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Lesson1 - Who Are the People of God?
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The House Church Movement
by Wilson Adams
That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new?" Already it has existed for ages that were before it.
— Ecclesiastes 1:9-10The wise man was right. Each generation possesses an adventurous spirit for the discovery of things unique; believing they have found what no one else was smart enough to think of. Alas, in the passing of time and the gaining of wisdom, most discover the truth of Solomon—there is nothing new under the sun.
I am especially troubled these days by an attitude I see espoused by those who seek to mimic the house-church movement of "non-denominational" evangelicals. Some among us have discovered a "new and exciting" brand of Christianity that rises above the bland and boring worship they believe most of us experience. There are several underlying causes for the popularity of these groups that seem to thrive in areas where there is a large contingency of vulnerable college students—
- There is the seed-thought planted by LaGard Smith (Radical Restoration) and other writers who raise more questions than answers and who seem to enjoy sarcastic jabs at anything that smacks of local-church tradition,
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Keep Yourself Unspotted From the World
by Warren E. Berkley
“If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:26,27)
One truth immediately clear from this passage is, it is not enough just to think that you are religious. Religion in the New Testament is not just a matter of what you think and claim; it is matter of your individual response of heart to God. It is the activity of your faith in Christ, beginning with baptism and continuing thereafter to trust and obey.
In verse 26, James gives one example of useless religion: thinking you are religious while not controlling the tongue, thus deceiving your own heart. In verse 27, James gives three examples of pure and undefiled religion: (1) visiting orphans, (2) visiting widows and (3) keeping oneself unspotted from the world. James – in verse 26 – does not cite every possible example of useless religion. Likewise in verse 27, he doesn’t cite every possible example of pure and undefiled religion, only three. All of this needs our personal attention. But in this article I want to highlight the familiar admonition to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
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Buy the Truth and Sell It Not
by Bob Waldron
One of the most important attitudes one can have in striving to go to heaven is that of intense zeal for the truth of God. Too often, people settle on something far less than the truth. Remember, a counterfeit, though it may look relatively genuine, is nevertheless worthless. Likewise, we cannot enjoy the benefits of truth just by getting pretty close. We must take our position firmly and foursquare on the truth. “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
There are many among us who, like Pilate, would ask, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Many do not believe in absolute truth. The Bible, however, is absolute, unchanging truth. “Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalms 119:89). The belief that there is absolute truth is fundamental to one who desires to “buy the truth and sell it not” (Proverbs 23:23).
One Can Be Wrong
It is a fact that anyone can mistakenly be wrong. Paul, when speaking of his past manner of life, before his conversion, said, “I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day” (Acts 23:1). Yet he was before a “persecutor, and a blasphemer, and injurious” (1 Timothy 1:13). How could he have lived in all good conscience when he had been so wrong? The answer is simple. He thought he was right. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25). The fact that we can be wrong means that it does not behoove us to close our minds to further investigation. Jeremiah said, “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Jeremiah 6:16).
Faith vs. Opinion
Naturally, study brings us to certain conclusions. All of us live by certain principles. But upon what do our conclusions rest? All too often they rest upon mere opinion. Realize that if something is a matter of faith, then God must have said something about it. We cannot know the words of eternal life by opinions. One man’s opinion is just as good as another man’s; but no man’s opinion is worthy to be compared to God’s.
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Jesus and the Written Word
by Larry Rouse
Years ago a startling survey was brought to my attention. In 1987 Jeffery Hadden surveyed 10,000 American clergy with a simple question: “Do you believe that the Scriptures are the inspired and inerrant Word of God in faith, history and secular matters?” Of these men who fill the pulpits of these “mainline” denominations every week, the vast majority of these preachers answered, “No.” They did not trust the Bible as a reliable guide from God! Here are the numbers of the clergy who rejected the written Word:
95% of Episcopalians,
87% of Methodists,
82% of Presbyterians,
77% of American Lutherans
67% of American Baptists
What if Jesus had taken that survey? How would the Lord of heaven and earth have answered these questions? We do not need to guess because Jesus often and clearly addressed these issues during His ministry.
Jesus recognized the written word of His day, the Old Testament, as a powerful witness to all that He did. After His resurrection from the dead Jesus spoke of the complete accuracy of the many prophecies concerning Him. “Then He said to them, these are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” (Luke 24:44)
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Listen Son!
by Gus Nichols
Listen son! I have a confession to make as you lie on your pillow, one little hand crumpled under your cheek, and the curls stickily wet about your eyes, as though you had cried yourself to sleep.
