August 2009 Seek The Old Paths

57

Vol. 20, No. 8

August 2009

TO SPEAK THY WORD WITH ALL BOLDNESS

Matthew Carver

Boldness will cause men and women to speak when it is unpopular, even to
the extent that such speech brings injury or harm to the one so speaking.
he above title is found in a
prayer recorded in Acts 4:24-30
and is worded fully in this fashion: And now, Lord, look upon their
threatenings: and grant unto thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness.
Upon this occasion, the apostles
Peter and John had just recently
been released from prison after being
examined by the Sanhedrin, the
grand council of the Jews (Acts 4:15).
This event transpired due to the
healing of the lame beggar at the
gate called Beautiful (Acts 3:2-7) and
the subsequent sermon spoken by
Peter as the multitude gathered
around in astonishment at the miracle performed in their presence. In
this sermon, Peter powerfully proclaimed Jesus as Christ and
unflinchingly convicted the men of
Israel of not only murdering the
Prince of life, whom God raised from
the dead (Acts 3:15), but of also possessing the unmitigated audacity to
ask for a murderer to be given them
in the place of Jesus (Acts 3:14). For
this and other instruction given to
the people (specifically that of the
resurrection from the dead as proclaimed in Jesus), Peter and John
were arrested and put in ward (Acts
4:2-3). The next day, after a brief
inquiry by the Sanhedrin council and
threats to the effect that Peter and
John should no longer speak or teach
in the name of Jesus, the two faithful

disciples were released and made

their company once more with the
disciples of Jerusalem. Upon hearing
of the events with the Jewish rulers,
the disciples burst forth in fervent
prayer, petitioning God to provide
them the boldness necessary to continue to proclaim the Gospel of
Christ under the shadow of the ominous threatenings of the Jewish
council.
The earnest desire expressed by
the disciples to be granted to speak
thy word with all boldness ought to
find its way into the prayers of every
faithful follower of the Lord in this
age. In an era when truth is deemed
subjective and morality considered
relative, the followers of Christ must
give the more diligence to expounding unto the lost and teeming masses
the bedrock of Truth contained in the
sacred volume of the Holy Bible. We
must labor under the reality that all
human-kind is lost without Him who
is the way, the truth, and the life
(John 14:6) and that for the seeking
soul, only the truth shall make you
free (John 8:32).
It behooves us to give brief attention to the qualities of boldness.
First, consider the very definition
of boldness as derived from the original term parrhesia: freedom in
speaking; unreservedness in speech
(Thayer, 1967, p.491). Thayer also
qualifies this definition by stating
that such speech is performed open-

ly, frankly, without concealment.

Strongs concordance says it is outspokenness, frankness, bluntness.
If one were to study the history of
the church of our Lord beginning in
the book of Acts and continuing down
to our modern age, one would find
that the greatest periods of growth
and development within the church
were always characterized by men
and women who defended and propagated the principles of Christ and
His holy ambassadors in an open,
frank, and unreserved style. Consider the earlier example of Peter who
plainly and unequivocally informed
his audience that ye denied the Holy
One and the Just...and killed the
Prince of life (Acts 3:14-15). He further stated that the people had acted
in ignorance (Acts 3:17) when perpetuating this dark and murderous
crime. But perhaps most importantly,
he clearly defined what they must do
to be reconciled to God once more and
what the consequences would be if
these terms were neglected: Repent
ye therefore, and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out, when
the times of refreshing shall come
from the presence of the Lord (Acts
3:19). This is a parallel directive to
the one given in Peters first sermon
on the day of Pentecost in which he
instructed believing inquirers to
(Continued on page 60)

Speak With Boldness

Seek The Old Paths August 2009

58

THE DANGER AND WARNING OF

FALLING AWAY

CAN A CHILD OF GOD

BE LOST? #1
Garland M. Robinson
an a Christian, a child of God, be
lost? Can a servant of the Lord
live or act in such a way that will
cause him/her to be rejected by God at
the judgment? Some men say no, God
says yes.
A number of years ago, a tract
was written by Sam Morris of the
First Baptist Church in Samford,
Texas, in which he stated,

