Christian Chronicle (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 45, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 10, 1946 Page: 2 of 8
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APRIL 10, 1946
« V
UNIVERSAL
Number 45
April 10, 1946
Volume 3
BY C. B. THOMAS
or-
peo-
confcregation.
L
18
own
In the
be strong
of
consists
ivert.
I
I
jjj hRI
he withering
all true dfocl
dis-
the
In thinking about church __
ganizatlon, we need to have estab-
lished in our minds some definite
understanding of what the church
Scriptures
church
all
unto
■
Ou^ fears are always more numerous than our dangers.
Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice.
• • * •
Many a case of love at first sight has been caused by dim
lights.
the
be
have
con-
com-
■ ■ . 1 •,
I
'.......
I
.... -
sense only, does the church
organisation, and then each
gregatlon is a separate and
plete organization within itself.
A. I j
I
Philippi — they
and dea-
In Acts
from Mlle-
Ephesus,
of the
d ef modernism In the pulpit and
i simply emasculated the gvqwtlof
; let us
obeying
congregations of
established in
com-
Then oftentimes in such places
as I have just mentioned, there
may be several groups meeting at
different places, but each group is
a separate, independent organize-
ton. We all recognize the same
Head — that is, Jesus Christ, and
in the local assemblies, we have
the same kind of organization,
but hot the same men, who con-
stitute such organization.
•' ;,,k • " r v. . .'
Editor's Note: T&e adjoining article appeared In the
leading dally papers of Oklahoma City, sponsored
by the churches of Christ In that city. From week
to week we reproduce articles which are published \
tn this series as material for or examples of sneh
articles to be need by churches everywhere in their
local work.
Now, in all of these local church-
es or congregations, it is proper
to speak of church organization;
but in that sense, and in that
K
> Scriptural Pattern of
Organization
In every • congregation, there was
a plurality of elders and deacons,
but their authority and their work
was restricted to the congregation
that appointed them.
Not only does God’s Word auth-
orize the appointment' of elders
and deacons in every congrega-
tion, but it also defines the quali-
fications and duties of each group.
Concerning the qualifications of
elders, both positive and negative,
I now give a summation of that
which is contained in 1 TUn. 3,
Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5. First, the
poetive: He is to be—
Catholic False Doctrine
lived. And, even if the priest does not arrive, still he may have his sins
prayed away in time.
The Catholic Church also strongly preaches death-bed repentance.
This is no little silently held notion with them, but one emphatically
averted In srecently issued tract which is being widely circulated by
Catholic* for personal work. etc. this doctrine is well expressed. TTie
title of this well-written tract by Richard Glnder is
On pages 11 and 12 of, this tract the author makes the following state-
ments: •.
A classic objection to hell tries to establish an inequality between
the momentary pleasure of sin and the eternity of ns punishment.
Look rather to the machinery of the wilt The sin is not in the pleas-
ure but in the turning from G<mL Once the individual has severed him-
self from God. It makes very little difference whether or not he reaps
the dingy reward of his choice, lie may be prevented by circumstances
from enjoying his illicit pleasure—as one Denton thieving who can
find no night dark enough to hide his crime. He Is a thief, for all thaA,
though he may never have actually stolen one copper. He has chosen
between God and his theft. His will is fixed in evil. (
The other side of the picture rests in the fact that a deathbed re-
pentance. after a career of self-seeking, will restore one to unity with
God and everlasting happiness. If we ask why a moment of sin should
be punished by an eternity of misery, we must also ask why a mom-
ent of prayer should be rewarded by an eternity of happiness. It is not
only what we have done that matters, it is what we are at the moment
of death. •
This is equivalent to saying that a man may waste his life in sin and
rebellion against God; that he may flaunt all the laws of God and man,
degrade and debauch himself and be a degrading influence to the race,
and by one fleeting, fitful "moment of prayer” wrung from his anxious
* frame in death be made ready for eternity with God.
Such a teaching is blasphemous before God and can only be calculat-
ed to work the ruin of those who follow to it. “Be not deceived; God is
not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. He
• that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption.” A man on
his death-bed is not sowing; he is just ready to start reaping.
There is no church organization
known to the New Testament that
is larger than one congregation.
Preaching the gospel to convert
people to Christ, and gathering
those thus converted into a local
assembly is the divine order for
establishing church of Christ, but
in the given locality where they
reside and meet together, they
are the church in a local sense,
whether it be Jerusalem, Antioch,
Corpus Christi, Houston or any
other place.
Then, in the 38th verse, he calls
them overseers. In 1 Tim. 3:15, it
is said, “If a man desire the of-
fice of a bishop, he desireth a
good work.” Then, in 1 Tim. 5:17,
they are called elders. In 1 Pet. 5:
1-2, Peter writes to the elders
and calls them shepherds. In Eph.
