August 2010 Seek The Old Paths

65

Vol. 21, No. 8

August 2010

INESCAPABLE THINGS
Henry Simmons (deceased)
lthough the bodies of men and
brute beasts are composed of
essentially the same elements,
there is a considerable difference in
the composition of the whole man as
compared to that of the lower animals. Man-kind was the crowning
glory of Gods physical creation, and
although mans physical body is subject to corruption and decay and will
inevitably return to its basic components, man is much more than physical man is also spiritual. You see,
when God created man, He created
him in His own image, thus man is
also endowed with an immortal spirit. In addition to an immortal spirit,
man also received some other characteristics which distinguished him as
being unique among Gods creation.
One of those characteristics is the
power of volition the power to
choose. Since with this power of volition man was endowed with a brain
capable of reasoning, man is lifted
above being directed through this life
solely on instinct. Thus, there are
many things in this life in which man
has a choice. One of these choices is
whether to serve God, or not to serve
God. No man is forced to serve God.
As Joshua declared in the long ago,
Choose you this day whom you will
serve...But as for me and my house,
we will serve the Lord.
While there are many things and
many ways that we can choose, our
choice inevitably brings us face to
face with some facts that we cannot
escape! Note just a few:

WE CANNOT ESCAPE
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
One thing the Bible stresses is
that man is accountable to God for
his actions. He has always held men
accountable to Himself for their conduct. Accountability involves responsibility, thus man is held personally
responsible for his own conduct. We
cannot shift our personal responsibility to someone else! Note: Adam tried
to shift blame for his conduct to Eve;
Eve tried to shift hers to the serpent
but God held them both responsible for their personal conduct, and
they each had to suffer the consequences. King Saul tried to blame the
people for his failure (1 Sam. 15:5),
but God held him personally responsible for his own sin. We may try to
shift the blame for our own failures
to someone else, but we cannot
escape the results of our own unwise
decisions and our rebellious conduct
toward God.
The soul that sinneth, it shall
die (Ezek. 18:4). Each man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own
lust and enticed (James 1:14).
WE CANNOT ESCAPE
THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN
Be not deceived; God is not
mocked: for whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap. For
he that soweth to the flesh shall of
the flesh reap corruption; but he that
soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting (Gal. 6:7-8).

For the wages of sin is death; but the

gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:23).
For if the word spoken by angels
was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just
recompense of reward; how shall we
escape if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be
spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard
him (Heb. 2:2-3).
WE CANNOT ESCAPE DEATH
...It is appointed unto men once
to die, but after this the judgment
(Heb. 9:27). Life is short and uncertain (Heb. 9:27). Man that is born of
woman is of few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower and
is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not (Job 14:1-2).
For what is your life? It is even a
vapor that appeareth for a little time,
and then vanisheth away (James
4:14).
WE CANNOT ESCAPE
THE JUDGMENT
For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ; that
everyone may receive the things
done in his body, according to that he
hath done, whether it be good or bad
(2 Cor. 5:10). A personal accounting:
So then every one of us shall give an
account of himself to God (Rom.
14:12).

Seek The Old Paths August 2010

66

DANCING AND SUCH LIKE

Garland M. Robinson
he Greek word aselgeia
involves lustful, lewd, suggestive, indecent bodily movements and/or the touching or handling of others inappropriately. In the
New Testament it is translated lasciviousness (Mark 7:22; 2 Cor. 12:21;
Gal. 5:19; Eph. 4:19; 1 Peter 4:3; Jude
1:4), wantonness (Rom. 13:13; 2
Peter 2:18) and filthy (2 Peter 2:7).
The condemnation of God is
announced upon those who commit
this grievous sin. Modern dancing
certainly fits the definition of aselgeia. But what about dancing at weddings or square dancing or other
types of so-called fun dancing such
as the Hokey Pokey and things of
that nature?
The point about dancing being
sinful is not actually the dancing
itself, per se. Its like swimming,
theres nothing inherently sinful
about swimming. But its what goes
on in mixed company (and sometimes the same company) that can
make dancing, swimming and all
such like activities wrong and sinful.
Dancing, swimming, cheer leading, and any other such-like thing
that involves suggestive or indecent
bodily movements and/or immodest
dress, lends itself to lust. Lust is sinful when one dwells upon it in their
mind. Sinful thoughts are contrary to
pure, chaste, blameless, holy
thoughts. No one can absolutely prevent a lustful thought from crossing
their mind such is natural. But
the point is, do we dwell on it? Do we
consider it more and more? Do we
look for opportunities to see more?
Do we wish we had the opportunity
to carry out our secret dreams?
The Bible says we can sin by just
thinking of something in our mind,
even though we dont follow through
with the action. The Lord said,
...whosoever looks upon a woman to
lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart
(Matt. 5:28). Potiphars wife lusted

