August 2011 Seek The Old Paths

57

Vol. 22, No. 8

August 2011

BROTHER EPAPHRAS
Roger D. Campbell
ithout any fanfare, the apostle Paul by inspiration wrote
about a brother named Epaphras (pronounced with the accent
on the first syllable) in both the Book
of Colossians and the Book of Philemon. Paul was a prisoner in Rome
when he wrote both of these epistles.
Epaphras was his fellowprisoner at
the time (Philemon 23). We learn a
number of truths about brother Epaphras in the only three Bible passages in which he is mentioned (Col.
1:7; 4:12-13; Philemon 23). Let us
take a look at the Bibles record of his
activities.
First, Epaphras was a teacher of
the word. Colossians 1:5,6 states that
the Gospel had come to Colosse, helping the people there to know the
grace of God in truth. How had they
learned the Gospel message? The
next verse says, As ye also learned of
Epaphras. We know little about
Epaphras personal life, but we know
that he taught the Gospel in Colosse.
In one way or another, all of us ought
to be teachers of the word (Heb.
5:12). Each of us needs to seek out
opportunities to sow the seed. Jesus
said, the sower soweth the word
(Mark 4:14). Let us all be more diligent in teaching the Gospel in the
time that we have remaining on the
earth!
Second, Epaphras was Pauls
dear fellowservant (Col. 1:7). This
expression has a ring of close camaraderie to it. Paul and Epaphras
served together in the same Cause
a Cause which is too big for any single person to carry out by him/her-

self. What a thrill it is to know that

we have devoted fellowservants in
the church on whom we can count!
They are indeed dear to us as Epaphras was to Paul.
Third, Epaphras was a faithful
servant of the Christ. He was not simply a servant: he was a faithful minister of Christ (Col. 1:7). Colossians
4:12 simply says he was a servant of
Christ. Is that not what we are all
striving to be, a faithful servant of
the Lord? We either faithfully serve
Jesus or we do not. We are either
with Jesus or against Him (Matt.
12:30). We are either obedient to Him
or we are not. Know ye not, that to
whom ye yield yourselves servants to
obey, his servants ye are to whom ye
obey; whether of sin unto death, or of
obedience unto righteousness (Rom.
6:16)? If we are in a situation where
we are told, Tell us a little bit about
yourself, would it not be appropriate
to say, I am a servant of the Christ?
Epaphras could honestly make such
a claim. Can we?
Fourth, Epaphras was a greeter
of the brethren. Epaphras, who is
one of you, a servant of Christ,
saluteth [greets, NKJV] you... (Col.
4:12). It may not sound like much,
but to make the effort to greet someone, whether in person, by telephone,
or by sending a written message, can
really be a boost to that person. It can
make that person feel noticed,
remembered, and appreciated. Most
of us have been in situations where
the thoughtful greetings of other
saints were a source of encouragement to us. If I have counted correct-

ly, Strongs Exhaustive Concordance

lists verses from thirteen New Testament books in which greetings were
passed on between Christians, or else
the instruction was given for saints
to greet one another. That sounds
like greeting our fellow saints is
important, does it not?
Fifth, Epaphras prayed for the
spiritual welfare of his brethren.
Epaphras...always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may
stand perfect and complete in all the
will of God (Col. 4:12). It is so easy to
get caught up in our own little world
and forget about the needs of our fellowservants. And, it is also possible
for us to think and pray only about
their physical needs. Epaphras
prayed diligently. He prayed diligently for other saints. And, he prayed for
their spiritual well-being. It would
not take much effort for us to do the
same. When brothers and sisters in
the Lord are truly in our hearts, then
they will also be on our lips when we
come before our Father in prayer.
Sixth, Epaphras was a brother
with notable zeal. Speaking of him,
Paul wrote, For I bear him record,
that he hath a great zeal for you, and
them that are in Laodicea, and them
in Hierapolis (Col. 4:13). Do you and
I have such a reputation? Are we
known for our zeal in the Lords
work? The Lord instructs us to be
fervent in spirit (Rom. 12:11). Yes,
the Christ wants His people to be
zealous of good works (Titus 2:14).
(Continued on page 61)

