and seen with increasing
frequency. It is important that we clearly understand the sense in
which the word is being used. The tremendously wonderful Freed-Hardeman
Lectureship of two years ago dealt entirely with the problem of liberalism:
THE CHURCH FACES LIBERALISM. It was the privilege of
this writer to speak each day on that lectureship. In the early portion of
my work I made a special effort to try to explain the meaning of the word
“liberalism”– at least as was being used in the lessons which I was
presenting. Following is some of the material which was presented at that time.

• 1. What is the meaning of “liberalism”? How is the term being
  used in the present study?
• 2. The term is variously used, and a brief definition is difficult to come by.
• 3. Some writers on the subject use “Modernism” as the general term with “liberalism” as a sub-division under “Modernism”. Others use “liberalism” as the general, with “Modernism” as a sub-divi sion. And, regardless of which term we regard as being the larger one, we must recognize that there are numerous sub-divisions.
• 4. A fairly general concept is to use “Liberalism” as the general term,
  recognizing that it consists of two basic branches:
• (1) “Moderate” liberalism – which is called “Modernism,” and
• (2) “Radical” liberalism – which is called “Humanism.”
  NOTE: Though there are many points of difference, there is basic agreement.
• 5. Liberalism, in this sense –
• (1) Denies the miraculous, word by word, inspiration of the Scriptures;
• (2) Denies that the Bible is infallible and authoritative; (3) Holding to the Graf-Welhausen Hypothesis and the Documentary Theory, it regards the Bible
  as being a human product;
• (4) Tends to deify Science and human reason; to deify man and humanize God;
• (5) Denies the miracles of the Bible;
• (6) Vehemently rejects the records of the creation of man and of the universe;
• (7) Ridicules and rejects the Bible record of the virgin birth of Christ;
• (8) Subscribes to the doctrine of organic evolution;
• (9) Seeks a “natural” explanation for all things which the
  Bible presents as being miraculous;
• (10) Is adept in using ordinary terms in very extraordinary ways – as,
• A. Liberalism believes in God, but not in the God of the Bible;
• B. Liberalism believes in Christ, but not in the Christ of the Bible;
• C. Liberalism believes in inspiration, but not in the inspiration the Bible talks about;
• D. Liberalism believes in salvation, but not in the salvation of the Bible.
• (11) Denies the resurrection of Jesus, and rejects the idea that there
  will be a general resurrection of all the dead;
• (12) Denies there is a judgment to come;
• (13) Denies the existence of heaven and of hell.
  – Roy Deaver, (deceased), Defender, March, 1972

Brother Deaver’s words are as timely today (2011) as they
were when he wrote them. Liberalism has engulfed the mainstream
so-called “Christian” religions. Our world is full of this insidious
disease. If you doubt it – just look at the world around you!
The remainder of this article will be in next week’s bulletin and
will be followed by more from brother Deaver concerning “liberalism.”
– John

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
March 13, 2011
Number 28
≈
THE MEANING OF LIBERALISM
Part 2

• 6. But, what about liberalism in the church? What is meant when this term is used?
  (1) Sometimes it means exactly that which we have already discussed. For many years the church of our Lord has been plagued with “liberals” of that variety.
• (2) However, the word frequently is used to refer to brethren who –
• A. Reject miraculous, word-by-word inspiration of the Bible;
• B. Deny and/or disregard the distinctiveness and exclusiveness
  of New Testament Christianity;
• C. Insist that not all things are black or white – that some
  things are mushy gray; that truth is relative;
• D. Think of the New Testament Church as being just another
  denomination among denominations;
• E. Are vehement in defense of “drinking socially;”
• F. Insist that we have no specific instruction as to when to observe the Lord’s Supper, and that – therefore – it may be observed on Thursday night;
• G. Hold that it makes no difference as to whether or not one
  believes the Bible record of the virgin birth of Christ;
• H. Are tolerant toward those who hold to the doctrine of “theistic evolution;”
• I. Think and teach that we cannot disfellowship – but that we
  must fellowship – the people of the “Christian Church;”
• J. Are concerned about “Christian unity” but without proper
  regard for Bible teaching on the subject of unity;
• K. Are inclined to minimize matters of doctrine (“It’s the spirit that counts”);
• L. Insist that there is no such thing as an “act” of worship, but that worship is entirely a matter of “attitude,” the “condition of heart;”
• M. Ridicule the time-honored practice of giving “book, chapter, and verse”
  for what is being preached;
• N. Minimize the works and influence of the great gospel preachers of a former day;
• O. Weave everything into their sermons excepting the word of God;
• P. Want to fellowship everybody excepting those who don’t want to fellowship everybody; tolerate everything and everybody excepting those who won’t
  tolerate that kind of toleration; include everything excepting those who
  don’t want to include everything!
  – Roy Deaver, (deceased), Defender, March, 1972

LIBERALISM
and
TWO BASIC PHILOSOPHIES
Basically, the problem of liberalism is a philosophical one.
Philosophy relates to basic attitudes, positions, thoughts, and principles
out of which come actions, conduct, and related thinking. My actions in
the political realm will be the product of my basic political philosophy.
My conduct with regard to the Bible teaching will be the product of my
attitude toward the Bible. If I regard it as being a miraculous product
from God to man, then my conduct will be of a certain kind. If I regard it
as being a purely human product, then my conduct will be of an entirely
different kind. In 2 Pet. 3, verse 3, Peter referred to the “mockers” who
would come with mockery, walking in their own lusts, and saying
“Where is the promise of his coming?” Denying the Lord’s final coming,
these mockers walked in lusts. In verse 11 Peter refers to the conduct of
those who know that the Lord will come: “Seeing that these things are
thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all
holy living and godliness, …” One’s basic attitude – basic philosophy of
life – will govern all his thinking and will be reflected in conduct. Liberalism
is the product of many antecedent philosophies, but is also itself a philosophy.

As we think about liberalism, and how it is affecting the church
of our Lord, it would be well for us to glance at two popular philosophies
which have had and which continue to have great influence in the world,
and especially in America. We have in mind the philosophies of
“Existentialism” and “Pragmatism.”

Existentialism – This philosophy has been extremely popular in
France and Germany, and in the English-speaking world, since World
War II. The basic questions with which this philosophy attempts to deal
are: What is the point of man’s life? What sense can be made out of human
existence? What is the purpose of human events? The existentialist’s
view is one of pessimism. He says: “We are trapped in existence, living
in a completely meaningless world. But, we cannot escape having to deal
with existence.” He talks about “dreadful freedom” and “Nausea.”
– Roy Deaver, (deceased), Defender, November, 1972

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
March 20, 2011
Number 29
≈
LIBERALISM
and
TWO BASIC PHILOSOPHIES
Part 2
Out of this morbid background comes the existentialist’s humanism.
He searches for ways of dealing with human experiences. He devotes
his time and talents to the everyday problems which confront mankind.
He becomes an activist inhuman affairs. He talks about “aliveness”
and “action” and “dynamism.” This, to the existentialist, is all that matters.
The philosophy texts point out that existentialism has deeply influenced
contemporary intellectual life in Western Europe, and in England and America.

I am not saying that everyone who subscribes to the philosophy
of existentialism knows what it is. I am saying that it has tremendously
influenced our world, through the educational system.

Pragmatism – This philosophy likewise relates to action, to practicality,
to problem solving. Pragmatism is “a method for solving or evaluating
intellectual problems …” Pragmatism holds that “our intellectual
activity, our philosophizing, has as its purpose the attempt to resolve difficulties
that arise in the course of our attempts to deal with experience.”
Pragmatism judges a theory on the basis of whether or not it serves as a
successful way of dealing with the problem at hand. The pragmatist
holds that the theory is true if it works – it has been found to deal successfully
with experience. “The pragmatists contend … that the only reason
people have for calling one view true, and another false, is in relation
to how the view works in human experience, never in relation to some
absolute standards independent of all human experience.” Williams
James maintained: “The only reason we have for asserting that anything
is true is whether it works.” Pragmatism holds that before one discovers
whether an idea or theory works it is neither true nor false. For example:
prior to the discovery of America the idea that “There is a large land mass
located between Europe and Asia” was neither true nor false. With
the work of Columbus, the theory became true. According to pragmatism,
therefore, an idea might work for a while, and thus be true. Later, it
might cease to work and would thus become false. “Truth, then, is not
something static and unchangeable; instead it grows and develops with
time. At various times in human history, certain theories and ideas may
be satisfactory for the problems then current. However, with further experience
and difficulties, that which is true expands and grows to meet
newer conditions. Presumably, at no time will we ever reach a completion
or culmination of this process.”

What about pragmatism and moral conduct? The same basic
concept would apply. That which works, that which satisfies, that which
succeeds – is true. That which does not work, which does not satisfy,
which does not succeed – is false. What is true today might be false
tomorrow. If the problem is one of meeting certain financial obligations,
the pragmatist would ask: what would be the right way to solve this
problem? By “right” he would mean: what way will work? The pragmatist
would decide that under the present circumstances (and culture) robbing
a bank would be “wrong.” It would be “wrong” – not because of
some outside, absolute moral standard, but because the evidence
is that this method will not work!

“Truth” in pragmatism is that which happens to satisfy you, to
meet your personal needs. If you happen to believe that the moon is
made of green cheese – if this meets your personal needs – then it is true
that the moon is made of green cheese. If, later, you learn that the moon
is made of blue cheese, then the green cheese view is no longer true.