We take the position

that a Christians sins do not
damn his soul. The way a
Christian lives, what he says,
his character, his conduct or
his attitude toward other
people have nothing whatever to do with the salvation of
his soul. ... All the prayers a
man may pray, all the Bibles
he may read, all the churches
he may belong to, all the
services he may attend, all
the sermons he may practice,
all the debts he may pay, all
the ordinances he may
observe, all the laws he may
keep, all the benevolent acts
he may perform will not
make his soul one whit safer,
and all the sins he may commit from idolatry to murder
will not make his soul in any
more danger....
Mr. Morris has swallowed the
doctrine of John Calvin (Calvinism),
hook, line and sinker. He has followed this doctrine to its logical conclusion. According to this position,
once a person is saved he can
NEVER be lost under any circumstances. People are asked to just
take a blind leap in the dark and
accept their unfounded assertions.
The Bible teaching that a Christian can sin and be eternally lost is
easily understood if we will be honest
with ourselves and clear our minds
completely of any preconceived ideas
on the subject. Anyone can learn the

will of the Lord because the Bible

was written to be understood (cf.
Eph. 3:4). Its not hard to understand.
Its so easy that a child can see it and
understand it.
If the Bible teaches anything, it
teaches that men and women can
turn away from God and be lost. This
fundamental doctrine is so common
throughout the Scriptures that anyone can take their Bible, Old and
New Testament combined, lay it on a
desk with the spine facing downward, let it fall open and it is very
likely that somewhere on those two
facing pages you will find a point
made or warning given about falling
away from God, which causes eternal
damnation unless one repents and
turns back to God. Is there any doctrine more commonly discussed in all
the Bible? Some who have taken the
time to count such instances tell us
that as many as 2,500 times the
Bible speaks about the subject of
falling away.
The Bible addresses the DANGER of falling away, WARNS
against falling away, PREDICTS
that some would fall away and gives
EXAMPLES of those who did fall
away. What more could be said than
that?
It does not make any sense that
God, being Holy (Lev. 20:7) and Just
(Deut. 32:4) as He is, would totally
ignore the rebellious will of human
beings and save them when they
refuse to obey His Will. Does that
make any sense? Yet, there are many
who believe so. Jesus made it clear
that the only ones who would be
saved are those who do the will of the
Father. Matthew 7:21 quotes Jesus
as saying, Not every one that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven; but he that
doeth the will of my Father which is
in heaven. This implies that He
would not save those who do not do
His will.

In Hebrews chapters three and

four, exhortation is given to Christians warning them (us) of the danger of falling away because of not
remaining faithful to the Lord; and
thereby, says they will not be able to
enter heavens promised land some
day. As the people of Israel sinned by
disbelief (disobedience) in the wilderness and were not able to enter the
Promised Land, so Christians today
can sin and not be able to enter our
promised land, Heaven. Note what
we read in Hebrews 3:10 4:11:
Wherefore I was grieved with that
generation, and said, They do alway
err in their heart; and they have not
known my ways. So I sware in my
wrath, They shall not enter into my
rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there
be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living
God. But exhort one another daily,
while it is called To day; lest any of
you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the
beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said,
To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. ... But with whom was he
grieved forty years? was it not with
them that had sinned, whose carcases
fell in the wilderness? And to whom
sware he that they should not enter
into his rest, but to them that
believed not? So we see that they
could not enter in because of unbelief.
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his
rest, any of you should seem to
come short of it. ... There remaineth
therefore a rest to the people of God. ...
Let us labour therefore to enter into
that rest, lest any man fall after
the same example of unbelief.
Israel of old had been cut off and
rejected by God. Romans 11:11-12
says that ...through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to
provoke them to jealousy. Now if the
fall of them be the riches of the world,
and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more
their fulness?
Space does not allow us to examine all the Bible has to say on this
subject. It would take the entire volume and many times over to explore

August 2009 Seek The Old Paths

and discuss all the Bible has to say.