Brother Epaphras

Seek The Old Paths August 2011

58

THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT

ARE BOTH ALIKE #2
Garland M. Robinson
GOD KNOWS THE HEART
e know others by their
appearance: how they dress,
comb their hair, their size
and physical features. We can know
those things they reveal unto us
through communication: audio, video
or in writing. With a little time and
experience, we can learn anothers
traits and characteristics. We can
learn how one may react in various
situations. But, we cannot know ones
heart (unless they reveal it to us). We
cannot know what someone is thinking. We cannot know how one feels on
the inside. Such knowledge is kept
secret by Gods design. What chaos
would result if we could read each
others mind!
The Lord, on the other hand,
knows the intents and thoughts of
the heart flawlessly. Such presents
no difficulty for Him whatsoever. He
knows mans heart as easily as He
knows Himself. Job understood this
quite well for he said, Doth not he
see my ways, and count all my steps
(Job 31:4)? For his eyes [are] upon
the ways of man, and he seeth all his
goings. [There is] no darkness, nor
shadow of death, where the workers
of iniquity may hide themselves (Job
34:21-22). Hell [is] naked before
him, and destruction hath no covering (Job 26:6). I know that thou
canst do every [thing], and [that] no
thought can be withholden from
thee (Job 42:2).
Solomon acknowledged that
mans ways are known unto God and
that He knows mans heart as He
does all the children of men (1 Kings.
8:39). The Psalmist said, ...Thou
understandest my thought afar off ...
art acquainted with all my ways
(Psalm 139:2-3). The Lord is able to
search our heart (Jer. 17:10).
We read in 2 Chronicles 16:9,
...the eyes of the LORD run to and fro
throughout the whole earth, to shew
himself strong in the behalf of [them]

whose heart [is] perfect toward

him.... The
Psalmist
wrote,
...God...knoweth the secrets of the
heart (Ps. 44:21). Proverbs 15:11
informs us that Hell and destruction
are before the LORD: how much
more then the hearts of the children
of men.
King David addresses Israel and
informs them that his son Solomon
would reign as king over the land. He
advises Solomon saying: And thou,
Solomon my son, know thou the God
of thy father, and serve him with a
perfect heart and with a willing
mind: for the LORD searcheth all
hearts, and understandeth all the
imaginations of the thoughts: if thou
seek him, he will be found of thee; but
if thou forsake him, he will cast thee
off for ever (1 Chron. 28:9).
For the word of God [is] quick,
and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the
dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and [is]
a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart. Neither is there
any creature that is not manifest in
his sight: but all things [are] naked
and opened unto the eyes of him with
whom we have to do (Heb. 4:12-13).
GOD KNOWS US
The Lord knows every event of
our lives whether past, present or
future. He knows us to the very marrow of our bones. He knows the
thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Lord knew Abraham and
how he would ...command his children and his household after him,
and they shall keep the way of the
LORD, to do justice and judgment...
(Gen. 18:19). He knew him when he
gave him the charge to offer Isaac as
a sacrifice upon one of the mountains
of Moriah (Gen. 22).
The Lord knew Moses when he
was but a babe. In His providence He
saw to it that he was saved from