Brethren, it doesn’t take a genius to see that the doctrines of “relativism,”
“subjectivism,” “the new morality,” “situation ethics,” etc. are the natural
products of the basic philosophies of existentialism and pragmatism.
– Roy Deaver, (deceased), Defender, November, 1972

“If there is a life after this life – and there is; and if there is a
judgment to come – and there is; and if every accountable person shall
stand in judgment before the Christ – and each shall; and if this life is
given us that we may prepare for the life to come – and this is the case;
and if the Bible is our only and all-sufficient guide in making preparation
for the judgment, and for the life to come – and it is; then, it has to be the
case that a knowledge of the Bible is the most important factor in the life
and education of an individual.”
– Roy Deaver, (deceased), How To Study The Bible, 1991
~ Remember 2 Tim. 2:15 ~

Passages to Ponder
“And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy
it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the
LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David
bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver”
(2 Sam. 24:24).

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
March 27, 2011
Number 30
≈
THE FIRST AND LAST ADAM

TEXT:
“And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living
soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit,” (1 Cor. 15:45).

THESIS:
To recognize man as the created being that he is and
his responsibility to God and the salvation He offers.

INTRODUCTION:

• 1. Man is a created being, created in the image of God with the capacity
  to recognize evil and the ability to reject or accept temptation.
• 2. God, who is omniscient, was prepared for man’s need to be redeemed
  from sin, having in place the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8).
• 3. To this end let us examine our text from the following stand-point.
  a. The man as found in our text.
  b. The Plan as found in our text.

DISCUSSION:
I. The man found in First Corinthians 15:45.

• A. The first man was the Adam of Genesis 2:19.
  1. He was a created being (Gen. 1:26, 2:7).
  2. He was created in the image of God (Gen 1:26).
  3. He was created without sin and perfect.
• B. The man was given a charge from God.
  1. He was to dress and keep the Garden (Gen 2:15).
  2. He was commanded not to eat of the tree of the knowledge
  of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17).
  3. The man was commanded to replenish the population of human
  beings and have dominion over the earth (Gen. 1: 26-28).
• C. The man broke God’s command not to eat of the tree in the midst of the Garden.
  1. He partook of the fruit offered to him by his wife (Gen. 3:6).
  2. The man became guilty of sin by transgressing the law of God (1 John 3:4).
  3. The man was worthy of death (Gen. 2:17; Eze. 18:20; Isa. 59:1-2; 2 The. 1:7-9).
  4. He was now worthy of death of both body and soul.
• D. How can the man be redeemed?
  1. Adam owed his soul and his body, and could not pay his debt and live.
  2. One had to take his place.
  3. That One is the Christ.
• E. The day would come when Adam’s redemption would come in factuality
  and not only in promise (Gen. 3:15; Jer. 31:31-34).
  1. God’s plan of redemption would be fulfilled in the Christ (Heb. 9:11-12)
  2. Another “Adam” must come.

II. The Plan found in First Corinthians 15:45.

• A. We mention the Christ as the Plan because the scheme of redemption,
  through the Christ, was ordained before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4).
• B. The prefiguring of this is found at the very beginning in the Garden.
  1. Sin was committed and God’s justice had to be satisfied.
  2. Adam owed a debt that required his blood and his soul (Heb. 9:22).
  3. But Adam did not die, he lived to be 930 years old (Gen. 5:5).
  4. But something else died that day – the animals slain
  to give coverings to Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:21).
  5. Could the blood of “bulls and goats” take away sins? No (Heb. 10:4).
  6. The blood of Another was required (Heb.10:10; Isa. 53:10-11).
• C. The Christ gave Himself (Mat. 20:28; John 1:29).
• D. He shed His blood for us (Rev. 1:5).
• E. We, therefore, live through and by Him (John 3:16, Col. 3:4).

CONCLUSION:

• 1. From our text we have examined the following points.
  a. The man as found in our text.
  b. The Plan as found in our text.
• 2. Man fell from the paradise he had with God by choosing to break God’s Law.
• 3. God’s justice had to be satisfied.
• 4. Consequently, one had to die, but God’s mercy was extended
  by the giving of Jesus.
• 5. A perfect man fell in the Garden, therefore, a perfect Man had to take his place.
• 6. What unfathomable love was shown in the relationship between
  the first and last Adam! – John

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
April 03, 2011
Number 31
≈
Inner Light
With many the Word of God is not the power of God unto
salvation; it is only a witness to God’s Word. They tell us that as
they read the Bible the Holy Spirit gives them special light on the
passage read. If this is true, then the reader becomes a divine
speaker for God. That is all the pope of Rome claims. He speaks
for God. I had just as soon have the pope as some teenager who
claims he or she has a special leading in their “call meetings” or
“soul talks.” This is called by some a “personal encounter.” The
Bible is set aside as a true guide and is made only a means of
bringing a person into a “personal encounter.” The doctrine of “inner
light” gave us every major denomination among us. Let us remember
that the “Bible is right” and that “it is not within man that
walketh to direct his steps” (Jer. 10:23). God’s means of converting
and leading man is the Word of God (Rom. 1:16). The advocates of
emotional religion talk much about the Holy Spirit and, at the same
time, ignore what the Holy Spirit says in His Holy Word. The spirit
that leads a man outside of the Word of God is not holy.
– G.K. Wallace (deceased)

Old Folks
In the vigor of youth, we despised danger. Now our caution
increases year by year. With many, life if a problem preventing being
idle. We are anxious about a continual existence. Winter is on
our heads but spring is in our hearts. Roses and violets smell just as
they did forty years ago. Our minds cannot be perplexed or
frightened but go in a quiet peace like a clock in a thunderstorm.
The events of life flow on as usual. It has been well said that the
“fuller the current, the more noiseless it flows.” Time passes
swiftly – months and years are so much alike that we hardly notice.
Victor Hugo said, “Forty is the old age of youth: fifty is the youth
of old age.” It may be better to be seventy or eighty years young
and not forty years old. If we would stay young in heart we must
keep the mind active. Read, read, and read. The man who is mentally
active does not grow old like the one who never thinks. The
mind, like muscles, needs exercise. Chapirl said, “An aged Christian,
with snow on his head, may remind us that those points of earth
are whitest which are nearest heaven.” David said, “The days of
our years are threescore and ten; and if by reason of strength
fourscore years… for it is soon cut off and we fly away…So teach
us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom” (Psa. 90:10, 12).
– G.K. Wallace (deceased)

Confessing Faults
“Confess your faults [sins] one to another, and pray one for
another that ye might be healed” (Jas. 5:16). Private wrongs should
be corrected privately (Mt. 18:15). A Christian is doing himself an
incalculated [sic] injury to try to hide a public sin. When a sin is
known, one does not confess the sin but his repentance of that sin.
The wrongdoer needs to make known his or her repentance of that
sin. When a sin is well-known, the sinner should publicly make
known his or her purpose to quit the wrong. To fail to do so may
cause others to do the same sin. He who tried to hide his sin is
adding the sin of hypocrisy to the wrong committed. The prodigal
son said, “I will arise and go to my father, and I will say unto him,
Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight” (Lk. 15:18).
Today, we not only have “backsliders,” we have “insliders.” Backsliders
are those who have publicly sinned so as to bring reproach
upon the church, but, instead of making a public confession and
asking the forgiveness of the church, they just “slide into the congregation”
and feel forgiven. A Christian who has done a public wrong is
never humble enough to be forgiven until he is humble enough to
take away the reproach he has publicly brought on the church.
– G.K. Wallace (deceased)

Passages to Ponder
“As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is
tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God
save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? It is God that girdeth
me  with strength, and maketh my way perfect” (Psa. 18:30-32).

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
April 10, 2011
Number 32
≈
Tradition vs. Doctrine
“Well … it was good enough for my mom and daddy, so it’s
good enough for me!” Has the reader ever heard words such as
these? Such heated statements are often given sincerely and with
great passion. But is this declaration and others like it and the
motives behind them, compliant with the teachings of God’s Word?
The Lord spoke on a number of occasions concerning traditions
and the way of righteousness.

Jesus reprimanded the Jews for keeping their own traditions
rather than God’s commands. One such place is found in the recorded
words of Mark, (Mark 7:1-9). Please note these phrases from
this passage: “holding the tradition of the elders”… “Why walk not
thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders”…“ye hold the
tradition of men”…“that ye may keep your own tradition.” These
traditions were the long standing practices which had been introduced
by men and were enforced by men. They had been observed
and forced upon the people for so long that they had been accepted
as law. Did the Lord say once that these were the “traditions” of
God? No. He said just the opposite, “For laying aside the commandment
of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of
pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do,” (Mark 7:8).
The Lord’s words recorded in verse eight clearly contrast the Word
of God and the traditions of men. Their practices were not from the
Law of God but from their own imaginations. Hygienic practices
are not condemned, but rather the enforcement of men’s laws as though
they were God’s. Please note the following implied lesson from verse eight.
The Lord said, “For laying aside the command ment of God,
ye hold the tradition of men…” (Mark 7:8). In order
for them to “hold the traditions of men” they had to lay aside the
commandments of God. This is an “either-or” situation. One must
choose between God’s commandments and the traditions of men.
These verses plainly teach that substitutionary practices are sinful.
Matthew’s parallel account of this same context says that they were
transgressing God’s law, “But he answered and said unto them,
Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition,”
(Matt. 15:3). When one chooses to make his or her traditions
their law (as regards righteousness), they sin before God. When Jesus
was tempted, as recorded in Matthew chapter four, He said,
“…Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the
Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matt. 4:10). The “only” here
would exclude man and his doctrines as surely as it excludes Satan.