But in the short space we have, lets
list some of the passages that tell us
Christians can fall away from God
and be lost at the judgment.
1 Corinthians 10:12, Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth
take heed lest he fall. This passage
doesnt make any sense at all if one
cannot fall from grace and be eternally lost. The context in which this
verse is found, speaks of the disbelief
and disobedience of the children of
Israel in the wilderness. The whole
point is to warn Christians to NOT
follow their example which will bring
the displeasure of God and His swift
condemnation just like it did to the
Israelites. Notice what the text says,
But with many of them God was not
well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these
things were our examples, to the
intent we should not lust after evil
things, as they also lusted. Neither be
ye idolaters, as were some of them; as
it is written, The people sat down to
eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Neither let us commit fornication, as
some of them committed, and fell in
one day three and twenty thousand.
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some
of them also tempted, and were
destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the
destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and
they are written for our admonition,
upon whom the ends of the world are
come (I Cor. 10:5-11).
The conclusion to be drawn and
learned is, Wherefore let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed lest
he fall (v.12). The children of Israel
fell and as a result were rejected by
God and not allowed to enter the
promised land. Christians today can
do the same thing and be rejected by
God. Why else does the Holy Spirit
mention this example but to warn us
today to not do as they did. Our
promised land is heaven. Our lives
are lived in view of being allowed
entrance into that land one day. But,
if we follow the example of ancient
Israel, we will end up like they did
and will not be allowed to enter.
These verses and this example
means NOTHING if Christians cannot fall away and be lost. This is
wasted space in the Bible if they
dont mean what they say. If one cant

59

fall, then why take heed?

1 Peter 5:8, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh
about, seeking whom he may
devour. If one cannot so sin as to
lose his salvation, then why does God
warn us about the devil? This verse
says the devil can devour us. He
either can devour us or he can not.
Which is it? The Holy Spirit says he
can. The word devour means to
drink down, gulp entirely (literally
or figuratively), swallow. If he
devours us, we belong to him. He has
his way with us. He is our master. Do
you mean to say that the devil can
devour a Christian and that Christian will still go to heaven? We know
the devil cannot go to heaven, so
what will he do, spit us back out come

judgment day? All those years one

yields to his control and some believe
that one will still go to heaven? Doesnt make any sense does it?
Why would God warn us about
the devil anyway if we will be saved
whether we serve the devil or serve
God? As Christians, why would we
bother with serving the Lord (which
requires great care and devotion), if
we can serve the devil (which doesnt
take any effort at all), and still go to
heaven? If you can figure that one
out, then you believe in fairy tales.
If we cant be lost, the devil doesnt know it. Why else does he stalk
the earth so desperately seeking to
devour whomever will let him? His
search is futile and in vain if men
cant be lost.
Part 1 of 4

WHO IS IN AUTHORITY IN THE

ABSENCE OF ELDERS?
Randy Kea
ithout elders, a congregation can never function at the level it should.
A careful reading of Titus 1:5 indicates: 1) a church without elders is
not fully set in order, and 2) a church without elders has things that
are wanting. Every step a congregation takes should be in the direction of
ordaining elders. At the very least, the following things should be done:
1. The local preacher should regularly address this subject in specific detail.
2. All adult and teenage classes should study the eldership extensively.
3. A special training series should be conducted targeting men who
are potential candidates for the eldership (include their wives). This
ought to be done at least once a year. There are many sound, capable, and
trusted men in the brotherhood who could help with such a series.
Who is in authority while this process is ongoing? Clearly a select
committee would be wrong. There is no authority for such. One faithful
man has no more authority than any other faithful man in the absence
of elders. The work of the preacher is to preach, not rule (II Tim. 4:15). The Bible teaches male leadership in the church and home (Eph.
5:23-25; I Tim. 2:8-15; I Cor. 11:3).
With the above scriptural principles in mind, wisdom and expediency necessitate the following arrangement:
1) Preachers should teach, preach, and exhort the church to train and
qualify men to be elders (Titus 1:5).
2) Women can under no circumstances lead or be in a decisionmaking position with reference to anything that pertains to the work of
the church (I Tim. 2:8-15; I Cor. 11:3).
3) The faithful men collectively constitute the spiritual leadership in
the absence of elders.
4) What is worse than having no elders is to ordain men who are not
qualified.
100 Sweetbriar Walk, Stockbridge, GA 30281