death. Moses became the great

leader and law-giver of Gods chosen
people. His life and influence affected
multiplied generations that followed.
His name is still revered unto this
day.
The Lord knew young David and
chose him to be king over Israel.
Jesses sons were brought before
Samuel one by one and Samuel
thought each time, this surely is the
Lords anointed. But the LORD said
unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature;
because I have refused him: for [the
LORD seeth] not as man seeth; for
man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the
heart (1 Sam. 16:7). The Lord knew
David, what he was made of, what
his judgments would be and that he
would exhibit the character of being
one after Gods own heart (1 Sam.
13:14; Acts 13:22).
The Lord knew Jeremiah even
before he was born. The Lord said,
Before I formed thee in the belly I
knew thee; and before thou camest
forth out of the womb I sanctified
thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet
unto the nations (Jer. 1:5). We cherish Jeremiah as the weeping prophet
because of his great love for Israel.
Man cannot know these things!
The Lord knew the life of the
woman at Jacobs well and spoke of
her five husbands and yet told her
that the man she was with now was
not her husband. The woman left her
waterpot, went into the city and told
the men, Come, see a man, which
told me all things that ever I did: is
not this the Christ (John 4:28-29).
Jesus knew Nathanael before
Philip brought him to see the Christ.
Nathanael was amazed that Jesus
spoke of him as if He knew him and
asked the Lord, Whence knowest
thou me? Jesus answered and said
unto him, Before that Philip called
thee, when thou wast under the fig
tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered
and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art
the Son of God; thou art the King of
Israel (John 1:47-49).
There is not even a sparrow that
falls to the ground that escapes the
notice of our Lord. He even knows
the number of hairs on our head
(Matt. 10:29-31; Luke 12:6-7; cf. Psa.
50:11). The Lord said, Behold the
fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into

August 2011 Seek The Old Paths

barns; yet your heavenly Father

feedeth them. Are ye not much better
than they (Mt. 6:26)? Such power
and knowledge is too wonderful for
us to fathom.
Seeing all these things, shall not
the Lord know us as well? Yes He
does! We cannot escape His notice.
Nothing about us is hidden from
Him.

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NOTE: We want to thank everyone

who so faithfully helps us financially
and prayerfully in the printing and
mailing of STOP. We have some
repairs to make on our "used to be
new" printer that now has over 4.5
million copies on it. So far, we've
been able to keep it going ourselves
with not even one service call. However, the ink drum needs to be reconditioned which will cost a few hundred dollars. Many have told us to let
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you know.

59

PRESENT-DAY REVELATION
FROM GOD
asically, all modern-day religious beliefs and practices are based
upon claims for present-day revelations from God.

The Catholic Church Catholics believe the Pope is the voice

of God. His word supersedes the Bible. If what he says is in conflict
with scripture, Catholics would choose to follow the Pope. If they followed the Bible, they would not be Catholics (1 Tim. 4:1-5).
Modern Protestant Denominationalism All mainline
Protestant groups believe in a direct operation of the Holy Spirit.
Just listen to their preachers carefully. They all have the Holy Spirit
working apart from the scriptures upon the minds and hearts of people. A rejection of the final authority, via the so-called inner leadings
of the Holy spirit, has produced modern denominationalism.
The Jehovahs Witnesses This cult believes that their Watch
Tower Society is the medium through which God leads people today.
The Mormons They claim to believe the Bible. However, they
also believe the writings of Joseph Smith are authoritative. They
maintain present-day apostles are necessary. Extra-biblical revelation is the foundation of this modern cult.
Pentecostalism For decades Pentecostal preachers have
claimed the Holy Spirit is guiding them directly. These groups advocate continually that spiritual gifts and miraculous powers are yet
available today.
The Bible The New Testament affirms that it is the final and
complete revelation from God. The following three passages strike
down the claims of the above false religions:
Jude 3, Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the
common salvation, 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. The faith (the Gospel) is a once and for
all delivered unit of truth.
John 16:13, Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will
guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things
to come. Jesus promised His apostles that all truth would be
revealed to them. If this promise is true, no truth was given after the
first century apostolic period.
Galatians 1:6-9, I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him
that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is
not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the
gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached
unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again,
If any [man] preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have
received, let him be accursed. Anything this side or outside of the first
century New Testament Gospel brings a double curse from God.
The New Testament is the final revelation from God and bears no
substitution.
Randy Kea
100 Sweetbriar Walk
Stockbridge, GA 30281