Salvation and guidance unto righteousness come not from
men but from God (Isa. 55: 8-9, Jer. 10:23). The fact is, that God
makes the rules and we are to follow them. How sad it is that many
people have forgotten this. The Pharisees of the first century had
forgotten this and so have those of the twenty-first century when
they utter such things as the opening quotation of this article.

How shall we regard God? Shall it be according to Isa. 45:5
and Mark 12:29-30? Or will it be as we want it? How shall we conduct
our worship service to God? Shall it be as the Lord taught by
John (John 4: 23-24)? Or will it be according to our own opinions?
How shall we preach? Will it be the Truth (1 Peter 4:11, Gal. 1:11-
12) or some so-called “gospel” (Gal. 1:6-9)? What terms of salvation
shall we obey? Will we obey what the Bible says concerning
salvation (Rom.10:17, Heb. 11:6, Luke 13:3, Acts 8:37, Acts 2:38,
Mark 16:15-16, Rev. 2:10)? Or will we obey our own rules (2 Thess.1:7-9)?

Is what your mother and father believed really the determining
factor for how to be saved? Is something right just because it
has become our “tradition”? Psalm nineteen declares that it is God
that is right, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul:
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The
statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment
of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the
LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are
true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than
gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the
honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping
of them there is great reward,” (Psalm 19:7-11). God is the one
that is right. Amen! - John (Dalton Defender, 2008)

Passages to Ponder
“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words
of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That
your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of
God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the
wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to
nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden
wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which
none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they
would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:4-8).

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
April 17, 2011
Number 33
≈
Listen to this Sermon! 

Appointments Everyone Must Keep
Heaven
Hell

Passages to Ponder
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is
to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice,
inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory
shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be
reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory
and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on
your part he is glorified” (1 Pet. 4:12-14).

Listen to this Sermon!

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
April 24, 2011
Number 34
≈
WAS I BORN A SINNER?

TEXT:
“And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them:
but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called
them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and
forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:15-16).

THESIS:
To prove by the Scriptures that no human being is born a sinner
and a direct operation of the Holy Spirit is not necessary for salvation.

INTRODUCTION:

• 1. Calvinism is so named for this doctrine’s connection to John Calvin.
• 2. One of the tenants of Calvinism is total hereditary depravity.
• 3. Those who teach total hereditary depravity claim that “a man is born in
  sin, opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to evil.”
• 4. Many denominations teach total hereditary depravity.
• 5. Having the above in mind it is necessary to ask the following questions.
  a. Are men born totally depraved?
  b. Is a direct operation of the Holy Spirit, separate and apart from
  the Word of God, required for salvation?

DISCUSSION:
I. Are men born totally depraved?

• A. “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil,
  that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works,
  but of him that calleth)” (Rom. 9:11).
  1. The Bible speaks here of the yet unborn children of Isaac: Jacob and Esau.
  2. The verse plainly states that the children as early as yet in the womb
  had done no evil.
• B. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is
  the transgression of the law,” (1 John 3:4).
  1. Sin is an act that transgresses or goes beyond the law of God.
  2. The children mentioned in Romans 9:11 had done no evil, therefore,
  they had not done any acts that transgressed God’s law and consequently                 had done no sin.
• C. “And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his         disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him, and said,           Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is                     the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:15-16).
  1. The Lord said that children have the attributes necessary for one to enter                   the kingdom (Mark 10:13-16, Mat. 18:3).
  2. However, sinners will not have any part in salvation (Rev. 21:8).
  3. One cannot be a sinner and enter the kingdom, therefore:
  little children are not sinners.
• D. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the
  iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the
  iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall
  be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be
  upon him,” (Eze. 18:20).
  1. This passage from the book of Ezekiel is very plain.
  2. The soul that sins shall be responsible for his own sin,
  the responsibility does not belong to another.
  3. The verse also states that sin is not passed from
  generation to generation.
  4. If sin is inherited (per the doctrine of John Calvin),
  then the passage above is untrue.

II. Is a direct operation of the Holy Spirit, separate and apart from the
Wordof God, required for salvation?

• A. If all men were hereditarily depraved and wholly inclined to evil,
  as is declared by Calvinism, then only a direct operation of
  God on the hearts of men could bring about salvation.
• B. However, the Scriptures teach that men are not hereditarily depraved
  and not wholly inclined to evil.
• C. Further, a direct operation of the Holy Spirit would nullify the
  Scriptures which teach the Gospel is God’s power to save (Rom. 1:16; Jam. 1:21).
• D. A direct operation of the Holy Spirit would also nullify the
  Great Commission (Mat. 28:18-20).
• E. One comes to the Father through Jesus by the Gospel (John 6:44-45).
• F. For a direct operation of the Holy Spirit to be necessary, God must contradict Himself and thus be ready to fall (Mat. 12:25-26).
• G. To seek the Father through a direct operation of the Holy Spirit upon one’s heart is to seek to come by a way different than that which is prescribed by the Scriptures – such actions are sin (Gal.1:6-9).

CONCLUSION:

• 1. The Bible clearly teaches that total hereditary depravity is false.
• 2. The Bible also clearly teaches that children are not born sinners or that
  they inherit any sins from their parents.
• 3. A direct operation of the Holy Spirit would be a violation of the Word
• of God and thus God would be found a liar.
• 4. The answers to the questions presented are: Absolutely no!

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
August 14, 2011
Number 50
≈
Logic
Eight Basic Definitions
Part 2
7. Implicit Teaching (Implication). To say that a proposition is
taught implicitly by explicit statements of the Bible is to say that it is impossible
for the given explicit statements to be true and yet the proposition
which is implied to be false. For example, to say that proposition A
implies proposition B is to say that it is impossible for proposition A to
be true and proposition B to be false. This means, if two propositions (or
statements) are related to each other in such fashion that the second proposition
must be true if the first one is true, that the second one follows
from the first – or, it means that the second one is a logical consequence
of the first one. To say the same thing: the first proposition implies the
second one. The first one functions as evidence (or premise) and the
second one functions as conclusion.
8. True. To say that a proposition (or statement) is true is to say
that it correctly describes reality (where reality is what was, is, or will
be). To say that a proposition is true is to say that if the proposition says
that such and such is the case, and such and such actually is the case,
then the proposition is true. On the other hand, to say that a proposition
is false is to say that if the proposition says that such and such is the case,
but such and such is not the case, then the proposition is false. Truth and
falsity relate to propositions (statements), but validity and soundness relate
to arguments. A proposition can be neither valid nor sound, but an
argument can be either valid or invalid, sound or unsound. On the other
hand, in strict logical usage, no argument can be either true or false.
– From: Thomas B. Warren, Logic and the Bible, pp. 11-12.

The Law of Identity
1. For things. The law of identity for things is: if a thing has a
certain property, then it has it.
2. For propositions. The law of identity for propositions is: if a
proposition is true, then it is true. This means that if a proposition is true,
then it is true for all persons, in all times, and in all places. (See Ruby,
pages 263-265 for a detailed discussion of some objections which have
[been] raised against this law, but which Ruby refutes.)

The Law of Excluded Middle
1. For things. The law of excluded middle for things is: any
thing either has a certain property or it does not have that property. This
means, for example, that every thing either is human or it is not human.
Everything that exists is either black or it is not black. Any thing either
does possess property X or it does not possess property X. Note carefully
that it is not correct to say that anything is either black or white, for there
are many colors other than black or white. There is “middle ground”
between black and white, but there is no “middle ground” between black
and not-black! There is simply no alternative to a thing’s being black or
not-black, so every thing is either black or not-black. It is crucial in debates
with evolutionists to insist that every thing is either human or nonhuman.
2. For propositions. The law of excluded middle for propositions
is: every precisely stated proposition is either true or false (not-true).
This is the case because there is no middle ground between a proposition
being true and false (not-true).
In setting forth this law, W.S. Jevons said, “Its meaning may be
best explained by saying that it is impossible to mention any thing and
any quality of circumstance, without allowing that the quality or circumstance
either belongs to the thing or does not belong. The name of the
law expresses the fact that there is no third or middle course: the answer
must be yes or no. Let the thing be rock and the quality hard: then rock
must be either hard or not-hard. Gold must be either white or not-white:
a line must be either straight or not-straight: any action must be virtuous
or not-virtuous” [Elementary Lessons In Logic, p. 119].
– From: Thomas B. Warren, Logic and the Bible, pp. 20-21.

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
August 07, 2011
Number 49
≈
Logic
Eight Basic Definitions
Part 1
1. Logic. According to Stroll and Popkin, logic is “that discipline
which attempts to distinguish correct from incorrect reasoning.”
(Stroll and Popkin, Introduction To Philosophy, p. 7). Logic
has to do with those principles which enable one to determine
whether one proposition is implied by another proposition (or a
group of propositions). Logic has to do with the relationship
between or among propositions which function as premises and
those which function as conclusions. It is absurdly foolish to deny
that logic plays a crucial role in a proper method of interpreting the
Bible.
2. Proposition. A proposition is a statement which says that
something either is or is not the case. A proposition may be categorical
in that it asserts that something either is or is not the case,
without stating any sort of conditions. Or, a proposition may be hypothetical
in that it may state that if one thing is the case, then another
thing will be the case. Or, a proposition may be disjunctive in
that it may state either one thing is the case or another thing is the
case. A proposition maybe conjunctive in that it may state that both
of two propositions (or more) are true.