Seek The Old Paths August 2009

60

Speak With Boldness

(Continued from page 57)

...Repent, and be baptized every one

of you in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
(Acts 2:38). If these terms were not
obeyed, the people would be placing
themselves in the position of rejecting or otherwise failing to hearken
unto the prophet of God, who is Jesus
the Christ, thereby causing themselves to be destroyed from among
the people (Acts 3:23). This message
was stated clearly with no vague or
imprecise terms. Further, it was this
message and messages like these
that led to the conversion of three
thousand souls in one day (Acts 2:41)
and enlarged the borders of the
church of God to five thousand members by the time of the imprisonment
of John and Peter (Acts 4:4). Surely,
the most sweet-spirited and softtongued of preachers in our times
could not argue with results such as
these.
Consider yet another definition
of the original term as given by Thayer (1967, p.491): free and fearless
confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance. The disciples of the
early church fearlessly and courageously declared the good tidings of
the kingdom of God. Recall the heroic response of Peter and the other
apostles as they stood before the Jewish council in order to be reprimanded for the teaching they were doing
throughout Jerusalem. They said,
We ought to obey God rather than
men (Acts 5:29).
Remember the account of
Stephen, that most noble of disciples
who was full of grace and power and
who ultimately forfeited his life for
the testimony of Christ. With the
calmness of one who possessed full
assurance of the things which he
spoke, he briefly emphasized the history of the Jewish people and their
interactions with Jehovah. The culmination of his memorable sermon
pointed to the stiff-necked and uncircumcised hearts and ears of those
before him who did always resist the
Holy Spirit. The charge was made
that these men were of those who
were betrayers and murderers of
the Righteous One and, though
they had received the law as it was

ordained by angels, kept it not (Acts

7:52-53). It was at this time that the
professed religionists before Stephen
revealed their true character and
turned into a blood-thirsty mob that
rushed him outside the city walls and
violently executed him with stones.
And yet it was to this Gospel preacher, after delivering such a sermon as
this, while death was only moments
away, that the privilege was granted
of gazing upon the glory of God and
viewing the precious figure of our
Lord standing at the right hand of
God (Acts 7:55-56).
Pay respect to a particular quality of boldness that is borne of the
traits just reviewed. Boldness will
cause men and women to speak when
it is unpopular, even to the extent
that such speech brings injury or
harm to the one so speaking. We need
only review the life of the apostle
Paul in order to understand this
statement. When defending his apostleship in his letters to the Corinthian brethren, Paul revealed what he
had endured throughout the years on
behalf of his testimony for Christ: Of
the Jews five times received I forty
stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten
with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I
suffered shipwreck, a night and a day
I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own
countrymen, in perils by the heathen,
in perils in the city, in perils in the
wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings
often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness (II
Cor. 11:24-27).
Surely, those episodes depicted
by Paul and the scenes that were yet
to be enacted in the lives of the early
disciples, impress upon us the nature
and character of boldness. It was
with this spirit that the Gospel was
proclaimed to all creation which is
under Heaven (Col. 1:23).
Certainly, the examples of boldness given within the sacred
accounts could be multiplied by
examining further the life and
exploits of the tireless Paul or the
faithful and beloved disciple John.
We could trace the journeys of the
evangelist Phillip or study the stalwart leadership of James. Further,
we could travel back centuries before
these notable disciples and examine

