Christian Chronicle (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 34, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 21, 1948 Page: 2 of 8
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THE CHRISTIAN CHRON
JANUARY 21, 1948
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Volume V
EDfFYIHG THE CHURCH
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Deacons As Potential Elders
BY JOHN F. WOLFS
each Lord’s Day morning, and one
by L. H. Alexander, colored, of the
colored church of Christ at 1:46 p.
m. each Sunday.
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hope. But even if we go so far as
to grant that many of them did
have thfrt idea, it is almost surely
true — and this is the crux of the
whole matter — that the church
provided no special study and
training for them that would fit
them eventually for the more im-
portant duties of a bishop. All the
suggestions that have been made for
the preparation of bishops might
be equally well worked out with re-
gard to the deacons. This would
mean that every congregation that
had deacons would be maintaining
continually a practical training
school for bishops. Were this plan
followed, during the course of a de-
cade many a man would step into
the eldership with a comprehensive
course of training behind him, and
much of the uncertainty and con-
fusion regarding the selection of el-
ders would be eliminated.
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Some ideas concerning the need of a personal eldership,
and some of the ways and means for supplying that need
have already been pointed out in this column. Special class-
es, with a church library to draw on for material; short term
courses in the summer by our colleges, or special night
courses arranged for the elders and deacons of all the
churches in any given city, it has been suggested, would be
of value in achieving-this end. In the field of practical train-
ing, the Sunday School, the Prayer-meeting, and a portion
of the worship service set aside for a short talk by one of
the elders have been suggested as means for developing the
Most potent of all ideas that might be suggested, how-
ever, is the simple fact that the deacons are the natural
heirs to the eldership. This is shown by the fact that their
qualifications are almost identical with those of the elders,
except that it is not required that they be apt to teach. By
the laws of natural and spiritual growth if a man fulfil] well
' the office of deacon he will in time develop all the qualifi-
cations of an elder. Let us see what can be adduced from this
premise.
Pint, If the deacons were impres
ed with the thought that, If faith-
ful and diligent, they would some
day become bishops of the church
this would help to give them a feel-
ing of the seriousness of their
work, and an incentive to study and
prepare themselves for the larger
responsibilities ahead. >
Second, this approach would au-
tomatically make provision for a
trained eldership, since these dea-
cons would have years in which to
develop the qualities necessary for
ciders or bishops. Let us look care-
J. Woodie Holden, evangelist of
’ the church at North A and Tenn-
essee in Midland. Texas, may now
be heard over the large area of
West Texas, including the great
Texas Panhandle section and East-
ern New Mexico, in a gospel broad-
cast at 1:16 p. m. dally, Monday
through Friday over KORS, Mid-
land, at 550 on your radio dial.
This broadcast has been in prog-
ress for more than two years, but
recently KCR& hsa raised its pow-
er to 6,000 watts to give the cover-
age listed above.
The elders of the church in Mid-
land are anxious to have this an-
nouncement made in churches thru-
out West Texas and Eastern New
Mexico. They would also like for
individuals hearing the program to
drop a postal card to J. Woodie
Holden, Midland, Texas, regarding
the broadcast, they stated. •
Additional program of interest
to be heard over KORS ta that of
I. V. Davie of the church of Christ
on Southside Midland, and Elmore
Johnson, off Stanton at 8:46 a. m.
a/'' '
, who
radio
broadcast now being carried over
l the newly improved radio station
• KCM in Midland. Igirii state
the program eaa bo' heart over
en in all things whatsoever he shall speak unto you.
And it shall be that every soul that shall not hearken *
to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among J
the people. Yea and all the prophets from Samuel
and them that followed Christ, as many as have * *
spoken, they also told of these days" (Acts 3:22^24). b
It is no wonder “the multitudes were astonished
his teaching” when they heard Him as He “taugwM i
f them as one having authority, and not as their scrib- r
es ’ He could speak with authority, for He was God’s .1
chosen spokesman, speaking the words of God. Ap-
parently the people were hungering for a message
that carried with It conviction, and that carried auth- ..
orlty back of It; and I believe that many today are
tiring of the sentimental babblings of modernism and
are looking for a religion that carries with It the con-
vlctlon of authority; an authority not of men but of—
God. W»
However, Jesus recognized that back of His mes-
sage was the authority of God. Said He, “Verily, ver-
ily. I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of him-
self, but what he seeth the Father doing; for what *
th'ngs soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in*
like manner” (John 5:19). Again, “My teaching Is not *<
mine, but his that sent me” (John 7:16). And again, * '
“Jesus therefore said, When ye have lifted up the Son
of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I-
do nothing of myself, but as the Father taught me,**
I speak these things” (John 8:28). And upon another*
occasion,-“For I spake not from myself; but the Fath-
er rnat sent me, he hath given me a commandment, "
what I should say, and what I should speak” (John
12:49). And finally, “The word which ye hear Is not '
mine, but the Father’s who sent me” (John 14:24).