after Joseph and sought to fulfill her

lust with him. It started when she
...cast her eyes upon Joseph; and
she said, Lie with me (Gen. 39:7).
Joseph was innocent in regards to
her sin. He did not contribute to it.
He did not tease her. As a matter of
fact, he did not even want to be
around her. Genesis 39:10 says, And
it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph
day by day, that he hearkened not
unto her, to lie by her, or to be with
her. It was her sin, not his. However, he would have contributed to her
sin by acting provocatively, seductively, sexy. His dress or undress or
indecent bodily movements (lasciviousness) would have promoted her
lustful desires. In that case, he would
not be innocent in their great wickedness and sin against God (Gen. 39:9).
James 1:15 says, ...when lust hath
conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and
sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth
death. We cant control anothers
lustful thoughts, but we better not
contribute to it by our dress or
actions and then claim were innocent in the matter! Jesus never
dressed or acted in a way that caused
others to lust after him and neither
should we.
All temptation comes through
one or more of three areas: 1) the lust
of the flesh, 2) the lust of the eyes and
3) the vain glory (pride) of life (cf. 1
John 2:15-17). Every possible sin is a
result of one fulfilling their lustful
desires in one or more of these three
areas. Jesus was tempted in all three
areas (Matt. 4:1-11; Heb. 4:15). But,
he did not dwell upon or give in to
the temptation. Therefore, did not sin
(1 Peter 2:22).
If we could be absolutely guaranteed and assured that we do not sin
in our minds when we dance, swim,
or any action that promotes lustful
thoughts, then we could say that
weve done no wrong in our own
heart by participating in dancing,
swimming, etc. But then, another
point must be considered. Can we say

we have not promoted, excited or contributed to our dancing partner having lustful thoughts? No, we cant say
that. What about others present that
see me (us) dance? Have their minds
remained pure and holy? We must
also consider our influence and
example. If Im pure myself, but act
in such a way that causes others to
sin, then Im just as guilty as they
are. We know Jesus did not sin himself, but did he ever act in such a way
that contributed toward others being
tempted to sin? Was his influence on
others always pure? Certainly it was.
Would he involve himself in any
activity that might excite others to
lustful desires? If he did so, he would
have sinned. But since the Lord
never sinned, neither was any guile
ever found in his mouth (1 Peter
2:22), we know he never contributed
to anyones sin.
In our minds, we generally think
of dancing at a wedding, square
dancing, hokey pokey and other such
activities is not as bad as the vulgar,
lewd dancing done by the masses.
However, as for me, I dont want to
even remotely put myself in a situation where I could possibly cause
another person to sin. Theres no reason for me to do that. I can avoid
doing it. Im committing no sin by
avoiding it. So, I dont do it. Shall we
see how close we can get to sin without sinning? I dont think so!
Those who cause others to sin
are not guiltless. They bare responsibility too. They will be judged accordingly. The power of influence and
example is undeniable. Jesus warned
his disciples to not be influenced by
the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matt. 16:6; Luke 12:1). He
knew full well that a little leaven
spreads to others (Gal. 5:9). Galatians 5:7 speaks of those who had
been hindered by others. The actions
and words of others can overthrow
our faith if were influenced by them
(2 Tim. 2:17-18). There are many enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil.
3:18).
Hebrews 13:4 says that marriage
is honorable in all and the bed undefiled. This says that whatever husband and wife do in privacy is their
business. This would include dancing, swimming, etc. They certainly
can desire one another, lust after one
another and can fulfill that desire
without sinning. But, can they do in

August 2010 Seek The Old Paths

public what they have the privilege

to do as husband and wife in private? Could they dance (or swim) in
public without causing others to sin?
Maybe so, maybe not. We have no
control over what others think. But,
thats the point. We cant control
other peoples thoughts or actions.
Therefore, they do not have the liberty to do anything they want in public