3. Argument. An argument is comprised of a number of
propositions, some of which function as premises (that is, they
serve as evidence) and one (or more) function as the conclusion
(that is, the claim is made that the conclusion logically follows
from the premises. But this claim may or may not be true. The conclusion
logically follows from the premises only when the argument
is valid. Argument is discourse which contains implication, so the proper reaction (if the argument is valid and the premises are
true) to the argument is to say, “this is true.”

4. Validity. To say that an argument is valid is to say that the
conclusion is implied by the premises: that is, an argument is valid
if, when the premises are true, the truthfulness of the conclusion is
demanded by that fact. It must be noted that an argument’s being
valid does not guarantee that either the premises are true or that the
conclusion is true. An argument may be valid even though all of
the premises are false and the conclusion is false. For example:
(1) All cars are Fords.
(2) All Fords are green.
(3) Therefore, all cars are green.
This is a valid argument. Not one rule of the categorical syllogism
is broken by this argument. Yet, both of the premises are false, and
the conclusion is false! Since this is the case the conclusion is not
proved by this argument even though it is a valid argument. But
note the question of “soundness” in the following point.

5. Soundness. To say that an argument is sound is to say
both (1) that the argument is valid and (2) that all of the premises
are true. If it is the case that either (1) the argument is not valid or
(2) even one of the premises is not true, then the argument is not
sound. And, it must be noted, only sound arguments prove their
conclusions to be true.

6. Explicit Teaching. To say that a certain proposition is
taught explicitly in the Bible (I mention the Bible in particular because,
in this book, the main concern is with the Bible – however,
the same principle applies to other teaching as well) is to say that
that proposition is stated in just so many words in the Bible. For
example the proposition, “except one be born of water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,” is explicitly
stated in the American Standard Version of the Bible (John 3:5).
But the proposition, “no man can enter into the church which Jesus
bought with His own blood without being baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ,” is not explicitly stated in the Bible even though it is
taught implicitly.
– Thomas B. Warren, Logic and the Bible, pp. 9-11.

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
July 31, 2011
Number 48
≈
Remember This Day
This article takes its title from the words of Exodus 13:3, “And
Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out
from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the
LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be
eaten.” God often reminded His people Israel of the fact that they had
been brought out of the bondage and horrors of Egyptian slavery by His
own “strong hand” (Exo. 13:9).

The Law of Moses
When God established the Law of Moses with Israel from Mount
Sinai, He reminded them that He had delivered them from bondage, “I
am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of
Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exo. 20:2).
God reminded Israel again, as they were gathered in the plains of
Moab; before they crossed the river Jordan to take their inheritance in
Canaan, that He had brought them out of Egypt, “I am the LORD thy
God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of
bondage” (Deu. 5:6).
God warned Israel not to forget Him when they came to possess
the land He had promised to their fathers and were “full of all good
things” (Deu. 6:11), “Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which
brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage”
(Deu. 6:12).
When God’s people would come to face their enemies in battle
they were to remember God’s deliverance, “When thou goest out to
battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people
more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is with
thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt” (Deu. 20:1).
When Israel rose up against God and His prophet Samuel, crying
to have a king over them like all the nations; God reminded Israel that He was their Savior, “And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the
voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not
rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over
them. According to all the works which they have done since the day
that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they
have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee” (1
Sam. 8:7-8).
The writer of the eighty-first Psalm declared that the God who
had brought Israel out of Egypt was able to care for and keep His people
Israel, “I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of
Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it” (Psa. 81:10).
While in Babylonian captivity the prophet Daniel, prayed unto
God; confessing the sins of Israel (that had caused them to be captives)
and remembering the mighty work God did in bringing Israel out of
Egypt, “And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out
of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as
at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly” (Dan. 9:15).
By the mouth of the prophet Micah, God called His people to
remembrance saying: “O my people, what have I done unto thee? and
wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. For I brought thee up
out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants;
and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam” (Mic. 6:3-4).
Throughout Israel’s history, God expected them to remember the
great salvation He wrought in them when He gloried over Egypt (Exo.
14:17-18) and brought His people Israel out of the house of bondage.

The Law of Christ
Today the Lord’s church, the church of Christ, is the “Israel of
God” (Gal. 6:15-16) and He still demands remembrance of His saving
work – His deliverance from bondage. God commands that His people
remember the great salvation He brought forth in them through the
Savior (1 Cor. 11:24-25; John 3:16; Luke 19:10; 2 Tim. 2:10) and warns
them that destruction comes upon those that forget (2 Pet. 2:1).
Jesus calls upon all men to hear the Truth (John 8:32) and believe
It (John 8:24). He invites all men to “come unto” Him that they might be
released from the bondage of sin (Mat. 11:28; cf. Rom. 6:16-17).
May all men say, “…but I will remember the years of the right
hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I
will remember thy wonders of old” (Psa. 77:10-11). – John

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
July 24, 2011
Number 47
≈
Outlines of the book of Exodus

1. Bondage and Deliverance (Exo. 1:1 – 14:31).
2. From the Red Sea to Sinai (Exo. 15:1 – 19:2).
3. Israel at Sinai (Exo. 19:3 – 40:38).

Outline material from David B. Watson.

Outline of Exodus
I. Prologue: Growth of Israel into a nation (Exo. 1:1-22).
A. Jacob and his descendants (1:1-6).
B. The tremendous increase of the children of Israel (1:7).
C. Efforts on the part of a king that knew not Joseph to stop Israel’s growth (1:8-22).

II. The deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage (Exo. 2:1-18:27).

• A. The birth of Moses (2:1-10).
• B. Moses slays an Egyptian and flees to Midian (2:11-22).
• C. Israel cries for deliverance (2:23-25).
• D. The call of Moses (3:1-4:31).
• E. Moses’ first request of Pharaoh and his response (5:1-6:27).
• F. Plagues and the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart (6:28-11:10).
• G. The institution of the Passover, the 10th plague and the hasty departure (12:1-14:31).
• H. Moses, Miriam, and the children of Israel sing a song of deliverance (15:1-21).
• I. Israel continues her journey to Mount Sinai (15:22-18:27).

III. The encampment at Mount Sinai and the giving of the law (Exo. 19:1-24:18).

• A. God talks to Moses about His covenant with Israel (19:1-9).
• B. Moses instructs the people to prepare (19:10-15).
• C. Israel comes to the base of Mount Sinai and Moses is charged to warn the people not to touch the mount (19:16-25).
• D. The ten commandments (20:1-21).
• E. The “book of the covenant” contains judgments (case-laws) and statutes (20:22-23:33).
• F. The acceptance and ratification of the covenant (24:1-18).

IV. The building of the tabernacle and its furniture (Exo. 25:1-40:38).

• A. God commands an offering be taken for the tabernacle (25:1-7).
• B. God gives a pattern for the building of the tabernacle, its furniture, and the worship therein
• (25:8-31:18).
• C. Rebellion with the golden calf (32:1-34:35).
• D. The historical account of the construction of the tabernacle and its furniture (35:1-39:43).
• E. The setting up of the tabernacle and the placing of the furniture (40:1-38).

– Kamp, Lester. “Introduction To Exodus.” Studies In Exodus.
Ed. Dub McClish. Cibolo, TX : The Gospel Journel, Inc.,
2004. 22-23. [This outline came from the “pen” of James Meadows
and was edited slightly for accuracy by the Words Of Faith editor.]

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
July 17, 2011
Number 46
≈
The Temple That Solomon Built
Solomon’s father, David, desired to build a house for God, “Now
it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the
prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of
the LORD remaineth under curtains. Then Nathan said unto David, Do
all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee” (1 Chr. 17:1-2). However
God would not allow David to build His house, “And it came to pass the
same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, Go and tell
David my servant, Thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not build me an
house to dwell in” (1 Chr. 17:3-4). Because David had shed much blood
in fighting for God, he would not be allowed to build a temple unto the
God of Israel, “And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in
my mind to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God: But the
word of the LORD came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly,
and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my
name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight” (1
Chr. 22:7-8). Although David would not build the Temple; his son would,
for God said “Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of
rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his
name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in
his days. He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son,
and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom
over Israel for ever” (1 Chr. 22:9-10).

When Solomon became king over Israel, God asked Solomon
what he desired of Him, “In that night did God appear unto Solomon,
and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee” (2 Chr. 1:7). Solomon
answered, “Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and
come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so
great?” (2 Chr. 1:10). God was well pleased with his answer, “And God
said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked
riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life;
but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that
thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: Wisdom
and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and
wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been
before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like” (2 Chr. 1:11-12).
Not only did God bless Solomon with great wisdom (1 Kings
4:30-34) but He also blessed Solomon and Israel with peace and prosperity.
The Temple built by Solomon was the culmination of God’s blessings
of peace and wealth during the reign of Solomon over Israel. The depth
of God’s blessings can be seen in the magnificence of that temple.
The following is taken from the Gospel Advocate, March 31,
1932. The dollar amounts for 2011 are included in brackets, which were
calculated with the CPI Inflation Calculator from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics (www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm).