Seek The Old Paths August 2011

60

CHANGING GODS WORD AND

CASTING ASIDE CHRISTS CHURCH
Marvin L. Weir
an is such a capable creature! The reason man is so
capable is because God is his
Creator (Gen. 1:26-27). How wonderful it would be if people were as anxious to believe in the true and living
God as they were to achieve worldly
success! An intelligent and capable
human being should quickly discern
between this sin-blighted world and
the things that are above (Col. 3:2).
The Herculean efforts that many
gladly put forth to gain that which
has no guarantee and cannot be carried into eternity boggles the mind.
Why does man exhaust every opportunity to disbelieve the Word of God?
Why forego reason to reject what God
says is true and right?
The Bible says, the word of the
cross is to them that perish foolishness (1 Cor. 1:18). What about people
who are so wise and capable of dispute? Gods Word asks, hath not God
made foolish the wisdom of the
world (1 Cor. 1:20)? Yes, but most
folks want to think they are smarter
than God. For this very reason God
warns, For ye see your calling,
brethren, how that not many wise
men after the flesh, not many mighty,
not many noble, [are called] (1 Cor.
1:26).
A great number of our own
brethren today have become so
mighty and noble (at least in their
own eyes) that they no longer need
nor desire a thus saith the Lord for
what they do in religious matters.
They have their degrees in Biblical
matters from Christian(?) Universities and their diplomas on the wall
make it official. These brethren have
been enlightened and now understand what they never could understand from studying Gods Word. In
their mind, they now understand
that cultures change through the
years and such necessitates that
Gods Word be changed and adapted
to compliment the culture in which
they live. Brethren, such reasoning
does not come from having the mind
of God! One does not need a degree

from a university or preaching school

that no longer believes in the authority of Gods Word to understand that
Gods Word does not change to
accommodate the cultural needs of
human beings. Malachi 3:6 will forever affirm, For I [am] the LORD, I
change not. The Psalmist writes,
For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled
in heaven (Psa. 119:89). Paul warns
the brethren not to be conformed to
this world (Rom. 12:2) and instructs
Timothy to continue...in the things
which thou hast learned and hast
been assured of, knowing of whom
thou hast learned [them] (2 Tim.
3:14).
Paul, an apostle teaching under
the direction of the Holy Spirit, was
the one from whom Timothy learned.
And, from a babe, Timothys mother
and grandmother had emphasized
the sacred writings (2 Tim. 3:15).
Folks need to quit listening to modern day Jehoiakims who dispense
with Gods Word every time they
desire change to occur (cf. Jer. 36:23).
Philosophers and humanists declare
that man is quite capable of directing
his steps. The Bible says not so (Jer.
10:23)!
Some now have reached the
point where they understand that
the name church of Christ is detrimental to saving souls. They are
removing the name church of
Christ so such a name will not be an
obstacle to those desiring to obey the
Gospel. Think about it! We are not
the church of Christ but we want to
reach you with the Gospel of Christ!
If these apostate brethren were
truthful they would say, We are not
the church of Christ and we do not
want to reach you with the Gospel of
Christ. What we offer you is a manmade church and a perversion of the
Gospel (Gal. 1:6).
Did not Christ promise to build
His church (Matt. 16:18)? Yes! Do the
Scriptures declare that God gave
Christ to be head over all things to
the church, which is his body (Eph.
1:22-23)? Yes! Speaking of different

congregations of the Lords people,

does the apostle Paul say, the
churches of Christ salute you (Rom.
16:16)? Yes! Folks, one can boast from
now until his life on this earth is over
about knowing and loving God, but to
do so and reject Gods Word makes
such a one a liar. The Scriptures say,
And hereby we do know that we
know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and
keepeth not his commandments, is a
liar, and the truth is not in him. But
whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby
know we that we are in him. He that
saith he abideth in him ought himself
also so to walk, even as he walked (1
John 2:3-6).
Do you want to be a member of
those churches who take pride in saying, We are not the church of
Christ?
1272 Bonham St.
Paris, TX 75460

[EDITORS NOTE: The

number of congregations is
growing who are ashamed of
the Christ and His all-inspired
Gospel. They refuse to be
known as the church of Christ
(cf. Rom. 16:16) and instead call
themselves by all kinds of
names: Community Church,
Tri-county Church, Quadcounty Church, Christs Family, on and on anything but a
scriptural designation. May
they either repent and return
to their first love or cease to be.
At present, they stand to avert
precious souls from learning
the truth, obeying the Gospel
and being saved. They are a
hindrance to the cause and
unity of Christ (cf. John 17:2021). Paul made clear that he
was not ashamed of the Gospel
of Christ (Rom. 1:16). What
about you? Are you ashamed?]