Just a few minutes ago, as I sat reading my paper, a great wave of bitter remorse swept over my soul. I felt so guilty that I was forced to come to your bedside and seek relief.
As I tried to read my paper tonight, my thoughts rambled back over the day, and brought to me a hot, burning sense of shame and regret, because I had been so cross to you today. This morning, when you awoke and came in to put your little arms about my neck, I scolded you because you were not fully dressed. When you were dressing for school, I criticized you for merely giving your face a dab with the towel. You did not shine your shoes, and left some of your things upon the floor.
At breakfast I also found fault. You spilled some juice, gulped down your food, and put your elbows upon the table. I grew bitter and very unkind when you neglected to brush your teeth. And when you started off to school, and I was leaving for my work, you waved your little hand and said, “Bye daddy.” But I only frowned and said, “Straighten up, and hold your shoulders back.”
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Sin Doesn't Work
by Paul Earnhart
"The punishment for sin is sin." My mind bridled a bit upon first seeing Augustine's words in print. They seemed to be suggesting that all of sin's consequences were limited to this - worldly inconveniences. What about judgment? What about hell? I remonstrated. But second thoughts on the matter have left me feeling that the words are more true than false. The punishment for sin is built-in. No arbitrary add-on penalties are needed to enhance the total disaster that sin by its very nature produces.
There is a fundamental reality which most human beings hae never faced - the universe we inhabit is spiritual. It is the handwork of the spiritual God (Jn. 4:24) and is governed in such a way as to always be in harmony with the great spiritual principle that emanate from the very nature of God Himself. The "world" that is at war with the Almighty (1 Jn. 2:15-17) is not the one which He created but a pseudo-world of dark values which has been imposed by Satan on the face of truly spiritual cosmos. The real world is wholly resistant to evil because the universe that God made is in league with Him. As Deborah and Barak sang of the defeat of the Canaanite hosts led by Sisera: "From heaven fought the stars. From their courses they fought against Sisera" (Jdgs. 5:20). As for the righteous, they shall be "in league with the stones of the field; and the beast of the field shall be a peace with thee" (Job 5:23). To live as a carnally minded man in a spiritual world is a swim upstream, an endless and hopeless struggle against the grain of reality.
The sinner is a one-dimensional man in a three-dimensional universe. He will never fit in. C.S. Lewis once observed that trying to make a man run on sin was like trying to make a gasoline engine run on water. First of all, by its very nature it will not run on water; and secondly, if the effort to make it do so is continued long enough, it won't run on gasoline either.
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Confusion and Transgression
by Sewell Hall
Have you ever heard anyone say, as an explanation for some sinful action, "I have become so confused I don't know what is right anymore"? As a rule, the person who says such a thing is one who has had clear convictions but has acted, or is about to act, contrary to them.
This must be what the Holy Spirit was saying about Eve in 1 Timothy 2:14. "Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. "
To say that she was deceived is not to say that she was ignorant. She quoted perfectly what God had said: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die" (Genesis 3:2‑3). She was deceived when she thought there could be any valid reason for disobeying God.
We cannot know how long Adam and Eve avoided the forbidden tree. With so many other trees from which to eat, there was no need to eat of it. There is no evidence of confusion regarding the right and wrong of eating or the wisdom of abstaining. They were happy ignoring it.
But along came Satan to draw Eve's attention to the tree she had been avoiding. He drew her attention to the beauty of the fruit and somehow convinced her, perhaps by eating of it himself, that it was good for food. If he did eat of it, the fact that he did not die surely gave support to his contention that she would not die. One can see the confusion mounting. The arguments she had considered conclusive against eating were rapidly being matched by arguments for doing so. Which arguments were valid? Both seemed to be.
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When Jesus Does Nothing
by Larry Rouse
We would be wise to carefully listen to our Saviour who came from heaven to show us the way to God. Throughout His ministry Jesus emphasized His relationship with the Father along with the kind of heart required to know God.
It would take great humility for the Jews that heard Jesus to understand that they really did not know God and that they needed to hear the One who actually had come from God. Jesus stated the obvious to the unbelieving Jews when He said: “You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.” (Jn 5:37) Why would they resist listening to the One who came from Heaven and accurately testified of things that these men had never seen? They were blinded by their own relationships and religious pride so that they would not hear. “But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” (Jn 5:42-44)
Jesus Taught us how to Handle the Revealed Will of God
Jesus often told others what His relationship with God was like so that men could learn how to have that kind of relationship for themselves. Over and over Jesus described how He handled God’s will. His underlying attitude towards the will of God was exactly the attitude He had towards God Himself, one of a deep reverence for all that God spoke. “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Mt 4:4)
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Various Thoughts on the Church
by Forrest D. Moyer
A Growing Church...