PRESENT-DAY COST OF SOLOMON’S TEMPLE
The cost of the most magnificent of modern buildings is a trifle
compared to that of Solomon’s Temple, which, according to estimates given
in the bulletin of the Illinois Society of Architects, reached the tremendous
total of more than $78,000,000,000 [$1,285,440,000,000] according to present-day values.
The account further states that the cost of Solomon’s Temple and its
internal decorations and the paraphernalia was one of the wonders of the
olden times. According to Vilapardus, the talents of gold, silver, and brass
used in its construction were valued at the enormous sum of
$34,399,110,000 [$566,897,332,800].
The worth of jewels is generally placed at a figure equally as high.
The vessels of gold, according to Josephus, were valued at 140,000 talents,
which reduced, according to Chapel’s reduction tables, to everyday coinage,
equals the sum of $1,876,481,515 [$30,924,415,367]. The vessels of silver,
according to the same authority, were still more valuable, being set down as
worth $3,246,720,000 [$53,505,945,600]; the priest’s vestments and robes of
singers, $10,050,000 [$165,624,000]; the trumpets were worth $1,000,000 [$16,480,000].

To the above add the expenses of building materials, labor, and the
like, and some wonderful figures present themselves. Ten thousand men
hewing cedars, 60,000 (this should be 70,000; 2Chr. 2:18; JDR) bearers of
burdens, 80,000 hewers of stone, 3,300 overseers, all of whom were employed
for seven years, and upon whom, besides their wages, Solomon bestowed
$33,669,885 [$554,879,705].
If the daily food was worth forty-five cents [$7.42] each, the sum
total for feeding this army of workmen during the time of building totals up
to $344,385,440 [$5,675,472,051]. The material in the rough is estimated as
having been worth $12,726,685,00 [$20,973,576,880]. The several estimates
show the total cost to have been $87,212,210,840
[$1,437,257,234,643; that is 1.4 trillion dollars!]. – John

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
July 10, 2011
Number 45
≈
ON THE UPWARD TRAIL
When we consider the word “up” different images come to
mind. We may consider “up” to be any physical height above our
heads. The birds fly in the space above us. The treetops are over
our heads. The sky is called the “wild blue yonder.” All these are
“up.” When we think of Heaven we consider it to be “up” as well.

It is Heaven as our goal, as our final home that we want to
consider. The Lord said that Heaven was where the Father is (Matt.
5:16). Heaven is also the home of the Christ (Heb. 1:3). Jesus said
that He was going to prepare a place for us, that place is our home
in Heaven (John 14:1-3). So with that in mind we must ask
ourselves where we wish to make our home. Will it be in Heaven
or in Hell? Will it be “up” or will it be “down?”

Jesus pleads with us to come to be where He is (Matt.
11:28). He is saying “Come and be with Me.” Why? Because He
has prepared a place. Jesus knows what the world has to offer. The
world and the lusts thereof offer death (1 John 2:15-17, Rom.
6:23). We are to place our affections on things above (Col. 3:1).
We are to have our minds and hearts focused on that which is
above. We are to keep our eyes upon the Lord and follow were He leads.
Jesus is at the right hand of God and to “see” Him we must be looking “up.”

But what do we do when we stumble and fall? Some may
remember the old song that said “Pick yourself up, dust yourself
off, start all over again.” That is the idea the Christian is to have.
Satan wants you down where he is, and if he can cause you to miss
the mark; he wants you to stay down. But No! Get “UP!” Yes, get
up and look toward Heaven, knowing that you can stand once more. We can stand because we have a merciful Father and a Savior who is our Advocate (1 John 2:1).

The world offers only darkness and misery. The lust of the
world is the sure path to destruction ( Matt. 7:13). When we think
of things that are “down” we think of that which is low and
contemptible, in other words, sin. The Scripture says that Satan is
the father of lies and was a murder from the beginning (John 8:44).
Lies and murder are of darkness. They are of the things that are
“down”. Satan is “down”. Evil is from “below” but we have
learned that our hearts are to be set on those things which are above.
Why? The way to salvation is “up.”

Jesus is above. Satan is below. God wants us to be above
and live eternally with Him. Heaven is to be our goal. God has put
salvation within our reach. Which path do you follow? Is it the
path that travels upward to Heaven or is it the road that spirals
down to destruction? God beseeches every accountable person to
come to Him, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him
that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:19).
Salvation is found on the upward trail. – John

Passages to Ponder
“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the
everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth,
fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his
understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have
no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be
weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait
upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up
with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they
shall walk, and not faint” (Isa. 40:28-31)

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
July, 03 2011
Number 44
≈
The Bible is Powerful
Part 2
9. The Bible is God’s light for man. The Psalmist said, “Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Without the light of God’s word, man would be in darkness. He would
neither understand his lost and undone condition nor know what to do about it. Christians are to “shine as lights in the world” by “holding forth the word of life” (Phil. 2:15-16).

10. The Bible is God’s warner. To Timothy Paul said, “Preach
the word, be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:2). It is God’s will that
men should use the Bible in order to warn themselves and others of the
fate of the rebellious wicked (Acts 2:36-41; Rev. 20:10-15; 2 Thess. 1:7-9).

11. The Bible is God’s exhorter. God intends that men should
be persuaded by the Bible to walk in pathways of righteousness (2 Peter
1:5-11; Psalm 119:11) in order that they may gain “a hundred fold more
now in this life and in the world to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).

12. The Bible is God’s basis of judgment. Jesus said, “He that
rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the
word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John
12:48). To the Athenians the apostle Paul said, “The times of ignorance
therefore God overlooked, but now he commandeth men that they should
all everywhere repent inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he
will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained;
whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him
from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31). As surely as God has raised our Lord
from the dead, so he will call each of us unto judgment to give an account
of how we have used our lives here on this earth. The basis of that
judgment will be his word. He will judge us by his Son, and to judge us
by his Son is to judge us by the word of the Son, which is the gospel.

To say that the Bible is inspired is to say that the words of the
Bible are the words of God (1 Cor. 2:9-13; 2 Peter 1:20-21). To say that
the words of the Bible are the words of God is to say that everything the
Bible teaches is true and can be trusted completely. This is the case because
God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Heb.6:13-20). God’s word cannot be
broken (Matt. 5:18; 24:35; Luke 16:17; John 10:35) – the word of God
abides forever (1 Peter 1:22-25). Because God cannot tell that which is
not true, the Bible cannot tell that which is not true. To say that God can
be trusted completely is to say that the Bible can be trusted completely! Since this is the case, then it is also the case that whatever the Bible teaches to be true actually is true.

The apostles laid hands on other men, that they might receive
miraculous power from the Holy Spirit, thus becoming prophets, with the
power to reveal the word of God by inspiration (Eph. 3:5; 1 Cor. 2:12-14;
Acts 8). For a time the word of God was in inspired men, who were able
to infallibly preach the gospel of Christ. With the passing of time, these
men (the apostles and prophets) wrote the various books of the New Testament.
The word of God was then in the inspired book (Eph. 3:5; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Today, there are no inspired men: there is no one who has any
miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit – today, we have the inspired book,
the Bible, and no religious act is pleasing to God which is not authorized
by that book (2 John 9-11; Rev. 22:18-19).

This truth was recognized as authoritative by the early church.
They obeyed this truth in becoming Christians (Acts 2:14-41). They then
lived their daily lives in harmony with that truth (Acts 2:42-47a). They
recognized that any action not authorized by that truth was sinful
(Gal. 1:6-9; 2 John 9-11; Rev. 22:18-19).

Not only is the Bible authoritative; it is also sufficient (2 Tim.
3:16-17; James 1:25; I Cor. 13:10). There is thus no need for any further
revelation (Jude 3; Rev. 22:18-19). Men must learn not to go beyond the
things which are written (1 Cor. 4:6). Among other things, the Bible is
sufficient to teach man: (1) what to do to become a Christian; (2) how to
live the Christian life, including all Christian work and worship.

Since no man can be pleasing to God unless he does what the
Bible authorizes (whether it be a matter which is obligatory or is
merely optional) another important question is, how does the Bible authorize?

Due to the author’s desire to be as brief as possible on this matter in this book the technical details as to how the Bible authorizes will not be discussed here.

The crucial thing to note here is: (1) to reject Biblical authority
is to reject Christianity, (2) to reject Christianity is to reject Jesus
Christ, and (3) to reject Jesus Christ is to reject the only way of salvation
from sin which exists (Acts 4:12; John 3:3-5; 2 Thess. 1:7-9;
Rev. 20:10-15, 22:18-19, 2 John 9-11). No man who rejects the inspiration,
the inerrancy, the all-sufficiency, and the authority of the Bible can
be regarded rightly as a faithful child of God, no matter how sincere and
religious he may be (Matt. 7:13-23).

The Bible is the word of God, and Christianity is the religion of Biblical authority.

– Thomas B. Warren. “The Bible is God’s Law of Authority.” Rightly
Dividing The Word: Volume I – General Hermeneutics. 1990. Editor,

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
June 26, 2011
Number 43
≈
The Bible is Powerful Part 1
Because it is God’s word, the Bible is able to accomplish wonderful things among men.
It is able to do many things, among these are the following:

1. The Bible is God’s word and thus reveals God’s will to man (2 Peter 1:20-21). There is no one who knows anything of
God’s plan of salvation except what he has learned from the Bible.

2. The Bible is God’s limitation for man. The apostle John
said, “Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of
Christ hath not God” (2 John 9). Whoever dares to believe and
practice that which is not authorized by the Bible does not have
God in the doing of it. The Bible has the power to limit man, to set
out the boundary lines inside of which he must walk in the daily
activities of his life. Consider carefully Leviticus 10:1-2.