the ministries of those righteous and

holy prophets of God as revealed in
the Old Testament. All of these
ancient worthies were possessed of a
fierce boldness to proclaim the word
of the Most High God.
However, we need not pause
here. Leap forward nearly 1800 years
after the establishment of the church
and consider the lives of those noble
souls who sought to free their contemporaries from the fetters of
humanly devised religious tradition.
Recall the names of Barton W. Stone,
Alexander Campbell, Walter Scott,
and Raccoon John Smith and how
they came together upon the basis of
taking the Bible alone as their sole
guide in matters pertaining to the
religion of God. Recount the marvelous sermons and rich writings of
J. W. McGarvey, Moses Lard, Benjamin Franklin, T. W. Brents, and
Ashley S. Johnson. Study the polemic
works of James A. Harding, G. C.
Brewer, Foy E. Wallace, Jr. and others. Relive the battles for truth by N.
B. Hardeman, Gus Nichols, Guy N.
Woods, Thomas B. Warren, W. Curtis
Porter and others as they affirmed
the foundational truth of the New
Testament religion in open and public discussion with propositions such
as The Scriptures teach that water
baptism is for (in order to obtain) the
remission of past sins; The Scriptures teach that a child of God may
so sin as to finally be lost in Hell;
The church of which I am a member
is scriptural in doctrine and practice. These men were the portraits of
boldness in our most recent history.
While filling every defining term
inherent within the word, these
brethren fought relentlessly to
uphold the purity and truth of Gods
holy word. They are worthy of our
imitation.
In considering the lives of these
venerable soldiers, as well as the
lives of the historic figures found
within the Book of God, we are compelled to make one final observation
in regards to the boldness with which
these men served Jehovah. Boldness
(whether in the men portrayed in
Holy Writ or in the modern followers
of Christ today) cannot exist without
conviction. Such conviction is depicted perfectly in the sentiment of Paul
in 2 Timothy 1:12: ...for I know
whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that

August 2009 Seek The Old Paths

which I have committed unto him

against that day.
If one truly believes that the
Bible is the complete revelation of a
Higher and Supreme Being and His
efforts to save His lost and ruined
creation, then one will do all that is
within his power to know the divine
revelation, commit it to his heart,
and zealously carry out its precepts
and mandates. One will then be able
to powerfully, effectively, and boldly

61

hold aloft the flag of truth without

fear, timidity, or wavering. This quality was the driving feature of those
great and good men of faith who
labored during the greatest periods
of growth within the church. Because
of this characteristic, the religious
world knew that the church of Christ
was different. It knew that we were
not like all the rest. It knew that we
desired to be Christians and Christians only in spite of the multitude of

religious and societal trends around

us. It knew that we took nothing for
our faith and practice that was not
revealed within the hallowed Scriptures. It knew, simply, where we
stood.
We ought all to pray Lord, grant
unto thy servants to speak thy word
with all boldness, that these things
might be so again.
118 Apple Drive
Auburn, KY 42206

THE UNNECESSARY DEATH

Marlin Kilpatrick
eath is the common lot of
mankind. Unless the Lord
returns first, we will all die (Heb.
9:27). It was God who made the
appointment, but it is man who will
keep it.
The scriptures reveal two kinds
of death: physical and spiritual.
Physical death occurs when the spirit departs from the body. The apostle
James wrote, For the body without
the spirit is dead, so faith without
works is dead also (James 2:26).
More people are familiar with physical death, than spiritual death. In
fact, most people have little knowledge of spiritual death. Only the
Bible tells us about spiritual death.
And of all books, the Bible is the most
often read, but it often misunderstood. Consequently, Satan uses our
ignorance about spiritual things to
ensnare us in a death that can be
avoided. While physical death is an
appointment we must all keep, spiritual death is an unnecessary death.
God has made all of the necessary provisions so man need not die
spiritually. He began making these
provisions with the very first prophecy in the Bible (Gen.3:15). When one
studies the writings of the Old Testament prophets, he learns of a promised Redeemer (See esp.Isa.53). The
virgin birth of Christ, foretold in
prophecy (Isa.7:14; Matt.1:22,23),
identifies the Source of our salvation,
Jesus Christ. The sending of His Son
into this world to redeem man from
his sins was a provision of God, and
like no other (John 3:16).
The death of Christ on Calvarys
cross makes possible our salvation
from sin (Heb.2:9). The possibility of