August 2011 Seek The Old Paths

61

HOW SHOULD WE WORSHIP GOD?

Robert Meredith
he opportunity to worship God
is one of the greatest privileges
afforded to man. The apostle
John wrote, Thou art worthy O Lord,
to receive glory and honor and power:
for Thou hast created all things and
for thy pleasure they are and were
created (Rev. 4:11). God is the
supreme Creator of all things (Gen.
1:1), and because of that fact He
deserves the worship of His creation.
King David declared, I was glad
when they said unto me, Let us go
into the house of the Lord (Psalm
122:1). One should possess the same
attitude as David, an attitude of
desiring to worship God and looking
forward to every opportunity.
As one prepares to worship God,
there are some important facts that
must be considered.
First, one must realize that
God is a Spirit. As Jesus was speaking with the Samaritan woman at
the well of Sychar, He proclaimed,
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit
and in truth (John 4:24). Since God
is a Spirit, the supreme Creator, then
His wants and expectations in worship are going to be different than
mans. There is a sad comment about
the Israelites found in the book of
Judges, In those days there was no
king in Israel: every man did that
which was right in his own eyes
(Judges 21:25). Many people today
fall into the same category. They feel
like what they want should be pleasing to God. Man needs to look to God
for instructions for worship. Jeremiah tells us, O Lord, I know that the
way of man is not in himself: it is not
in man that walketh to direct his
steps (Jer. 10:23). Also, the prophet
Isaiah proclaimed, For my thoughts
are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways, and my thoughts than
your thoughts (Isa. 55:8-9). From
these passages we come to the understanding that it is God who dictates
what is to be done in worship. His
wants and expectations are far different from mans (Prov. 14:12).
A second fact one must realize is

that man must worship God in

spirit (John 4:24). To worship in
spirit demands that one worship
with a proper attitude. Simply being
in an auditorium does not make ones
worship worthy. When one fails to
sing or consider the words he is
singing, then he is simply going
through the motions. If one pays no
attention to the prayer to Almighty
God, then he has not prayed. If one
fails to discern the body and blood of
Christ during the Lords supper, he is
eating and drinking damnation to his
soul (1 Cor. 11:29). If one gives with
an improper attitude, grudgingly, or
simply because he feels he has to (2
Cor. 9:7), then his contribution is
given in vain (1 Cor. 13:3). If one
makes no attempt to listen to the
message from the Bible, then his worship is not in spirit. How can one
hope to grow spiritually if he refuses
to desire the sincere milk of Gods
word (1 Peter 2:2). Yes, one must
attend the worship assembling (Heb.
10:25), but simply being in the building does not mean one is worshipping. He must be mentally involved
in the avenues of worship.
A third fact from Jesus statement of John 4:24 is that worship
must be in truth. To worship in
truth means according to Gods
instructions. As Jesus prayed to the
Father, He requested, sanctify them
through thy truth: thy word is truth
(John 17:17). Since Gods word is
truth, to worship in truth means to
worship as God has specified in His
word. God determines how He is to
be worshipped. When one examines
the New Testament, he will see there
are only five acts involved in worshipping God. These five were mentioned in the previous paragraph:
singing, praying, observing the Lords
supper, giving, and teaching. If one
desires to worship God in truth, he
will only do these five and will do
them in the way God has commanded. For example, God said sing. He
did not say play a mechanical instrument.
It is a tremendous privilege and
opportunity to be able to worship
God. He has created all things (Rev.
4:11). He has extended His grace to

man, making salvation available. He

is worthy of worship. Man often has
an inflated opinion of himself, but he
is just the creation. The Creator is far
superior. Let us have the attitude of
King David as was expressed in
Psalm 122:1, I was glad when they
said unto me, Let us go into the house
of the Lord.
3980 Murray Paris Rd.
Hazel, KY 42049