4:11-13, this same group is called ■
pastors, and in 1 Tim. 4:14,* they
are called presbyter.
THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE
. y.
ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
Each week the editorial article which is adjudged
moat timely and valuable will be printed on
this page of CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE.
Scriptural Church Organization
There are at least six different
terms used to designate the same
group of men in this local church
organization—they are: bishops,
elders, overseers, shepherds, pas-
tors, and presbyters. No distinct-
ion in these terms was ever made
by any inspired writer.
20:17, it is said, “And
tus he (Paul) sent to
and called the elders
church.”
Preaching Chrst To World
Job of the Church
Preaching the gospel and mak-
ing disciples of all nations, is the
divine commission as given by the
supreme Head of the church—the
Lord Jesus Christ. Said Jesus, “Go
ye therefore, and teach all na-
tions, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit; teaching
them to observe all things, what-
sqever I have commanded you:
And, lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world.”
(Matt. 28:18-20).
When this gospel is preached in
any community and obeyed by
even two or three, and they meet
together regularly on the first day
of the week to break bread, they
constitute the . church of Christ in
that community, and they can
continue to meet and worship God
acceptably without being organ-
ized until such time as they have
developed men qualified to make
up this organization. For inspir-
ed examples of this, I refer you to
the thirteenth chapter and four-
teenth chapter of Acts, and to Ti-
tus 1:5. In the chapters of Acts,
we read of Paul and Barnabas be-
ing sent out by the church in An-
tioch to preach the gospel. Their
efforts resulted in many
the gospel and
Christians being
many different towns and
munities.
Published Wednesday of each week except the last week in June
and the last week in December at Abilene, Texas
32.00 Per Annum in Advance
Send all communications and articles to Box 1158, Abilene, Texas
OLAN L. HICKS Editor and Publisher
STAFF MEMBERS
uo„ C«ter. t““
En“rcd “ I
will build,
gates of
I against
is. As used in the New Testament,
the word "church” means
Now, since the government of
the universal church of Christ is
an absolute monarchy, no man
has any right to claim to be the
head of the church. And no group
of men has any right to legislate
in the church. As Head of His
church, the King of His Kingdom,
Christ is an absolute authority,
and He rules and reigns over His
Kingdom from His throne in the
heavens, and with the scepter of
righteousness. ______z-
■B.
wife
gL .
O'
They are not to accept it be-
cause of constraint, or pressure,
but willingly; not for base pro-
fit, but freely; Not as lords or
bosses, but as patterns to the
flock. *
The duties of the elders in each
congregation may be summed up ,
The following Scriptures have
reference to the church in its
universal or comprehensive sense
—comprehending or including
the saved. “And I say also
thee, that thou art Peter, and up-
on this rock I will build, my
church; and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it.”
(Matt. 18:18).
• •
PAGE TWO
-----"72?
CP nni?
1$;
On this particular preaching
tour, Paul and Barnabas went as
far as Derbe, "And when they had
preached the gospel In that city,
and had taught many, they re-
turned again to Lystra, and to Ico-
nium, and Antioch, confirming
the souls of the disciples, and ex-
horting them to continue in the
faith, and that we must through
much tribulation enter into the
kingdom of God. And when they
had ordained (or appointed) them
elders in every church, and had
prayed with fasting, they com-
mended them to the Lord, on
whom they believed.” (Acts 14:21-
23). Then, many years later when
Paul had preached on the island
of Crete, and had gone elsewhere,
he wrote these instructions to
Titus, whom he had left on the
From Acts 8:1, we learn that
there was a great persecution
against the "church which was at
Jerusalem.” And in Acts 8:31, it is
said, “Then had the churches rest
throughout all Judea and Galilee
and Samaria.” This refers to the
condition that prevailed after the
conversion of Paul, who was the
ringleader in the persecution a-
gainst the church.
The government of the church,
universally speaking, is monarchal
in its form. Christ is King and is
in absolute authority. "And Jesus
came and spake unto them, saying.
All authority in heaven and on
earth has been given to me."
(Matt. 22:18).
The Hope of Immortality
BY FRANK WINTERS
It was midnight in Jerusalem. The soft, silvery light of a
full Passover moon shed its radiance upon a little group of
men whose dejection must have showed in every line of their
faces. For these were the disciples of Christ—and it was the
night when every hope for which they had lived had been
buried In the tomb with their Master. Defeated, discouraged,
beaten, they were men whose lives seemed not worth the 11 v-
•nr
Then came the resurrection. Within a few short hours of
that event these whipped and beaten men became the bold-
est and most courageous characters to be found in the whole
Roman empire. Something had happened to them! An in-
credible change had taken place. From the death of gloom
and despair they were transformed into radiant, triumphant
evangels of the new gospel. They had seen the risen Savior.