salvation from our sins is offered to

all, but only those who obey Jesus
will be saved (Heb.5:8,9). The death
of Christ accomplished several
things. By his death, Jesus abolished
the Old Law, and He became the
mediator of the New Testament (Col.
2:14; Heb. 9:15-17). In his death,
Jesus shed his blood which purchased the church (Acts 20:28). His
death also, through his shed blood,
provides the means whereby every
faithful Christian may keep himself/herself cleansed from all sins (1
John 1:7). God, through his Son, has
made every necessary provision for
man to live eternally. Therefore, if
men suffer spiritual death it is
because they have failed to obey the
gospel and live faithfully the Christian life (2 Thess. 1:7-9; Rev.2:10).
Friend, have you obeyed the
gospel of Christ? Spiritual death is
unnecessary. The gospel is Gods
power unto salvation (Rom.1:16). To
avoid an unnecessary death, one must
obey the gospel. Our obedience
involves the following: 1) hearing the
truth, Gods word (Rom.10:17), 2)
believing in God and his Son, Jesus
Christ (Heb.11:6; John 8:24), 3) repentance from our sins, which involves a
change of mind, leading to a reformation of life (Acts 17:30), 4) confession of
our belief that Jesus is Gods Son
(Acts 8:36,37), and 5) baptism (an
immersion in water) for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38; 10:47,48).
When one obeys these commands the
Lord will add him to the church, the
church of Christ (Acts 2:47).
Dear reader, why die an unnecessary death? Physical death we cannot avoid, but spiritual death we can

avoid by obedience to the gospel. Why

not obey today? Tomorrow may be too
late. Think about it.
1336 Spring Lake Road
Fruitland Park, FL 34731
lmkilpatrick1@netzero.net

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Seek The Old Paths August 2009

62

IS EVANGELISM DYING?
Lloyd Gale
n a recent column of the Christian
Science Monitor, Michael Spencer
wrote; We Evangelicals have failed
to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and
survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billion dollars we have spent on
our youth ministers, Christian music,
publishing, and media has produced a
culture of young Christians who know
next to nothing about their own faith
except how they feel about it.

SOME LESSONS TO BE LEARNED

It is evident that Michael
Spencer is writing from a denominational viewpoint as he predicts a
major collapse of evangelical Christianity to occur within ten years.
Spencer predicts that about half of
evangelical churches will die off in
the next 25 to 30 yrs, due to generational reasons or because their members become more attracted to a secular version of life.
MY OBSERVATIONS
For many years most denominations have been teaching that it does
not matter which religion one follows
all may find acceptance with God.

At the same time, they have changed

their creeds to accommodate what
has become socially acceptable. To
attract and hold members they have
sought to learn and provide what
society desires from religion. They
have abandoned scripture and their
appeal has been to make people feel
good about themselves. Their religion
has increasingly consisted of more
heat and less and less light. They
have come to despise the Biblical
teaching of absolute objective truth
and have encouraged the concept of
individual subjective belief.
They invented the concept of
gymnasiums, ball teams, childrens
church, children ministers, youth
directors, vacation craft schools, trips
to six flags, entertainment and such
like. Is it any mystery why those
raised with such a concept of church
and religion see the church as some
sort of social agency or place of entertainment?
Now that many congregations of
the church of Christ have stolen their
methods, why be surprised at a generation of change agents among
Gods people? Why is there such a
lack of understanding of what consti-

tutes Biblical authority for what

Christians are to believe, teach and
practice? Why is there a trend
toward acceptance of denominations
and joining forces with them? After
all, we played basketball and softball
with them and we find them to be likable folks. Where are the Shepherds
of the sheep? Under the haystack
fast asleep?
Have many Christians and
entire congregations gone too far now
to turn back to the Lord? Have they
passed the point of no return? My
prayer is that many will see the folly
of the direction they have been traveling and will understand that the
Lords church is the pillar and
ground of the truth (I Tim. 3:15).
The church is designed to worship and serve the Master. Its work
is to preach the Gospel, edify the
church and benevolence. We must not
add to or subtract from its mission.
On judgment day, What Will Your
Answer Be? Good song, better question.
1186 Martin Leeville Rd.
Lebanon, TN 37090

MAY WOMEN SERVE AS PASTORS?