67

because their actions may very well

excite others to lust and desire to fulfill that lust which causes them to
sin. Ive used the example of swimming because of the skimpy, immodest attire, that is worn. Even if one is
fully clothed while swimming, ones
clothes, when wet, cling to the body
and highlight areas that cause others
to lust. If we can swim in private,

thats fine; but in public, we may very

well cause others to sin. The same is
true of dancing. If we cause others to
sin, then we are guilty too. First
Thessalonians 5:22 says to avoid all
appearance of evil.
As Christians, we must not see
how close we can get to sin without
committing it. Thats not what the
Lord wants us to do.

GOD WANTS HIS PREACHERS

TO CARE ABOUT PEOPLE
Roger D. Campbell
reaching is not about being
popular. It is not about getting
a paycheck. It is not about prestige. It is not about pensions. Preaching is not about pounding the pulpit.
A Gospel preacher might preach the
truth, enthusiastically pound the
pulpit, be paid well, have a pension
plan, and be popular in the process.
Yet, if he does his teaching and
preaching without genuine care for
those with whom he works, then his
efforts are all for naught. Why?
Because God wants His preachers to
care about people.
Jesus cared about those whom
He taught. What was Jesus motive
in telling the rich young ruler to sell
all that he had and give it to the
poor? The Bible says of this incident,
Then Jesus beholding him loved
him, and said unto him, One thing
thou lackest; go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast... (Mark 10:21). Jesus
said what He did out of love for the
young man.
There were times when the
Christ sternly rebuked His apostles,
yet they always knew that He loved
them. The Bible tells us that He
loved them unto the end (John
13:1). More than once He verbalized
His love for them, as when He told
them, This is my commandment,
That ye love one another, as I have
loved you (John 15:12).
The apostle Paul taught about
the need for Gods preachers to care
about people, showing compassion
and gentleness. By the Spirit he
instructed Timothy, And a servant of
the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in
humility correcting those who are in

opposition... (2 Tim. 2:24,25, NKJV).

Paul also taught this truth in the
example that he set for others. He
declared, And I will very gladly
spend and be spent for you; though
the more abundantly I love you, the
less I be loved (2 Cor. 12:15). In that
same chapter, Paul wrote, ...we do
all things, dearly beloved, for your
edifying (v.19). Not everyone in the
church at Corinth was crazy about
Paul, but none could honestly doubt
his genuine care for them.
The manner in which Paul dealt
with the saints in Thessalonica clearly showed his concern for their wellbeing as well. But we were gentle
among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children. So being affectionately desirous of you, we were
willing to have imparted unto you,
not the gospel of God only, but also
our own souls, because ye were dear to
us (1 Thess. 2:7,8). Paul was concerned about each one of them as
individuals: As ye know how we
exhorted and comforted and charged
every one of you, as a father doth his
children (2:11). Yes, Paul not only
taught the truth, but he really cared
about those whom he taught striving to preach the truth in love (Eph.
4:15).
The Bible makes it clear that
God wants His preachers to care
about people. Come to think of it,
does not the word of God teach that
not only preachers, but all Christians, ought to care about people? It
does indeed. All Christians are
instructed to be kind and tenderhearted (Eph. 4:32), as well as showing compassion and courtesy to others (1 Peter 3:8).

God wants His preachers to care

about people. It is equally true that
our Lord wants all of His followers to
love others, desiring the very best for
them.
120 Will Lewis Dr. SE
Cleveland, TN 37323

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Seek The Old Paths August 2010