A growing church does not just happen. It is like a garden that must be planted, cultivated, watered and cared for. A growing church is the result of planning and working the plan. It is the result of good people’s reaching to others to bring them in. It is the result of careful concern for the word of God. It is the result of faithful, uncompromising preaching of that Word. If we want a growing church, we, too, must be as diligent as a farmer in his garden.
Conscientious Scruples
It was one of these "modern" churches of Christ, with recreation center, youth gymnasium, banquet room, and an inexhaustible program of picnics, youth rallies, ball games, and entertainments. But the Sunday attendance kept steadily declining. The elders and the preacher were much worried and put out a questionnaire to some of the most faithful of the saints who were becoming lax in their attendance, asking why they had ceased coming to church on Sundays. They found out! Many of the saints said they had conscientious scruples against going to places of entertainment and amusement on the Lord’s day.
Which reminds me of the old saying: "If you have to get members by feeding them chicken, ice cream, and iced tea, they will be as dead as the chicken, as cold as the ice cream, and as weak as the tea." I concur with this assessment. Physical recreation and entertainment are necessary parts of our lives, but they are no part of the mission and work of the church of our Lord. I don’t know the source of that quote, but it certainly is apropos. Let us always let the church be the church and keep secular activities in their place.
The Function of the Church
It seems that over and over again we must stress what the work of the church is. How often, indeed, do we see people with the idea that the church is a glorified country club designed to cater to the fleshly appetites of its membership. Are we thinking of pleasing the Lord or of pleasing ourselves? Are we after spiritual amenities or physical ones?
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Does God Care What I Wear?
by Larry Rouse
It is an exciting time in this part of the country as football season begins. The large crowds gathered for a game reminds us of the unique culture in this part of the country. I still have memories of my father taking me to games and explaining what was taking place on the field. These family memories and school ties run deep with many and can be a source of clean entertainment.
As with any large gathering in our culture, the values of that culture will be displayed. On a warm day the world has no standards concerning clothing, alcohol and the use of their tongues. How should a Christian react to the standards of the world when the world scoffs at those who dare try to live a standard that differs from theirs? “For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles -- when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.” (1 Peter 4:3-4)
Christians and the Dress of our Culture
Many young are naive concerning the message that their attire communicates in this culture. There are some truths that transcend culture. One such universal truth is that God made woman’s body to be sexually attractive to men. God has also ordained that the fulfillment of that attraction be only fulfilled in marriage. “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” (Hebrews 13:4)
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Social Relationships in a Local Congregation
by Larry Rouse
The Lord’s design for His people is that they be “knit together in love” (Col 2:2). “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Cor 12:26). We cannot serve God and be separate from people, but rather we are called to serve others. The power of love was such a firm purpose of our Lord that He described this characteristic, above all others, as the identifying mark of His people. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
Only the gospel has the power to bring Jew and Gentile, slave and freeman, the rich and the poor into the same local congregation and make that group a close-knit, loving family (Gal 3:28). When men are humbled and see the gospel as their only identity, then educational differences, racial differences and any other man-made distinctions will be laid aside as rubbish—they view their brethren not just as equals, but as better than themselves. It is in this spirit that service to others becomes a privilege! “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil 2:3-4).
The Ideal versus the Real
Have you been a member of a church that abounded in love for each other? There have been times in my life where the congregation that I attended was approaching this spirit of service and love. I have also learned that it is a great challenge to find and maintain that spirit. There are so many pitfalls and temptations that can easily turn a church from a place of edification to a place of discouragement. Consider some common problems that we face in working with our brethren.
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The Slippery Slope of Flattery
by David Halbrook
When buying a car we look for one that will provide a smooth ride, not one that jolts and jostles on every bump in the road. When buying a car a smooth ride is fine, but smoothness of speech is not well spoken of in Scripture. When the Bible refers to someone speaking smoothly, it doesn’t refer to how many words and individual stumbles over, it refers to someone who chooses and uses their words in such a way that the hearer is taken on “a ride,” deceived.