Brother Epaphras
(Continued from page 57)

In modern language, we call it being

on fire for the Lord. Does that
describe us?
As we noted earlier, Epaphras
was Pauls fellowprisoner in Christ
Jesus (Philemon 23). More than
once Paul referred to himself as the
Lords prisoner, meaning that he was
imprisoned because of his loyal service to the Christ (Eph. 3:1; 4:1). We
know that Epaphras also faithfully
served the Lord. It may well be the
case that he, too, was imprisoned
because of his unwavering commitment to righteousness. I have
watched documentaries about the
horrible environment that exists in
many modern prisons. I have visited
and taught the Gospel in prisons in
three different nations, seeing first
hand some of the deplorable circumstances in which the inmates live.
You and I would not find it pleasant
to live in such a place. I cannot imagine what the prisons of Epaphras
and Pauls day must have been like.
Beloved, if there someday comes a
time when you and I must do time
because our steadfast devotion to our
Lord puts us in conflict with and in
violation of civil law, then we need to
be mentally prepared to be a prisoner for our Lord. Epaphras was.
Epaphras is not a well-known
figure in history. But, he was faithful
to the Lord, and that is the one thing
in any persons life that really matters. May the clear Bible statements
that we read about the life of Epaphras be an encouragement to all of
us that want to go to heaven.
120 Will Lewis Dr. SE
Cleveland, TN 37323

Seek The Old Paths August 2011

62

ACCEPTING CHRIST
G. K. Wallace, deceased
How can one accept Christ and at the same time refuse
to be baptized? Accepting Christ has always meant
accepting what Christ taught.
ords are signs of ideas. It is
important then that we ask,
What is the idea conveyed
by the words that are being used?
We constantly hear such expressions
as accepting Christ, total commitment, a full surrender, and receiving Christ as your personal Saviour.
What do men mean by these terms?
I have been listening to denominational preachers for 40 or 50 years
and I think I know what they are
saying. There was a time when sectarian preachers were constantly
making fun of what Jesus said in
Mark 16:16 and what Peter said in
Acts 2:38. They would refer to my
brethren as water ducks and mossbacks. They would laugh at John 3:5
and say only three things are born of
water. They are mosquitoes, tadpoles
and Campbellites. Of course, Jesus
did not say be born of water. He said
be born of water and the Spirit. I
am neither a mosquito, tadpole nor a
Campbellite, and I was not born of
water. I was born of water and the
Spirit.
In generations past and present,
denominational preachers have used
special terms to deny that a person is
to be born of water and the Spirit and
that baptism is for the remission of
sins. Their approach to this is by saying you must accept Christ. By this
they mean you are to skip baptism
because they say baptism is not part
of the grace of God....
When they talk about preaching
Christ, they mean you are to disregard the words of Christ. When
they talk about a total commitment, they skip the commandments
of Jesus Christ and let your conscience be your guide. When sectarian preachers talk about surrendering to Christ, they mean avoid obedience to the Gospel of Christ. When
sectarian preachers talk about
receiving a personal Saviour, they
mean, Christ comes into the life of