68

THE WORK OF PREACHERS

Tom House

Many of our brethren have developed

a number of misconceptions regarding the primary duties
of an evangelist.
he writer was recently posed a
question: what do you consider
to be the work of a preacher?
The response was obvious: preach
the Gospel. The inquisitor was then
more specific: Name five things that
could aptly be incorporated into the
work of a preacher. This request
proves to be rather interesting. The
reason to consider the request as
being significant results from the
perceptions which many have come
to possess over the years regarding
the primary responsibility which
rests upon those who proclaim the
Gospel of Christ. This, of course
implies, and has proved to be the
case through the years, that many of
our brethren have developed a number of misconceptions regarding the
primary duties of an evangelist. The
implication, indeed, has credence. On
many occasions, preachers themselves have been the unwitting promoters of many of the misconceptions. On other occasions, some of our
leaders have assigned duties to the
preacher; some of which the leaders
themselves are actually responsible,
being the shepherds. Additionally,
some of the assignments are so
numerous, that the burden placed on
the preacher is to such an extent that
he cannot be proficient in the duty to
which he is primarily to be engaged
preaching. Consequently, the
effort from the pulpit suffers; resulting in a weak-fed flock. While it is the
case, most anyone can read a
pre-written manuscript, and thus be
relieved from what effort is required
to produce a series of cogent
thoughts, and then proficiently deliver those thoughts; one should to be
aware of the fact that the work of an
evangelist (2 Tim. 4:5) is precisely
that WORK! How then, may the
work of an evangelist be described?
How extensive are his duties?

When asked to provide about five

things which describe the work of a
preacher, there were several others
involved in the conversation and all
gave answers. The consensus of those
answering was the following: 1)
preach the Gospel to the lost; 2) edify
the saved; 3) warn the brethren of
impending threats to the faith and
their faith; 4) defend the faith; 5) be
an example to the believers.
It should be obvious even to the
casual observer, that the answers
have their foundation in Scripture.
The reason for this notation is that
regardless of the opinion of the
writer or that of any other, the Bible
will provide the information necessary to come to a truthful conclusion
regarding the work of an evangelist. The fact is that the apostle Paul
would not have offered the admonition to Timothy without providing
the means to understand what was
involved in such a work. As well, the
answers which will be addressed
here, for the most part, are considered as general in scope and in no
wise comprise every aspect of the
preachers work.
It should be understood at the
outset of this study that there are
responsibilities which are assigned to
each child of God. To list and examine
all of them would require volumes.
The church consists of a host of members; all of whom, by virtue of various
circumstances, have different duties.
The apostle Paul, when writing to the
Ephesian brethren, classified some of
the different roles which comprise
the membership of the body of
Christ: And he gave some apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some pastors and teachers (Eph. 4:11). It is obvious that
some of those things listed were
peculiar to the period of the first century; namely apostles and prophets.

These were clearly exclusive to the

period of inspiration. However, the
others of those listed will remain
until the Lord returns. The term
pastors is from the Greek word
poimen, which means shepherd;
and refers to the office of the bishop
or elder. The term teacher is translated from didaskalos which is referring to an instructor, or the master of
a class. The word evangelist is from
euaggelistes which simply refers to
one who is a Gospel preacher. Not
mentioned in this text is the office of
a deacon, which is mentioned in 1
Timothy 3. The reason for noting
these distinctive terms is to note the
distinctive functions which are peculiar to each position. As noted earlier,
there are responsibilities which are
shared by each of those in these
classes as well as those who comprise
the general membership. For example, a preacher should visit the
sick and the bereaved; not
because he is the preacher, but
because he is a Christian! It is
likewise errant thinking to conclude
that because one is not the preacher,
that he is excused from such responsibility.
Even with some of the distinctive
positions which are noted, there are
some overlapping duties. However, it
should also be understood, that each
of these positions or offices exists
because the Lord knew that the work
of the church is such that no one or
two people can accomplish all that is
necessary with any degree of success.
For the church to reach any level of
achievement, it will require each
member using their particular talents, and those in qualified positions
of leadership, fulfilling their roles
according to Gods divine plan.
In the effort to examine the
duties of an evangelist, it is imperative to understand those things

August 2010 Seek The Old Paths

which are not his sole responsibility.