If you try to climb a steep hill, there must be enough footing in order to progress toward the top, but if the hillside is slick there is little hop of climbing that hill. In the faith, we can be grounded and stable (Col 1:23), but flattering words are slick. In Psalm 73:18, the Hebrew words that is often translated “flattery” is here translated “slippery places.” The idea behind this word is that if we use or believe flattering words, we are in a slippery place. Beware of those things the Bible warns of as flattery.
“I will not show partiality to any man or use flattery toward any person. For I do not know how to flatter, else my Maker would soon take me away” (Job 32:21-22). God does not approve of flattering titles. By using them the hearer believes himself to be more important than he is. Each soul is important to God but flattering titles show partiality, against which Christians are warned because it is not in the character of God, whose character we are to follow (Acts 10:34).
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Today is Today
by Dee Bowman
Jesus said in His mountain message, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:34). What a telling statement. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the value and beauty of a single day.
Each day has its own sunrise, its own sunset. No two are exactly alike. Every day is different, with its own weather, its own wind and temperature, its own warmth or lack of it. Every sunrise is special in its own way; so with every sunset. They are all similar, but no two are the same.
What a joy to see a new day born. Every sunrise speaks of a new beginnings—a new slate, a new page. No matter how bad last night’s nightmare, or yesterday’s bad weather, with the first splash of sunshine across your quilt, everything is washed clean and you can start over.
A new day is a resurrection of sorts, too. With each new day we are raised up to new possibilities, new perspectives, new opportunities to serve and glorify God.
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The People of God - Their Attitude Towards the Social Order
by Ed Harrell
Throughout history, in relating themselves to the world, the two options which Christians have most often pursued were to vigorously strive to control the world or to disdainfully withdraw from it. Some have dreamed that they would make their society "Christian," necessarily defined in cultural and nationalistic terms, and have passed laws, mounted reforms, and, ironically, fought wars, in the name of Christ. At the other end of the spectrum have been the ascetics who, seeing the folly of coercing sinners into behaving like saints, have denounced the sinful world and withdrawn into isolation — hermits, monks, Amish, and the like.
However much these two models seem consistent to us, they are not what Jesus had in mind. "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so I have also sent them into the world." (John 17:14-18.) There is the dilemma — in it but not of it. The Christian does not belong here, even as Jesus did not belong here, but he has a work to do in the midst of the persistent filth and degradation. We have work to do. But that work is not the redemption of the world — a world which is beyond redemption and can only hate those who rise above sin. The work is the eternal salvation of the honest and good souls.
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"Don't Ask" Fellowship
by Al Diestelkamp
In recent years there has been much discussion about a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy adopted by the military of our nation. It is an attempt to circumvent the official military regulation banning the practice of homosexuality.
It occurs to me that though I am not aware of any such mindset in the church regarding that particular sin, it does seem to be the approach many take regarding other "lifestyle" sins. This is especially evident in cases involving adultery that are the result of unscriptural divorce and remarriage.
Even some brethren who preach and teach vigorously against unscriptural remarriage appear willing to adopt a "Don't Ask" policy when someone in a questionable situation comes among them. Of course, I'm not suggesting that we greet every visitor or prospect with questions about their marriage, but because unscriptural marriage has become so commonplace we do need to address the matter before we accept them into our fellowship. Otherwise we will likely find ourselves in the same condition as the church in Corinth that the apostle Paul had to reprove (1 Cor. 5).
Societal attitudes toward moral issues have changed so much in recent years that it is not surprising that most sectarian churches, always yielding to the will of the majority, have pretty well abandoned any attempt to demand true repentance. I have to wonder if the motivating force behind the laxity on moral issues is the desire for more members, which translates into more money to support the elaborate facilities and highly paid personnel.
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The Permanency of Youth
by Harold Carswell, Jr.
This article is about young who are accountable for their actions.
Youth can be a wonderful time of discovery. Good as well as bad things can occur during these years which can have lasting effects as well as everlasting effects. There are still things from my youth that I wish would have never have happened and some things that I am glad did happen. We must however be mindful of the fact that youthfulness can be very deceptive...
Youth can cloud our standard of time. Young people are often told that they have their whole lifetime to make advances to maturity or to fulfill desired accomplishments. However how many older people look back at the former years and don’t know where the time went. The Scriptures teach us that we must not be deceived by the probability of time. First of all, time is not a guarantee for anyone. We don’t hold time in our hands and control it according to our plans. Life is not as long as one may think.
“Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14)
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What Can be Known Can be Shown
by Tim Nichols
All rational students of the Bible want to be told, by teachers and preachers, not just what to believe, but also why those things are to be believed. Every faithful
teacher of the Bible is prepared to deliver both in clear terms. Bible doctrines are all taught by specific Bible passages and the connections between them can be described in terms that the average man can understand.