3. The Bible is God’s mirror for man. As such it enables
man to see his weaknesses, to see his needs. The Bible is God’s
mirror: “For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is
like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: for he beholdeth
himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what
manner of man he was” (James 1:23-24).

4. The Bible is God’s seed. Thus it is able to produce children
of God. Jesus said, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the
word of God” (Luke 8:11). Paul said, “For ye are all sons of God,
through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ
did put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27). Men become sons of God when, through
the influence of God’s seed (the Word), they are baptized into Christ.

5. The Bible is God’s “dynamite” (power). To the Romans Paul said,
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power
of God unto salvation…” (Rom. 1:16). As one commentator has
well said, “The gospel is God’s power for saving men. God’s
power has been, and is, manifested in many ways for many purposes.
In creating the world, he used his creative power; in saving
men he uses his saving power. The power by which God saves men
is his gospel. If men are saved, they will be saved by God’s power.
Paul was not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation.”

6. The Bible is God’s fire. The prophet Jeremiah said, “Is not
thy [sic] word like a fire?” (Jer. 23:29). Of this statement A. W.
Streane says, “The true word of God consumes all that cannot
abide the test, and breaks down the most stony resistance” (The
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges). In the same passage
the prophet also indicates that the word of God is like a hammer
that breaks in pieces. This shows the power of God’s word to
break the evil hearts and change the lives of men.

7. The Bible is God’s sword. Paul said, “…take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…”
(Eph. 6:17). The writer of Hebrews said, “For the word of God is
quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing
even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the
joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the heart” (Heb. 4:12; KJV, Ed.). The word of God is able to slash
to the depths of men’s souls, to convict them of their past sins, to
make clear their need for change for salvation, and to point them to
the things involved in that change.

8. The Bible is food (supplied by God) for the souls of men.
The apostle Peter said, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk
of the word, that you [sic] may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2; KJV,
Ed.). Just as God has provided physical food for our physical bodies
so he has provided spiritual food for our souls.
That food is the word of God – the Bible.

– Thomas B. Warren. “The Bible is God’s Law of Authority.”
Rightly Dividing The Word: Volume I – General Hermeneutics.
1990. Editor, Terry M. Hightower. Moore, OK : National
Christian Press, 1993. 182-184.

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
June 19, 2011
Number 42
≈
Unity and the Inspiration of the Bible
Part 2
God has been totally consistent in the precepts laid down
by inspiration throughout the pages of Holy Writ. There is no fluctuation
or dissonance. An example can be found in God’s teaching
concerning fidelity to marriage. Please notice the account of Abraham,
Sarah, and Abimelech as is found recorded in Genesis (Gen.
20:1-7). God pronounced to Abimelech that he would die if he did
not return Sarah to her husband, Abraham. To take another man’s
wife was a sin before God in the days of Abraham. Now consider
a passage from First Kings [1 Kings 12:7-14, (the background of
these verses is found in the eleventh chapter)]. God tells David
that he has sinned greatly in taking Bathsheba from Uriah, her husband.
David will have to bear the consequences of sin, though by
the mercy of God he will not die for his transgressions. To take another
man’s wife was sin in the days of David. Now bring your attention
to the New Testament, specifically the Gospel account of
Mark (Mark 6:17-18). Herod the tetrarch was condemned by John
the Baptist for unlawfully taking his brother’s wife. It was a sin to
take another man’s wife in the days of John the Baptizer. God’s
law had remained unified over nearly two millennia. That dear
reader is unity that only God can produce. Ah, but the liberal critic
will say that the writings of Genesis and First Kings are both of a
much later date! This writer will allow them a little rope (to hang
themselves, no doubt). Consider the following: if one gives the
books of Genesis and First Kings a post-exilic date of authorship
(which, of course, is the false dating of liberal so-called scholars),
one would still have to recognize that five to six centuries passed
between the writing of these Old Testament books and the Gospel
account of Mark. Further, one must admit that two world empires
had risen and fallen, namely the Medo-Persian Empire and the
Greek Empire of Alexander the Great; and a third world empire
had risen to power – the Roman Empire. History has irrevocably
shown the great differences between each of these empires and
their laws and attitudes. Why should a writer in the days of the
Medo-Persians and a writer in the days of the Romans, separated
by some five hundred years each present the law of God in such a
unified fashion? When the historically fickle attitudes and judgments
of men are examined and the same is observed in the world around us,
one must draw the conclusion that the Bible has Divinely inspired unity.

Unity, infallible and perfect unity, is absolutely necessary for
the Bible to be the Word of God and not an invention of mankind.
Attacks upon the unity of the Bible are really attacks upon
the inspiration of the Bible. To say that the Bible is not unified is
to say that it is not inspired or “God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16). God
has proclaimed, by His Word, that He is unchanging or immutable
(Mal. 3:2, Jam. 1:17). If He were not totally unified regarding His
nature and attributes, He would be no better than the fickle and
inconsistent gods of the heathens (Isa. 44:8-20). If the Bible is the
Book of God (and it is), then it must bear the marks of its Author;
as unchanging as God is, so united is the message of His Book.
The Bible is a cohesive whole, perfectly consistent in every
regard. Unity is absolutely essential if the Bible is truly the Book
of God. Dear reader, such is overwhelmingly so. – John

Passages to Ponder
“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine
heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk
of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way,
and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind
them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine
eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy
gates. And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into
the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob,
to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, And houses
full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou
diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou
shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which
brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage” (Deu. 6: 6-12).

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
June 12, 2011
Number 41
≈
Unity and the Inspiration of the Bible
Critics of the Bible have spewed forth their diatribe and
claptrap for centuries. Men such as Benedict de Spinoza, Julius
Wellhausen, and more recently, Karl Barth, and Rudolph Bultmann,
have devoted much energy to destroying the simple truth
that the Bible is the inerrant, infallible, plenary, verbally inspired
Word of God Almighty. Men such as those just listed have sought
to demean the Bible by bringing it down to the level of mere humanly
originated writings in order to justify their own lusts and release
their own consciences from the consequences of disobedience
to God’s Word. Worldly lusts are easily appeased and indulged
when one can “write their own rules!”

Paul told Timothy the following great words of encouragement,
exhortation, and warning: “Preach the word; be instant in
season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering
and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure
sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their
ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Tim. 4:2-4).

Paul also admonished Timothy and all Christians to “study
to show thyself approved unto God,” (2 Tim. 2:15). It is necessary
for all Christians to diligently study God’s Word. However, if the
Bible is not God’s Word, such diligence would be futile and singularly
unprofitable. Therefore, the offering of proof that the Bible is
God’s Word and that it is without contradiction or error is a needed
endeavor, that the church and the world may, without trepidation,
place their fullest confidence in the Bible as God’s authoritative
revelation to men.

UNITY: ITS MEANING AND NECESSITY
The word “unity,” may be defined by the following: “1. being
one: the state of being one 2. combining into one: the combining
or joining of separate things or entities to form one 3. something
whole: something whole or complete formed by combining
or joining separate things or entities 4. harmony: harmony of opinion,
interest, or feeling”(Encarta,World English Dictionary).
Please notice that “unity” is defined as oneness and the
combining of separate elements into a single unit and that harmony
is necessarily present. Such is a useful working definition of unity
as it will be used by this author.
It is inconceivable that a literary work that spans nearly sixteen
hundred years as respects its authorship and was written by
some forty men from a vast divergence of experiences, socioeconomic
backgrounds, temperament, geographic and governmental
locations, cultures, and times; could be the result of human invention.
If one will consider the writings of modern authors and their
disunity involving a single event, one must admit that something
beyond human thought is behind the unity of God’s Word. The
current news media is an example of the aforementioned disunity.
After a national event has taken place the news media covers
the story by a variety of sources: television, Internet, radio,
newspapers, news magazines, plus many more. Each source of information
will vary in its presentation. Some will approve of the
event and its participants, others will not. Some will call the happenings
wise, others will call them foolishness. Some will call for
change, others will call for a continuation of the actions of those
involved. Some will call it right, some will call it wrong. Dear
reader, please understand that only an irrational person will declare
that a singular event is both right and wrong at one and the same
time. The wavering and discordant views of today’s social commentators
(some Biblical critics have accused the inspired writers
of being nothing more than social commentators) shows very
vividly that there is a great difference between the writings of men
and the Book of God!

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
June 05, 2011
Number 40
≈
Are We Added or Do We Join?
Many people are confused about the question of whether or
not one joins the church which the Christ built or is added to it.
Some rather casually say that they have decided to join the church
of Christ. However, is that statement one that can be made accurately
in light of what the Bible says about this subject? To find the
answers, consultation of the Scriptures will be necessary.