Obviously, one must consider
that the particular circumstances
vary with each congregation of the
Lords church. There are congregations which have no elders. In such
cases, it is not the responsibility of the
preacher to assume the sole role of
leadership in the congregation. It has
been the assumption among the
members in some congregations
without elders, that the preacher
should fill this role. In other situations, the brethren would rightly
refuse to agree to such a practice; but
in assigning the preacher his duties,
many having unwittingly placed him
in a position where, in essence, he
becomes the pastor. Clearly, in circumstances where there are congregations without elders, the men must
lead. Considering the fact that the
preacher is one of the men, it would
be appropriate for him to have a role
of leading in the work, but he should
not use his position as the preacher
to usurp authority over the men of
the congregation. The reader can
readily see the divine wisdom in each
congregation having qualified men to
serve in the roles as overseers.
The same conclusion should be
reached when considering the role of
a preacher in a congregation with
elders. He should not assume that
his position as the evangelist
supercedes that of the elders. This scenario has been repeated on far too
many occasions; and has wreaked
havoc wherever it has been tried.
Paul stated that the elders were the
overseers (Acts 20:28) and were
responsible for feeding the flock.
Clearly, the elders are responsible for
the spiritual diet of the flock they
lead. Preachers are one of the tools
which elders use to ensure that
responsibility is met. As the spiritual
shepherds, they are to see that the
sheep are being fed a spiritually
wholesome and spiritually nutritious
diet.
Unless it is the case that there
are full-time elders, generally speaking, the preacher is the one devoted
to the full-time work in the congregation. Hence, doing his own work, he
will supplement the work of the elders rather than displacing them. A
logical conclusion in this respect
would suggest that unless the
preacher is appointed as one of the
elders, he should not be doing the

69

work of an elder. The same is to be

said of the office of a deacon; in that,
unless qualified and appointed to the
position, he should not assume to do
the work which has been assigned to
the deacons.
While much space could be
employed to discuss things that generally do not comprise the primary
duty of the preacher, the present task
is, however, to examine what things
do. The apostle Paul will take opportunity with his experience to reveal
to the young Timothy what is
involved in being an evangelist. His
admonition to the young man in 2
Timothy 4, remains to serve as an
inspired outline for any who would
seek to be a Gospel preacher. Paul
will charge (to attest earnestly),
in verse one, that in doing the work
of evangelist (v.5), it would obviously
begin with his effort to preach the
word (v.2). While this admonition
seems rather general, closer examination will reveal otherwise.
In Luke 10, the Lord appoints
seventy others, in addition to the
twelve, to send them out into the different cities to further the message
concerning Himself and the coming
kingdom. The need to herald the
message was clearly defined the
harvest is truly great (v.2). Jesus
was helping these appointees understand that the world was in desperate need of the information they
would be providing. The souls of men
were the focus of His mission (Luke
19:10). But His effort to seek and to
save would have its physical limitations. Alone, He would not be able to
cover as near as much ground as having scores of others to act under His
authority and on His behalf. Additionally, the Lord would not tread
this earth but for a very short period.
With the need so great and the
laborers so few, the effort to reach the
world with the Lords message would
require men not only dedicated to following the Lord, but dedicated to the
same mission to seek and to
save.
The Lord was not hesitant to tell
the seventy that the mission
assigned to them would certainly be
perilous. To this, they would need to
be keenly aware. He will tell them
that He is sending them forth as
lambs among wolves. The Biblical
record, as well as historical records,
indicates that those who were antag-

onistic to the cause of Christ preyed

on the early evangelists with a
vengeance. Regardless, by the time
Luke writes the history of the early
church in the book of Acts, the
brethren were scattered everywhere preaching the word (Acts 8:4).
The charge that Jesus gave to
the seventy was that they were to
take the message that the kingdom
of God is come nigh unto you (Luke
10:9). Today, while it is the case that
the kingdom has been present for
nearly two millennium, the need to
preach its arrival along side the good
news of Christ, has not diminished.
In fact, it is to this very purpose, that
the words to Timothy are penned in 2
Timothy 4.
Timothy is told to preach the
word. The word preach is from the
Greek word kerusso meaning to herald (as a public crier). What is one to
preach? Paul answers the word.
But what word? The term is logos,
which is the same term as found in
John 1:1. It is used in that text in reference to Christ. This fact is rather
significant because the subject of
ones preaching is not exclusive to the
what, but the Who, as well. It is interesting to note that there are those
who are of the impression that one
can preach Christ and disregard that
which He preached. While it is the
case that one can focus on matters
concerning the life of Christ, one cannot preach Christ without preaching what He taught. Such is clearly
indicated by the situation with Philip
and the eunuch in Acts 8. When
Philip preached Jesus to the
eunuch (v.35), it was evident that he
focused on more than the life and
death of Christ. He taught him the
necessity of baptism; otherwise the
eunuch would have not inquired of
its necessity. It is additionally important to note that Jesus gave His commission to teach all nations and
thus make disciples of them. He will
furthermore tell them to teach them
to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you (Matt. 28:1920). What would be the importance of
preaching these commands and following them? The answer is, because
it will be by His words that all will be
judged (John 12:48).
The phrase preach the word
in 2 Timothy 4:2, has further significance based on the article the
The word. It signifies that the Lord