the alien sinner separate and apart

from obeying the gospel of Christ.
When the evangelist Philip
preached Christ, the eunuch asked to
be baptized (Acts 8:35-36). How can
one preach Christ and not tell a man
to be baptized? How can one accept
Christ and at the same time refuse to
be baptized? Accepting Christ has
always meant accepting what Christ
taught. When Peter concluded his
great sermon on Pentecost, the
record says, Then they that gladly
received his word were baptized
(Acts 2:41). The people on Pentecost
received Christ by receiving His
word. All who rejected Peters words
rejected Christ.
Only those who accepted the
teaching of Christ while he was here
in person accepted Christ. Likewise,
all who come to Christ today must do
so by the teaching and instruction by
Him given. Christ draws all men
through teaching (John 6:44-45).
When the apostles went out to
preach the great commission they
were thereby preaching Christ. This
was the burden of all their discourses. The prophet said, They shall all
be taught of God (Isa. 54:13). Therefore all who have been properly
taught through the living oracles
concerning Jesus of Nazareth and
have obeyed those words have come
to Him.
Christianity has never changed.
Its laws and ordinances are still the
same as they were in the first century. It is ridiculous, absurd and sectarian to talk to people about coming to
Christ, and leave the impression that
they can do so without doing what
Jesus taught. To deny that baptism is
a part of the grace of God is to deny
the Bible. If baptism does not belong
to the grace of God, it belongs to the
grace of the devil. If you have been
baptized, your baptism is either of the
grace of God or the grace of the devil.
Suppose you are sick and nigh

unto death. Your beloved doctor calls

to see you, diagnoses your case and
tells you that he is positive he can be
of assistance and effect a cure. You
rejoice at hearing his words and then
he picks up his pen and begins to
write. You turn to him and ask,
What is that youre doing, doctor?
The physician replies, Im writing a
prescription suited to your case
which you should carefully take
according to my instructions. Then
suppose you say, Doctor, I can have
nothing to do with your pills and
powders. I believe in you! I want you
personally, but your pills and powders can have no place in my life and
cannot be a part nor a means of healing. My confidence is in you. The
physician would likely reply, He that
rejects my remedy, rejects me, and he
that has no confidence in what I prescribe as a means of healing, has no
confidence in me (cf. John 12:48).
The book of Acts was written to
illustrate the laws of the kingdom of
God and particularly those that
relate to primary obedience. Such
examples as the conversion of Saul
and of the eunuch (Acts 22:16;
8:35-37) make the way of obedience
so plain that no one but the most
prejudiced can fail to understand
what to do to be saved.
It should be our custom today to
preach with the same vigor and force
that was characteristic of pioneer
preachers of previous generations.
Human nature has not changed and
it will ever remain the same. The
needs of man are the same and the
answer to those needs were revealed
in the word of God 2,000 years ago.
As it did for the eunuch and Paul,
the blood of Christ still cleanses men
today who believe in Christ (John
8:24), repent of their sins (Luke
13:3), confess that faith (Matt.
10:32; Rom. 10:10), and are baptized
into Christ for the remission of sins
(Mark 16:16: Acts 2:38).

August 2011 Seek The Old Paths

63

THEY THINK IT STRANGE

Rod Ross

Forasmuch then as
Christ hath suffered for
us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the
same mind: for he that
hath suffered in the flesh
hath ceased from sin;
That he no longer should
live the rest of [his] time
in the flesh to the lusts of
men, but to the will of
God. For the time past of
[our] life may suffice us to
have wrought the will of
the Gentiles, when we
walked in lasciviousness,
lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and
abominable idolatries:
Wherein they think it
strange that ye run not
with [them] to the same
excess of riot, speaking
evil of [you]
(1 Peter 4:1-4).
Jesus suffered for us while He
was in the flesh the mental suffering of the rejection of his people and
the Garden of Gethsemane; as well
as the physical and mental suffering
of his trials and crucifixion. He suffered as our Passover (Paschal) Lamb
that by his blood, God might
passover us in judgment. He gave
everything for us: his position in
heaven, and his life (Phil. 2:5-8).
We are to follow his example
suffering for others and for Christ.
Realizing what Jesus has done for us,
we ought to cease from sin: QUIT IT.
Our lives are not to be lived to fulfill