Acts chapter two describes the inception of the church. At
the end of the chapter, Luke records this, “Praising God, and having
favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). An examination of this
verse in the Greek text reveals that “the Lord” is the subject of this
sentence. As the subject of this sentence, the Lord is doing the action,
which is the Greek word translated “added.” Hence, God is
performing the action of adding. Webster’s dictionary from 1828
gives these definitions for “add”: “…1. To set or put together, join
or unite, as one thing or sum to another, in an agreegate; as, add
three to four, the sum is seven. 2. To unite in idea or consideration;
to subjoin… 3. To increase number… 4. To augment…” (E-sword,
2007). Those who were “added” were united or brought into the
church by God. The next point that should be understood is the object
of the “adding.” The Greek participle and its article “tous (article)
sōzomenous (participle)” is translated “such as should be
saved” which we would understand as “the being saved ones.” This
Greek word and its article are in the accusative case meaning that it
is the direct object of the verb. “The being saved ones” were being added.
Who then are these saved ones? Our Lord clarified this in Mark
chapter sixteen, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned” (Mark 16:15-16). Jesus plainly stated that the saved are
comprised of those that believe and obey the Gospel. Now please
consider Acts 2:38-41. Those that were baptized (remember Mark
16:16) were those that had hearkened unto Peter’s sermon. Peter
preached the Gospel, (again, please remember Mark 16:16) they
believed, and were baptized; thus, becoming part of the saved. And
it is the saved that were “added” by the Lord. There is an indirect
object in this sentence, as well. The Greek noun and its article “tā
(article) ekklāsia (noun)” are in the dative case meaning that they
are indirect objects. “The church” is the body into which the saved
were added. The verb “added” was done to the saved and the saved
were placed into the church. All of this was done by God.

The above explanations are somewhat in depth, though certainly
not exhaustive. The verse which has been examined is a very
simple and straight forward pronouncement of the process in question.
Daniel chapter two supports the fact that the Lord adds one to
the church, not man. “And in the days of these kings shall the God
of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and
the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in
pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain
without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass,
the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known
to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain,
and the interpretation thereof sure” (Dan. 2:44-45). This kingdom
(which is the church) would not be established or founded by
men. Our Lord said that He would build (establish) His church
(Matt: 16:18). The adding of souls to that church was certainly a
part of its establishment. Jesus said He would build His church. He
is saying by implication that He would be adding to His body. The
Lord is head over the church (Col. 1:18); and as Head, He determines
the way into His body. Our Lord rules over His kingdom (Col.
1:13, 18). Headship of the church, salvation, forgiveness, reconciliation,
and the giving of commandments to be obeyed belongs to
the Christ. The church was prepared, established, and is kept by
God and not by man. The church is not a man-made nor human
ruled body, to which we may join ourselves at our own discretion
and upon our own terms. Acts 2:47 states the matter very plainly:
the Lord adds us to the church upon our obedience to the Gospel.
– John

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
May 29, 2011
Number 39
≈
The Apostle Paul, In Writing To The Thessalonians, Said,
“Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good” (I Thess. 5:21)

This means, in regard to religious doctrine which one encounters,
one is under the solemn obligation to put the doctrine to the appropriate
test. The appropriate test for religious doctrine is to determine
whether it is taught by the Bible. How does one do that? One does it by
determining whether the argument (which is used in an effort to establish
the case for a particular doctrine) is sound or unsound. If it is a sound argument,
then the truthfulness of the conclusion has been established and,
thus, should be accepted as true. On the other hand, if the argument used
in support of the doctrine is an unsound one, then it proves nothing, and
the doctrine should not be accepted on the basis of that argument.

If one can show that the doctrine which is under consideration
implies a false doctrine, when, since every doctrine which implies a false
doctrine, is itself a false doctrine, then the doctrine should be rejected
(because it is false). Men are to “hold fast” only to that which is good
and/or true, for only truth can save from sin (John 8:32, II Thess. 2:10-12).

I Thessalonians 5:21 lays on men the obligation to be deeply and
vitally concerned about the evidence, and about handling that evidence
properly (and that means drawing only such conclusions
as are warranted by that evidence).

The Law of Rationality is upheld in the Bible by precept
as well as by account of approved action.

John Instructed Men To Not Believe Every Religious Teacher But To
Put Them All To The Appropriate Test.

John said, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits,
whether they be of God; because many false prophets are gone out
into the world” (I John 4:1). Quite obviously, this instruction means that
men are not to believe every preacher or religious teacher. Many people
are inclined to believe that which they wish to believe on little or nor
evidence. But such a course of action is not pleasing to God. He demands
that men put teachers and preachers to the test. There are various things
to be tested. There are various kinds of people (that is, engaged in different
sorts of activities). Various sorts of tests must be used in order to ascertain
whether the activities or people are what one should approve.
The test for religious teachers is whether they have presented
sound arguments for what they have taught.

Thus, when John says, “…believe not every spirit, but try the spirits…,”
he means that when any one hears what some teacher of religious
doctrine says, he should not gullibly accept that doctrine without
testing it. And, to test it, he must determine whether the man has really
proved his case with sound arguments (that is, with arguments which
both are valid and have all true premises). The laws of valid reasoning
must be applied to every doctrine which is presented. There simply is not
any other way to do it!

The Bible Teaches That Men Are To Be Good Soldiers For Christ
The basic job of a good soldier is to fight. He must fight for the
army of which he is a member and he must fight against those who oppose
that army and its mission. Jesus Christ, through Paul, taught men to
“endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Tim. 2:3). Paul
also taught that men should “fight the good fight of the faith” (I Tim. 6:12).
The basic mission of the church for which Jesus died is the glorification
of God and the salvation of men through Christ by the making known
of the Word of God, in both word and deed [See the Bible, Passim].

The fight which Paul refers to has to do with the proclamation
and defense of the gospel of Christ (the new covenant, the faith, the truth,
the word of God, the doctrine of Christ, et al.). There can be no “good
fight” without one’s proclaiming the gospel. There can be no adequate
proclaiming of the gospel without the proclaimer’s having studied the
Bible to the point that he has learned the evidence and having reasoned
about that evidence in the proper way (drawing only such
conclusions as are warranted by the evidence).

Thus, to be told to “fight the good fight of the faith” is to be told
to “preach the word” (II Tim. 4:1-5), to contend earnestly for that Word
(Jude 3), and to be set for the defense of it (1 Peter 3:15; Ed. – cf. Php.
1:17). This all, of necessity, involves both recognizing and honoring
the Law of Rationality. -John

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
May 22, 2011
Number 38
≈
Jude Instructed Men To
“Contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered unto the saints.”

There are many men now living – quite a number of whom
are member’s of the Lord’s true church – who hold that it is simply
un-Christlike to contend for the faith. But, this passage corrects
that erroneous claim. To “contend earnestly for the faith” is strive
in combat, to engage in a fight, etc. and, since “earnestly” carries
the idea of intensification, it is clear that Jude 3 teaches that men
are to fight with great intensity for the truth and against error. Obviously,
this does not mean that Christ wants men to engage in
petty quarrels. He does not wish that men should wrangle for the
sake of strife. Such activity must grow out of a heart that is filled
with selfishness, haughtiness, and pride. But one can be humble,
loving, kind, and deeply concerned for the cause of Christ and for
the souls of men while fighting desperately for the truth of the gospel.
Jesus did. Peter did. Paul did. And so did many other faithful men during
New Testament days. And so have many men who have lived in our day.

Of course, there are many people who have a perverted
sense of love and kindness and a distorted sense of what it means
to be Christ-like. Such people are severely critical of those who
spend most of their lives in doing what the Holy Spirit, through
Jude, enjoins men to do. But faithful men must not allow
themselves to be intimidated into becoming unfaithful no matter how
unpleasant the criticism of liberal, modernistic thinkers may become.

Rather, one must remember not only such persons as Jesus, Peter and
Paul but also men such as Stephen who disputed with the Jews and
put them to rout by his arguments which proved that
what he was preaching was really true (Acts 6:9-10; 7:51-60).
Stephen spoke very strongly and argued cogently. Yet, it seems
hardly likely that any mere man loved his audience more than did
he. Even as men were stoning his life’s blood from him, Stephen
prayed, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:60).
This writer challenges any man to show greater love.

In spite of the pseudo-optimistic attitude of many people,
there are teachers of false doctrine in this world, there are doctrines
being taught which will cause those who believe and obey them to
be lost (II Thess. 1:7-9). There are preachers and elders – even in
the Lord’s church – who teach error on fundamental doctrines,
doctrines about which one must be right in order to be saved. Such
men must be opposed and those outside of the church who teach
error must also be opposed. It is a grievous error to suppose that by
merely pretending that there are no false teachers and there are no
false doctrines, God’s pleasure will rest upon us if we do nothing
about false doctrines and false teachers. Many Christians, it seems,
adopt a “holier-than-thou” attitude simply on the ground that they
– in contrast to some others – never engage in any kind of
controversy. Brother B.C. Goodpasture once told me about a
preacher who said to him, referring to the pulpit work with a
certain congregation, “as long as I am in this pulpit, nothing
controversial will ever be preached.” There are a number of things
wrong with this statement. In the first place, no one can preach the
whole counsel of God without preaching that which is
controversial, at least with some persons. In the second place, such
sentiment is directly opposed to the sentiment (and actions)
enjoined upon men in Jude 3!
Since no one can defend the faith without presenting sound
arguments, then it is obvious that Jude 3 demands that men both
recognize and honor the Law of Rationality.

– Thomas B. Warren (deceased), Logic And The Bible,
1982, pp. 88-89)

Passages To Ponder
In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in
doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech,
that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may
be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you” (Titus 2: 7-8).