Seek The Old Paths August 2010

70

has only one Gospel message. Paul

marveled at some in Galatia for giving credence to some other message
than that which he had preached to
them (Gal. 1:6-9). He will specifically
tell them that there is no other
Gospel than that one he had
preached. It is this same message,
without addition or subtraction, that
is to be preached today.
Second, the work of an evangelist
is to edify the saved. The word
edify comes from the Greek term
oikodome (noun) or oikodomeo (verb),
which is an architectural term indicating to build or build up. Life
experiences consistently reveal that
man is beset with trials. It is no less
the case with Christians. Situations
arise which exploit weaknesses,
cause great discouragement or bring
significant sorrow. When occasions
which cause sorrow arise, it is always
comforting to have someone reassure
us with words from the Book of books
that things are not as bad as they
might seem. When beset with
despair, a skilled preacher can cite
passages and examples which can
build up the spirit of the down-trodden. Many brethren will experience
occasions of weaknesses of various
sorts; whether it be weak in morality,
weak in faithfulness, weak in prayer,
or in any area wherein one could be
viewed as weak in spirituality. Several of the churches of Asia whom the
Lord addressed in the early chapters
of Revelation had their strengths, but
were chastened for their particular
weaknesses. On such occasions, any
preacher worth his salt, will admonish the weak, address the weaknesses, will correct, and instruct in
righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16); so that
the Christian may be perfect, and
thoroughly furnished unto every
good work.
Third, preachers are to warn the
flock of impending threats to the
faith. There was probably no greater
evangelist in the first century than in
the person of the apostle Paul. He
spent much of his writing addressing
threats to the cause of Christ. In several of his letters he devoted significant space to the problem caused by
Judaizers. He would tell Timothy of
the problems being caused by
Hymenaeus, Alexander, and Philetus
with their false teaching on the resurrection. The apostle John would
use ample space to address the prob-

lems associated with Gnosticism.

Failure to address issues which
can potentially cause division in the
body of Christ or which could result
in the loss of someones soul; whether
on the part of an elder or the preacher, makes either, or both, complicit in
the problem. The failure of the
preacher to stand for that which is
truth, is for all practical purposes
allowing the wolf into the sheep-fold
or allowing the flock to feed on poison. In either case, the result will be
a spiritual catastrophe.
Fourth in the list of general
duties of a preacher is that he should
be a capable defender of the
faith. One cannot help but reflect on
the circumstances of the old prophet
Elijah as he stood alone against the
450 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18).
His effort was not only that of faith
and courage in defending the faith of
the one true God, but much to the
point that the prophets of Baal were
given sufficient latitude that they
made themselves look absolutely
foolish. In so doing, Elijah was able to
draw a distinct contrast between
himself and the false prophets; so
much so, that the people of Israel
were able to clearly discern the truth
from the error.
Many preachers today have chosen to take the path of least resistance. Most, it seems, are so stricken
with timidity, that on the occasions
which a sound defense would have
been required, they will cower away
into hiding, while others react with
complete indifference. To be clear,
confrontation with error is neither
pleasant nor convenient, but in order
to maintain the purity of the faith,
and guard the souls of the flock from
spiritual predators, someone must
take steps to provide the defense. A
familiar text from the short epistle of
Jude provides an inspired directive
in respect of this need: It was needful for me to write unto you, and
exhort you that ye should earnestly
contend for the faith which was once
delivered unto the saints (v.3). While
it is uncertain to whom Jude was
specifically addressing, seeing that
the language is inclusive of Christians in general, it will certainly
include those who are preachers in
its scope. As noted earlier, preachers
are usually the ones in any given
congregation, who are given to the
full-time work in the congregation. If