the will of the flesh, but to fulfill the

will of God. The purpose of our lives
is simple: Let us hear the conclusion
of the whole matter: Fear God, and
keep his commandments: for this [is]
the whole [duty] of man. For God
shall bring every work into judgment,
with every secret thing, whether [it be]
good, or whether [it be] evil (Eccl.
12:13-14).
We have wasted enough time
saving ourselves and our lusts. That
is what we did before we became
Christians, in our past life.
Lasciviousness (lewdness)
actions and/or dress which is
designed to elicit or can elicit a sexual reaction from someone other than
your spouse. Flirtatious behavior,
exposing yourself (whether flashing
or titillating dress which overemphasizes certain erotic portions of the
body by its tightness or skimpiness
such as bikinis, low cut blouses or
dresses, bare midriffs, skin tight
pants, etc. by either a male or
female), and rude and crude gestures
are all in this category.
Lusts the desire to do something regardless of whether it is right
or wrong. Forget the consequences; it
doesnt matter who it effects or
harms; all that matters is that you
want it. This is selfishness at its
worst.
Excess of wine (drunkenness) the state of intoxication
usually with alcohol, but would
equally apply to being high from any
narcotic or hallucinogen, etc. At what
point do you become drunk or high?
At the point the toxin is taken into
the system. Why do people drink
alcoholic beverages, whether it is
whiskey, wine or beer? They drink for
the effect. Whether they think it
relaxes them, or takes the edge off, or
gives them a buzz, without the effect
they would not drink it. Non-alcoholic beer and wine are available, but
do not sell without the alcohol. People will not drink it. This would
include the misuse of prescription
drugs as well.
Revellings (revelries) wild
celebrations, usually characterized
by raucous behavior, drunkenness

and lewd behavior, basically everything that has been listed above by
Peter. This would include many celebrations after championship sports
games, or rivalry games, and even
some wakes and weddings. Whether
it is done in private or as a public celebration, your actions are your
responsibility.
Banquetings (drinking parties) getting together to drink.
Wine tasting, bar socializing, keg
parties, beer parties, etc. This can
include some revelry, but also
includes less wild situations which
include drinking.
Abominable idolatries participation in any service to a god
other than the true and living God or
the use of icons. This would include
things like a statute of Buddha, but
would also include statutes, crucifixes and pictures of God and/or Jesus.
Any graven, molded or drawn image
that is worshipped (there are times
this would also include the wearing
of crosses, fishes and other religious
paraphernalia). When these images
are used in religious service and/or
bowed before, these icons are idols.
This includes Roman Catholicism,
but also a great number of Protestants.
Your friends, your acquaintances,
the public at large, think it is strange
that you stay away from these things
because everybody does it, everybody cant be wrong. Do you think
you are the only one who is right?
Who made you so high and holy?
Quit being a prude. These are the
type of statements you may hear.
They think you are weird, old fashioned, holier-than-thou and a myriad
of epitaphs.
They operate under a different
mindset and by different rules. As a
Christian, you are concerned with
the will of God and serving others.
You are concerned with right and
wrong. They are concerned with the
lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the
eyes, and the pride of life.
What mindset do you operate
under?
4345 Lawrence Rd.
Baltimore, OH 43105

Seek The Old Paths August 2011

64

MAILBAG

S.

T. O. P.

THE DEVILS BEATITUDES

1. Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend a few hours a week with their fellow Christians.
They are my best workers.
2. Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and
expect to be thanked. I can use them.
3. Blessed are the touchy who stop going to church. They
are my missionaries.
4. Blessed are the trouble makers. They shall be called my
children.
5. Blessed are the complainers. Im all ears to them.
6. Blessed are those who are bored with the ministers mannerisms and mistakes, for they get nothing out of the sermons.
7. Blessed is the church member who expects to be invited
to his own congregation, for he is part of the problem instead of
the solution.
8. Blessed are those who gossip, for they shall cause strife
and divisions that please me.
9. Blessed are those who are easily offended, for they will
soon get angry and quit.
10. Blessed are those who do not give their offering to carry
on Gods work, for they are my helpers.
11. Blessed is he who professes to love God but hates his
brother and sister, for he shall be with me forever.
12. Blessed are you who, when you read this, think it is
about other people and not yourself. Ive got you too!
Author Unknown must have been a preacher

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