-These statements from the lips of Jesus accord per- <
fectly with what God had said through Moses, quoted
above (as recorded in Deuternomy 18: “I will put my *
words In his mouth and he shall speak unto them all -
that I shall command him.” *
The transfiguration of Jesus symbolized the passing •
of the old regime spoken through Moses and the
Prophet, and the superceding of former revelations
by the word of Messiah. Present on that occasion, be-
sides the three apostles who accompanied Him, were .
Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Moses represented the l»w
as Its giver, Elijah represented the prophets. The time
had been when their voice, as God spoke through*
them to men of a former age, had been the of
authority. The time had now come when they wfouM*
yield up that authoratlve voice and hear Christ At*
the suggestion of Peter that three tabernacles be
made, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Eli-
jah, God spoke to them saying, "This Is my beloved
Son, In whom I am well pleased; hear ye him" (Matt.
175).
Of this memorable occasion, Peter wrote a long time' I
afterward, saying, “For we did not follow cunningly
devised fables, when we made known unto you the .
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we ‘
were eye-witnesses of his majesty. For he received
from God the Father honor and glory, when there $
was borne such a voice to him by the Majestic Glory.
_
Published Wednesday of each week except the last week in June and
the last week in December at Abilene, Texas.
83 00 Per Annum In Advance
Send alt communications and articles tp Box 1158, Abilene, Texas
OLAN L. HICKS ................................ Editor and Publisher
Entered as stoond-claas matter October 18 1944, at the Poet. Office at
Abilene, Texas, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
January 21, 1948 .. Number 34
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passages
Ministers
inraluabl
fully at these two points. Read them
over again, remembering that our
concern here is with the need for
a prepared eldership.
It is possible that the majority
of our elders at the present time
were not very strongly Imbued with
the Idea of someday becoming bis-
■
—
judge In every matter of obedience thereunto. The
right to command and expect obedience belonged to
God. The authority of Moses was solely that delegated
to Him by Jehovah. Only one time did Moses fall
to honor God by recognizing that relationship to God
and authority, and because of that failure he failed
to enter Caanan. »
When Israel asked to have a king that they might
be like nations about them, Samuel, the prophet-
judge of that time, protested. Whereupon Jehovah
said to him, “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
be king over them” (1 Samuel 8:7). Saul, son of Kish,
of the tribe of Benjamin, was selected their first king.
The authority still belonged to Jehovah, who delegated
certain powers to the new king, but with restrictions
and conditions. Saul later rebelled against the auth-
ority of Jehovah, usurping certain powers unto him- ,
self, whereupon God rejected him and his seed after
him, appointing another king. Here we have an ex-
ample of original authority, delegated authority, and '
usurped authority.
In this present dispensation God addresses men in .
and through His Son (Heb. 1:1,2), through whom
He has expressed His will and presented His terms L
of reconciliation in clear, unmistakable language;
language from which there can be no appeal and to .
which nothing may be added or anything subtracted.
Through Moses God spoke of the coming of this
last prophet, His Son, and of the absolute authority
He should exercise. “I will raise them up a prophet
from among their brethren, like unto thee"; said
Jehovah, “and I 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” (Deut. 18:18,19).
This is a clear and definite declaration of Jehovah
with regard to the words and authority. He should
delegate to this prophet “like unto Moses.” After the
resurrection and ascension of Jehus, Peter declared
that the prophecy had been fulfilled in Christ, when „ |
he said, “Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord < (
God raise up unto you from among your brethren,
like unto me (1. e, like Moses); to him shall ye heark-
And It shall be that every soul that shall not hearken
to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among
Midland Program I
Heard Over Wide
Westex-N. M. Area
. - 0j’ 3L ■
Each week the editorial article which is adjudged most .
I timely and valuable will be printed on this page
r of CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE.
. The Authority Of Jesus Christ.
BY HOMEB HAILEY
Proper respect for authority Is vital to the life of
any society, or to the life of Ito various parts; but I
fear that $uch respect is fast becoming a vanishing
quantity in our modem complex civilization. In the
home there must be a proper recognition of authority
if civilization is to endure; authority In the home has
been by the Lord vested In the parents.