any should be prepared for being in

the first line of defending the faith, it
should be him. Some might cite the
need for the elders taking the front
line of defense. This would certainly
be true, for being the shepherds they
are responsible for the protection of
the flock. However, shepherds would
use what tools were available to
them in order to ward off threats to
the sheep, such as staves or swords,
etc. Likewise, shepherds in the spiritual Israel may turn to one of their
tools to provide a means to defend
the spiritual sheep from danger
the well-prepared preacher! By any
estimation, the preacher should be
ready always to give an answer to
any one who inquires of his hope, and
then be able to defend his reasoning
for that which he has answered (1
Peter 3:15).
Preachers today would do well in
learning a lesson from the example of
Elijah. While we do not beseech fire
from heaven to make the case of
truth today; having the complete
source of inspiration at our disposal,
preachers are able to avail themselves of its divine truth and thereby
instruct in righteousness, bringing
men into spiritual maturity, and
uphold the one and only system of
faith which will provide passage to
heaven (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Finally, in this simple list of
things which, in general terms, outlines a preachers responsibility, is
the fact that he should be an example of the righteousness he
preaches. In writing to the Corinthians, Paul noted his personal accountability in this respect. He stated:
But I keep under my body, and bring
it into subjection: lest that by any
means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (1
Cor. 9:27). Paul was aware as anyone
that there is nothing more debilitating to a cause than those who promote the cause should violate the
foundational principles of the cause.
Hypocrisy is the death-knell to a
cause. The cause in this case is the
cause of Christ. Paul knew that if
he preached principles of righteousness to any group of people, and then
behaved in an unrighteous manner,
he would destroy the credibility of
the message he preached. In his epistle to Timothy, he will outline several
aspects of behavior that he will need
to apply in order that he might save

August 2010 Seek The Old Paths

himself and those who listened to

him (1 Tim. 4:16). Paul will urge Timothy that he not behave himself in
such a fashion as to allow others to
despise him in his youth (1 Tim.
4:12). Timothy was told to be thou an
example of the believers, in word, in
conversation, in charity, in spirit, in
faith, in purity. In virtually every
aspect of his life, Timothy was
admonished to serve as an appropriate example. As an evangelist, Timothy could provide not only the teaching the people would need by word of

71

mouth, but he could also provide significant instruction by the way he

lived in harmony with that which he
preached. While some might wonder
why this portion is included in a discussion on the WORK of an evangelist; if one would but consider how difficult it is in this present world to live
a righteous life, the answer would be
glaring. It takes great effort to be an
example.
There are likely many other specific matters which might have well
been considered, but these which

have been examined should be food

for thought for those who have had
questions about the particular roles
which are to be embraced by those
who wish to be preachers in the
Lords kingdom.
It would seem to be appropriate
to end with Pauls quote of Isaiah;
How beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace, and
bring glad tidings of good things
(Rom. 10:15; Isa. 52:7).
P.O. Box 461
Fulton, MS 38843

MAY THE SINNER PRAY FOR SALVATION?

Matthew Carver

Not one example of conversion portrays an inspired preacher of the

Gospel instructing others to pray in order to become a child of God. Instead,
what we find are three common elements throughout each account in an
either explicit or implicit form: faith, repentance, baptism.
he almost exclusive means by
which denominations purport
to instruct men to transition
from a life of sin and depravity to a
life that is hid with Christ in God
(Col. 3:3), is by way of the Sinners
Prayer. On most denominational
tracts and websites, the formula
requiring the sinner to ask Jesus
into your heart through prayer is
seemingly ever present. Likewise,
every widely heralded television and
radio evangelist with denominational associations seems to employ this
method of salvation. However, is such
the model proclaimed and defended
within the inspired text of the New
Testament?
In scanning every conversion
account in the book of Acts, we cannot find a single instance in which an
inquiring penitent person was
instructed to pray for salvation. This
should not be construed as a blind
and dogmatic statement of a fact that
we simply wish to be true. Rather, it
is the empirical reality of the case.
Not one example of conversion portrays an inspired preacher of the
Gospel instructing others to pray in
order to become a child of God.
Instead, what we find are three common elements throughout each
account in an either explicit or
implicit form: faith, repentance, bap-

tism. In addition to these, we may

rightly infer from other inspired
sources that a confession of ones
faith in Christ was also required
(Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Tim. 6:12). Noticeably absent from these conditions is
the requirement to pray. As a matter
of fact, the only account that even
remotely alludes to prayer is when
Ananias instructed Saul of Tarsus:
And now why tarriest thou? Arise,
and be baptized, and wash away thy
sins, calling on the name of the Lord
(Acts 22:16). The instruction was to
cease praying, arise, be baptized, and
wash away thy sins, calling on the
name of the Lord.
In addition to these observations,
there exists certain inherent flaws in
the teaching of salvation by prayer. If
a sinner is to pray for salvation, for
what, specifically, is he to pray for
along this line? Is he to pray for
faith? No, for the Bible teaches that
...faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom. 10:17).
Further, if one is praying for faith, he
is obviously praying without faith.
Consequently, the Bible teaches that
such a man cannot expect to receive
anything from God, for James writes:
But let him ask in faith, nothing
doubting: for he that doubteth is like
the surge of the sea driven by the
wind and tossed. For let not that man