They knew the certainty of the things wherein they had put
their trust.
In these days of darkest suffering and world-wide sorrow,
it would be well for us to recapture the resilence of spirit
which the resurrection brought to these disciples. They had
an elasticity of heart, and ineffable, ability to “bounce back”
from disaster and adversity. Indeed, this attitude has ever
characterized those whs truly believe in immortality. All the
anguish and darkness of the present hour are dispelled by the 1
unshakable conviction that our fleeting earthly sorrows are
“not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed.” ■ ——■
Their hope of immortality gathered up their scattered
' loyalties and interests and focused them into one unalterable
and irrevocable purpose. With boldness and resolution Peter
declared. "We cannot but speak the things which we saw and
beard.” All ths discordant elements, their discorded and
fragmentary ambitions, were at last brought into one all-
consuming and passionate determination—to preach the un-
searchable riches of Christ.
As a result of these transformations—from despair to joy-
ous triumph and from Irrdbolutton to fixedness of purpose—
the lives of these Christians began to show a radiance and
that t'a’Med ‘he heathen world to stare in un-
** believing astonishment. Without question much of the impo
tenry and ineffectiveness of our modern Christianity can bo
traced directly to lack of this Joyousness, this radiance.
. .. .. I world-
gospetlof Christ.
gloriously triumphant faith
-----our hopes and our Hves on
: truth that “because be lives, we too shall
r
I. Blameless-rwithout reprokch.
.2. The husband of one wife.
3. Temperate.
4. Sober—sedate—master of self.
5. Of good behavior—unruffled.
6. Hospitable.
7. A skilled teacher.
8. Lenient — patient.
9. Able to manage his
household.
10. He must have a good repu-
tation.
II. Be a lover of goodness.
12. A just man.
13. A religious man, and.
14. He must
Word.
The negative side
this:
1. Not a drunkard.
*2. Not a striker—not violent. . *"j
3. Not a lover of money. *
4. Not a brawler—not quarrel-
some.
5. Not covetoi
6. Not a new
7. Not presumptous, and.
8. Not hot-tempered.
The elder's attitude toward this
office or work is as follows:
the word “church" means "the
called out,” and sometimes it is
used to designate all of God’s peo-
_____ pie in the aggregate, while in oth-
er instances it refers only to the
saved in a certain community or
"And the Lord, added to
church daily such as should
saved.” (Acts 2;47). "For the hus-
band is the head of the wife, even
as Christ Is the head of the
church; And he is the saviour Of
the body.” (Eph. 5:23). The church
In its universal sense has no or-
ganization. Christ is its head.
“And he is the head of the body,
the church; Who is the beginning,*
the first-born from the dead that
in all things he might have the
preeminence.” (Col. 1:18) (Eph.
1:18-23).
island Said Paul, "For this cause
left I thee in Crete, that thou
shouldest set in order the things
that are wanting, and ordain eid-
ers in every city, as I had appoint-
ed thee.” (Titus i:5).
How long these groups of Chris-
tians remained unorganized I do
not know, but I am sure that it is
God’s will for congregations to or-
ganize as quickly as they can
scripturally do 80. However, it is
better to remain scripturally un-
organized, than to be unscriptur-
ally organized.
Let us now consider the kind of
organlzaton that we have been re-
ferring to all along in this study.
Of what does it consist? In Phil-
ippians 1:1, I read, “Paul and
Timotheus. the servants of Jesus
Christ, to all the saints in Christ
Jesus which are in Philippi, with
the bishops and deacons.” You
will notice that Paul addressed
three classes — they were all In
the church at
were: saints, bishops
cons, i
Local Church Has Organization
AU Ito Own
That we may be able to
tinguish thoroughly between
universal and the local use of the
word “church,” I now call atten-
tion to its use in a local sense. In
this sense, all of God’s people in
the places designated are includ-
ed. In the salutations of Paul’s
Corinthian letters, he says, “Unto
the church of God which is at
Corinth.” To the church at Rome
he sent greetings from other con-
gregations in Asia Minor and
Greece by saying, “The churches
of Christ salute you.” (Roman
16:15).
The saints were all the Chris-
tians in that city, and from the
saints, bishops and deacons had
been selected—that made up the
local church organization in Phi-
lippi. For an account of the estab-
lishment of the church in Phi-
lippi, I refer you to the sixteenth
chapter of Acts.
______2
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Hicks, Olan L. Christian Chronicle (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 45, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 10, 1946, newspaper, April 10, 1946; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1305904/m1/2/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.