Authority must be recognized and emphasized In
our schools if the school system is to accomplish its
purpose. In the state the,-citizens must recognize the
authority of civil law If that state Is to continue. But
above all, There must be recognized In religion and so-
ciety the divine authority of Christ as the Son of
God.
It Is said concerning the reaction of the people to
the Sermon on the mount: “When Jesus had finished
these words, the multitudes were astonished at his
teaching: for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes” (Matt. 7:28,29). This auth-
ority began to be challenged by the chief priests and
elders during the lifetime of Jesus. It Is written, “And
when he was come Into the temple, the chief priests
and the elders of the people came unto him as he was
teaching, and said, “By what authority doest thou
these things? and who gave thee this authority?”
Now this question was within itself, perfectly legi-
timate; there was nothing wrong In raising the ques-
tion. The fact is, however, they were not honest In
It as Is evidenced by the things which followed. “And
Jesus answered and said unto them. I also will ask
you one question, which if ye tell me, I likewise will
tell you by what authority I do these things. The
baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or
from men? And they reasoned with themselves, say-
ing, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto
us. Why then did ye not believe him? But If we shall
say, From men; we fear the multitude; for all hold
John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, We
know not. He also said unto them, Neither tell I you
by what authority I do these things” (Matt 2123-27).
By their own admission they proved themselves dis-
honest.
The authority of Jesus Christ has been questioned
or under attack ever since, both by honest men and
by men not honest. For nearly two centuries now the
authority of Christ and the inspiration of the Bible
have been subject to attack, not by infidels and ath-
eists only, but by certain schools of religious thought
as well; men who claim the religion of Jesus Christ
but who deny His authority over them. The question
of Christ’s authority is among the foremost questions
Of Importance today; therefore such a study should
prove of great profit to all of us.
One prominent writer of religious subjects has said,
“One would not dare to say that the quest for some
final authority In faith and order Is the only key to
the two hundred and something varieties of Protest-
antism, but taken broadly It Is the most covering
single explanation." I believe, friends, this to be cor-
rect. The real causes of division among those profess-
ing Christianity have been from its birth, questions of
authority rather than of Interpretation. The question
Is a vital one. We ask. To whom shall we go as our
final court of appeal In matters religious? Shall It be
a divine authority as vested In Jesus Christ, or a hu-
man authority with no divine sanction?
The two corruptions from which Christianity has
suffered most during Its history have been philoso-
phies of men and human leadership. Philosophy would
substitute speculations for a simple truth In God’s
word; while human leadership would divert man’s
allegiance from God and divide his affections between
the human and the divine.
Even some liberal theologlens have recognized the
absolute need for authority In religion If religious life
Is to thrive. One, of the past generation, has well
stated the matter when he said, “There has never yet
existed in the world a strong religious faith, which
has not spread at some DECISIVE point or other,
to an EXTERNAL AUTHORITY. Jesus Christ appeal-
ed to the Authority of the Old Testament, ancient
r Christians to the evidence of prophecy, Augustine to
the Church, and Luther himself to the written Word
of God. Only academic speculation thinks that It can
eliminate external authority; life and history show
that no faith ,18 capable of convincing qien or prop-
agating Itself, which does not include obedience to an
1 external authority, or fails to be convinced of Its abso-
i lute power. The only point 18 to determine the rightful
i authority, and to discover the just relationship be-
tween external and Internal authority” (Adolph Har-
nack, HISTORY OF DEGMA, Vol. V, p 82). It Is this
very thing we seek to do: "determine the rightful
authority” and “discover the just relationship between
I external and Internal authority.”
But of what do we Speak when we speak of auth-
ority? Authority may be thought of as the right to
command and to enforce obedience, the right to act
officially. Authority may be primary, delegated or
usurped. AH authority Is primary, Inherent, original
with God. All authority other than that Inherent with
God is either delegated by Him or usurped by one
who claims to have received It from Him.
Two illustrations from the Old Testament illustrate
this position. We call attention to Moses the Law-
giver, and to Saul the first king over Israel. To Moses
was delegated certain authority, but he was subject
to God. God was the author off the law and the final
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Hicks, Olan L. Christian Chronicle (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 34, Ed. 1 Wednesday, January 21, 1948, newspaper, January 21, 1948; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1305975/m1/2/?q=wichita+falls: accessed June 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.