think that he shall receive anything of

the Lord; a double-minded man,
unstable in all his ways (James
1:6-8).
Should the sinner pray for repentance? No, for repentance is an act of
the heart: For godly sorrow worketh
repentance to salvation not to be
repented of: but the sorrow of the
world worketh death (2 Cor. 7:10).
Does he pray for remission of
sins? No, for remission of sins is
promised only to those who obey in
faith, repentance, and water baptism: ...Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins...
(Acts 2:38). Thus, the Scriptures bear
witness that there is nothing for
which the sinner can pray in regards
to salvation that has not already
been assigned to other conditions in
the Book of God.
Let us then commit these observations to memory in order that we
may ...be gentle unto all men, apt to
teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if
God peradventure will give them
repentance to the acknowledging of
the truth (2 Tim. 2:24-25).
118 Apple Dr.
Auburn, KY 42206

Seek The Old Paths August 2010

72

MAILBAG

S.

T. O. P.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE PREACHERS GONE?

http://www.seektheoldpaths.org

Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
P A I D
Permit No. 349
McMinnville, TN

Information from various sources continues to tell us that the

number of preachers in the U.S., especially among churches of
Christ, is declining. Some figures are extremely alarming, such as
the revelation that the Lords church is losing some 600 preachers
per year, due to death, retirement and career changes, and all our
schools combined produce a meager 300 replacements annually. It
does not take a brilliant accountant to quickly surmise where this
sad road shall end.
Its my personal belief that most of our preachers are just plain
quitting the full time ministry due to bad treatment from brethren
or unrealistic expectations placed upon them or for other similar
reasons. There are no doubt some who have regrettably fallen in love
with the world and have done a Demas number, leaving behind all
hope of eternal salvation. We pray for them that their sensibilities
shall be reclaimed. However, the dismal fact remains that there is a
preacher shortfall and that puts the spotlight of inquiry on such

Seek The Old Paths is a monthly publication of the East End

Church of Christ and is under the oversight of its elders. It is mailed
FREEupon request. Its primary purpose and goal in publication can
be found in Jude 3; IITimothy 4:2; Titus 1:13; Titus 2:1; IIPeter 1:12.
All mail received may be published unless otherwise noted. Articles
are also welcomed.
Editor: Garland M. Robinson

EAST END CHURCH OF CHRIST

102 EDISON ST.
MCMINNVILLE, TN 37110-2216

questions as, Will the church of Christ survive? How can any religious movement be optimistic regarding its future if it does not
attract those of the younger age brackets? How can any religious
group exist without a solid core of professional men who have devoted themselves to countless hours of the study of Gods Word and are
ready to meet the neo-paganistic world on any terms or topics it
names?
Bill McDonough states the critical issue as follows: Today
there is no higher calling than preaching or greater crisis than the
lack of preachers. We and our children can stop the church from
dying in America, but we are the only ones who can. (Gospel Advocate, April, 2002). These words are ever so true. Is it possible to treat
our preachers better? (This is not to say some men in the pulpits did
not deserve exactly what they received!) Rudeness, unjust treatment
and discourtesy are incompatible with Christian character wherever they are found.
Beloved, let us extol the glory and greatness of preaching and
encourage our young men to want to be proclaimers of the Word of
Life. Let us emphasize anew Jehovahs dynamic call as in the days
of old: And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the
hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not
destroy it: but I found none (Ezek. 22:30). Who will be Gods man?
What will your congregation do to encourage young men to fill the
empty pulpits? Can we do some heart searching that will lead to
some life changing to show how absolutely vital our preachers are to
the ongoing of all that is good in the earth? One thing is for certain;
wherever our preachers are going, the church is soon to follow! God
give us preachers. God save the church. Bill Dillon
It bears repeating: When shepherds speak well of the
wolves, the sheep are in grave danger.

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