Those who have devoted the time and effort necessary to mine truth from the gold mine that we call the Bible are able to clearly trace the path to the treasure-trove for others to follow. The Bible is not a mystical book that can only be understood by the scholarly few who can then only pass along the correct conclusions without expressing the reasons for those conclusions. Instead it is a living book whose meaning is available to all who will seek wisdom (Prov. 9:1-6). The true Biblical scholar is one who has truly discovered truth and who is willing and able to show that truth, and its source, to others.
This is why the pseudo-scholars of the first century stumbled over the simplicity of the gospel (1 Cor. 1:18-24). They demanded to hear what was "profound", "wise", "deep", and "intellectual" according to human standards and they were irritated with the "foolishness" of the simple gospel of Christ. To them, the gospel was shallow and they wanted what they perceived to be deep. When some with this mindset were "converted" they attempted to distance themselves from the simplistic, shallow teaching of the apostles and to elevate themselves as the truly wise and sophisticated in the early church. Paul's inspired sarcasm was designed to warn them and not to shame them (1 Cor. 4:9-14).
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A Letter From a Disenchanted Young Intellectual
by Ed Harrell
Dear Brother Dr. Harrell,
Since you have a Ph.D. degree in something (I forget what, but anything will do), I am sure you will be able to sympathize with the problems I am having with the ignorant brethren in the church where I was raised. The main problem is the preacher who is not only ignorant but extremely dogmatic. He thinks he solves every problem by quoting the Bible (which his crude mind has somehow managed to commit to memory), and, unfortunately, this seems to satisfy the ignorant members of the church. My friends and I have repeatedly pointed out that one can prove anything by quoting the Bible, that Brother Simple (the minister) is totally incapable of understanding the Bible since he is not a student of Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Coptic, Rumanian, Hungarian, Gaelic, and the other fourteen essential languages, and that even if he was right, he has a very bad attitude about it.
All of this was somewhat less objectionable, of course, before I completed my freshman year at Podunk State. During my adolescence I was often perplexed by Brother Simple's simple explanations and sometimes felt begrudgingly compelled to agree that his view of the Bible seemed to make sense. Of course, I was sure from my studies in high school that the church was in general a pretty ignorant lot, but not until my college experience did I realize what a bunch of clods are in the Church of Christ.
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The Lord's Supper
by John R. Gibson
Christians seeking to follow the New Testament pattern gather each first day of the week to eat the Lord's Supper (Acts 20:7). They also realize that this Supper is to be eaten in remembrance of Jesus' death and with a full awareness of what they are doing (1 Corinthians 11:23-29). Since those who eat and drink in an unworthy manner become weak, sick and even spiritually dead (1 Corinthians 11:30), the disciple who does the opposite and partakes in a worthy manner finds in the Lord's Supper and its communion with the body and blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:16) an opportunity to be strengthened spiritually.
The following thoughts are intended to help each to examine himself and partake of this divinely given feast in a way that will please God and at the same time be beneficial to him. In the following meditations the greatest benefits will be obtained by those who can personalize each thought as Paul did in Galatians 2:20 when he wrote of Jesus "who loved me and gave himself for me." Please read each mediation as having direct and personal reference to you.
Meditate on the Following...
Jesus left the glories of heaven. What kind of love was required to move One to leave a place of perfection and come to this world, especially when He knew the suffering He would face? "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9
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There Must Needs be Heresies
by Ed Harrell
After a few weeks study at St. John's University and Abbey, I am impressed by the perceptive Roman Catholic analysis of the weaknesses of Protestantism. They insist that Protestants are pressed between two unacceptable extremes. One extreme grows out of the assumption that man has an individual obligation to judge Bible truth. As a result, "a principle of disunity is embedded in the very essence of Protestantism." On the other hand, in order to escape this evil, Protestants are guilty of hacking away at the body of essential truth of Christianity until they "sap it of all conviction." (What Price Unity?" America, May 5, 1945, p. 95).
Of course, Catholics are not so perceptive in analyzing the appalling consequences of their own alternative to the Protestant dilemma. It hardly seems an improvement when one is asked to swallow a body of divine truth rooted in historical corruption, Biblical ignorance, and the intellectual intolerance of the Roman Catholic tradition. A Roman Catholic does indeed have his own certified brand of truth and unity, but he pays a staggering price.
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