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
May 15, 2011
Number 37
≈
Sick or Sinful
The trouble in the world is the result of sin. Sin originated
with Adam in the Garden of Eden. Jehovah said Adam and Eve
were disobedient, not sick. Man, today, thinks of himself as the utmost
in every life situation. His troubles are never sin- they are
psychological, sociological, economic, or political. To hear the
modern-day preacher, man does not need a Jonah to cry out against
a wicked city. The citizens of Nineveh were not to blame for the
condition; they were victims of the social order under which they
lived. Today, there is no place for the voice of John the Baptist crying
in the wilderness. John should not have cried “repent” but “go
see your counselor.” Can you imagine men like N.B. Hardeman,
G.C. Brewer, Marshall Keeble, H.A. Dixon, B.C. Goodpasture,
T.B. Larimore, and Alexander Campbell lecturing on sex? We
sometimes wonder how the Indians ever made it. It is time we started
preaching the gospel and telling people, as did Paul, “repent,
therefore and turn again” (Acts 3:19). Many people will pooh-pooh
what I say, but as Goldwater would say, “Down deep in their hearts
they know that I am right.” Jesus did not tell the woman taken in
adultery (Jn.8:1-11) to see a counselor but “sin no more.”
The woman was not sick but sinful.
– G.K. Wallace (deceased)

Forget It
As we grow older we worry about not being able to remember.
With most of us, the problem is remembering. We should learn
to forget (Phi. 3:13). Let us remember the value of time, the pleasure
of working, and the worth of character. Let us forget our neighbor’s faults
and all the slander we have ever heard. Let us forget
the odd or whimsical behavior of a friend and remember only the
good points found in his character. Let us forget all personal quarrels
and concentrate on the good of the past. Paul said, “This one
thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching
forth unto those things which are before” (Phi. 3:13).

• Forget the slander you have heard,
• Forget the hasty, unkind word:
• Forget the quarrel and the cause,
• Forget the whole affair, because,
• Forgetting is the only way.
• Forget the storm of yesterday,
• Forget the chap whose sour face
• Forgets to smile in any place.
• Forget you are not a millionaire,
• Forget the gray streaks in your hair.
  – Anonymous

The trouble most of us have is remembering and not forgetting.
– G.K. Wallace (deceased)

Editor’s note:
Brother Wallace’s point in the above article is well noted.
Often we are hindered in our relationship with God and with our
neighbor because we are unwilling to truly forgive those who have
wronged us. Notice the command of Jesus, “Take heed to
yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if
he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times
in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent;
thou shalt forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4). Now notice the importance
of forgiving those who sin against you and repent, “For if
ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will
your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mat. 6:14-15). Our forgiveness
should follow the pattern of God’s forgiveness, “And such
were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye
are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God” (1 Cor. 6:11). When those who trespass against us repent, we
must forgive them, and that forgiveness should be complete and
without imposed personal conditions. Thereby, we can be, “… perfect
[or complete, Ed.], even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Mat. 5:48).

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ Naples, FL
May 08, 2011
Number 36
≈
Heaping Burning Coals

The Passages
The phrase, “heap burning coals on [upon] his head,” is
found in the books of Romans and Proverbs. Paul wrote, “Therefore
if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink:
for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head” (Rom.
12:20). This verse in Romans is a quote of one written by Solomon,
“If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he
be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire
upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee,” (Pro. 25:21-22).

The question that may be asked by some is: “What does
‘heap burning coals on his head’ mean?” The immediate context of
Romans 12:20 is the place to begin answering the question.

Notice verse 21: “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome
evil with good.” This verse commands us to overcome evil with
good, rather than allowing ourselves to succumb to evil practices.
How can one overcome evil with good? One must “heap coals of
fire on his head,” that is, to repay evil done to us with acts of goodness.
These acts of goodness would be deeds such as: giving your
enemy food and water if he is in need (Rom. 12:20; cf. Pro. 25:21).

Why then are we thus commanded? The answer is in verse
19: “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place
unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith
the Lord” (Rom. 12:19). Paul declares that wrathful and righteous
vengeance is not ours to deliver. Only God can authorize and dictate
the avenue men may use to bring punishment to sinful and unlawful men
(as pertains to the church: Mat. 18:15-20; Rom. 16:17; 2 The. 3:14-15;
1 Cor. 5:4-5 and as pertains to the world: Rom.13:1-6; cf. Mat. 22:21).
We dare not thrust ourselves into the place of Almighty God!

To further understand the question: “What does ‘heap burning
coals on his head’ mean?” an account from the lives of David
and Saul will provide other essential information.

David and Saul
The account of David and Saul as recorded in 1 Samuel 26
may be summarized by the following:

• 1. David was hiding from the pursuit of Saul and his army
  in the hill Hachilah (1 Sam. 26:1-4).
• 2. David and a soldier of his named, Abishai, travel by night to the
  camp of Saul and find him sleeping in the midst of his troops (vs. 5-7).
• 3. David refuses to kill Saul (though the opportunity was before him) but takes
  his spear and water vessel which were next to Saul’s sleeping body (vs.8-12).
• 4. From a far away hill, David announces to Saul and his troops what has happened and David and Saul converse about the events that had just transpired (vs.13-25).

Saul’s reaction to David sparing his life is an example of
having received burning coals on one’s head: “Then said Saul, I
have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee
harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold,
I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly” (1 Sam.
26:21). Saul confessed similarly on a previous occasion, “And he
said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded
me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. And thou
hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch
as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou
killedst me not. For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go
well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou
hast done unto me this day” (1 Sam. 17-19; emphasis mine).
David returned goodness to Saul rather than repaying the evil
which Saul had done to him with more evil.

The effect of David’s righteous acts are seen in the confessions
of Saul: “I have sinned,” “I have played the fool,” “[I] have
erred exceedingly,” and “Thou art more righteous than I,” (implying
Saul’s unrighteousness). David “heap[ed] burning coals on his
[Saul’s] head.” David exposed the ungodly acts of Saul by openly
doing good in the face of evil, that the contrast between good and
evil could be seen by all and could not be denied, especially by Saul.
David’s good works brought about Saul’s denouncement of his own
evil works. That is what it means to “heap burning coals on his head.”
– John

WORDS OF FAITH
“… nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine …”
1 Tim. 4:6
Central Church of Christ
May 1, 2011
Number 35
≈
Dividing the Assembly?
May the Lord’s church divide its worship services and do
so with Biblical authorization? The short answer is – No. Though
this unscriptural organization is seen among some churches of
Christ (and of course among the denominations), those congregations
who practice or condone such activities do so without God’s authorization.

The Scriptures plainly teach that all that is done in the lives
of men is to be done by the authorization of God’s Word, “And
whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Col. 3:17).

To act in the name of one, is to act upon the authority vested
in you by the one who’s name is invoked, “But the prophet,
that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I
have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the
name of other gods, that same prophet shall die” (Deu. 18:20, emp.
mine). Notice that God declared that any prophet who would dare
to say that his words were commanded of him by God (or in His
Name), when the words were not so authorized, was assuming an
authority not given to him. All such actions were and are sinful (cf. Col. 3:17).

One should now ask what has God commanded, or authorized,
His church concerning the division or non-division of the
worship assembly of the saints? The word “division” is here being
used to describe a worship assembly of the Lord’s church, wherein
two or more of the five prescribed acts of worship (preaching the
Word of God – Acts 2:42; giving of your means – 1 Cor. 16:1-2;
observing the Lord’s Supper – Acts 20:7; a cappella singing – Eph.5:19;
Col. 3:16; and praying – Acts 2:42) are done simultaneously
by the same congregation. Included in such division would be circumstances
where a part of the congregation was excluded or manipulated
in such fashion that not all of the congregation was assembled
into one group. An example of this last point would be:
early and later services for different parts of a congregation, whether
brought about because of space constraints compared to attendance
or the politically correct offering of “traditional” and “contemporary”
services. Anything which would cause the church to
deviate from, “com[ing] together into one place” (1 Cor. 11:20) or
“the whole church [to] be come together into one place” (1 Cor.
14:23) is a practice unsanctioned by the Scriptures.

The Scriptural authorization for non-divided worship assemblies
of the church is plainly given in 1 Corinthians 11. Paul
begins his discourse concerning the Corinthians’ abuse of the
Lord’s Supper at verse seventeen. He addresses his words to the
entire Corinthian congregation when he uses the pronouns “ye”
and “you” (verses 17 through 34 use the pronouns “ye” and “you”
17 times in reference to the Corinthian congregation as a whole).

What then was the congregation to do, as declared by Paul?
They were to “come together” or assemble (1 Cor. 11: 17-18, 20,
33-34). What was the nature or purpose of this assembling? They
were to come together “in the church” or as “the whole church” (1
Cor. 11: 18; cf. 1 Cor. 14: 23) and specifically in this context to eat
the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11: 20). Paul also qualified their “coming
together;” the assembly had to be “into one place” (1 Cor. 11:20).
The summery of Paul’s declaration to the church at Corinth was:
the congregation was to come together in one place as a single assembly
to observe the Lord’s Supper. Since the observance of the
Lord’s Supper is but one of the five acts of worship commanded by
God (please see the references given above) and since the absence
of any one of the Scripturally specified parts of the worship service
would negate God’s acceptance of said worship; the entirety of
each congregation’s Lord’s Day worship services must consist of
the congregation coming together as a whole and in one place.

Any practice that would mandate that only part of the congregation
would meet for the Lord’s Day worship at any prescribed
time or that would cause two or more acts of worship to be done
simultaneously would indeed be dividing the assembly and sinful.

Examples of sinful deviations would be:
children’s church/worship, small group/house meetings for worship services,
and observing the Lord’s Supper in one room while those in the
auditorium go about one of the other acts of worship. Many other
examples could be given but the abundance of the above among
the churches of Christ is enough to show the danger of ignorance,
complacency, and adding to God’s Word (Rev. 22: 18-19). – John

Passages to Ponder
“Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I
then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to
wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should
do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not
greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:13-17).