(THE CULTURAL ARGUMENT)
Douglas Hoff
received a letter that asked about
women serving as pastors. Since
many people use the word pastor to
refer to a preacher, the essence of the
question was, May a woman be a
preacher? First Timothy 2:11,12 gives
the answer. God does not permit women
to have spiritual leadership roles. That
role was given to man in the beginning
(Gen. 3:16) and was also true under the
law of Moses (1 Cor. 14:34,35). It has not
been altered or revoked under the new
covenant. Ephesians 5:22-24 shows it is
still in force today.
The questioner wondered if this
restriction was cultural in nature or
of a temporary duration. First, the

cultural argument is often made

against certain prohibitions in the
Bible. Some allege those limitations
pertained only to the early church or
a particular congregation (e.g.,
Corinth). If that were true, how
would we know when the time period
ended along with its prohibitions?
There is no specific indication of any
event marking the termination of
those commands. Likewise, if the
restrictions were based on culture,
how would we know when the culture had changed sufficiently for
them to be lifted?
Second, it is true some things
were based on accommodating cul-

ture. A good example of this is the

wearing of a veil or head covering
that Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians
11:2-13. At one time, this practice
indicated that a woman was a harlot
(Gen. 38:14,15). By the first century,
however, at least in Corinth, it had
undergone a 180 degree reversal.
Then, it was shameful for a woman to
appear in public without wearing a
veil or head covering. That is why
Paul told the Corinthians to judge
among yourselves. Is it proper for a
woman to pray to God with her head
uncovered (1 Cor. 11:13)? In such
instances it is usually obvious the
subject under consideration is based

August 2009 Seek The Old Paths

on culture. But when it comes to

women being forbidden to take a
spiritual leadership role, there is
nothing in the context even hinting
at a cultural limitation.
Third, Paul indicated that the
things he wrote were the commandments of the Lord (1 Cor. 14:37). This
is important since just three verses
before, he gave the restriction on
women speaking in the church (i.e.,
assembly). It is significant that Paul
says verse 34 is a command of the
Lord and not his (i.e., Pauls) opinion.
Fourth, in his letter to Timothy,
Paul reveals that the role of women
does not extend to public teaching
which involves the exercise of

63

authority over men (1 Tim. 2:11,12).

The reason for this is based on the
order of Gods creation (vs.13,14), not
culture. This is a timeless principle.
The same restriction existed under
the Law of Moses (1 Cor. 14:34).
Finally, it is not even scripturally
possible for a woman to serve as a
pastor. Why? Because a pastor must
be the husband of one wife (1 Tim.
3:2). Granted, verse one is speaking
of bishops. However, they are the
same group of men known as elders
or pastors. See also Titus 1:5-7 where
the two words are used interchangeably. Compare this with 1 Peter 5:1,2
(1 Peter 5:1,2, NKJV). The elders
which are among you I exhort, who

am also an elder...Feed (tend, shepherd) the flock of God which is among

you, taking the oversight.... From
this passage, one can see that elders
are also known as overseers. They
are to shepherd the flock which is the
work of pastors. Thus, pastors are
also known as elders. The word bishop simply means an overseer.
One last point can and should be
made. Preachers and pastors are two
different groups of men. Preachers
preach and pastors are to oversee
(i.e., lead) the congregation (John
10:2,3).
24735 Huron River Dr.
Rockwood, MI 48173

PRAYING FOR THOSE IN POWER

Wade Webster
aul instructed Timothy, and the
saints with whom he was working, to pray for kings and for all
that are in authority that they might
lead a quiet and peaceable life in all
godliness and honesty (1 Tim. 2:1-8).
Certainly, the same holds true for us
today. Realizing the great power that
government wields over our lives, we
need to commit to praying daily for our
national, state, and local leaders. In
Pauls inspired words to Timothy, we
find four reasons to pray for those in
power.

IT IS PRESCRIBED
We read, I exhort therefore, that,
first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be
made for all men: For kings, and for
all that are in authority (1 Tim. 2:12). The word exhort means to call
for. By inspiration, Paul was calling
Timothy and others to pray for leaders. Paul knew that government was
ordained of God to be a minister for
good (Rom. 13). However, he knew
that government was dependent
upon the prayers of Christians (Ezra
6:10; 7:23).
IT IS PROFITABLE
Paul exhorted Timothy and us to
pray for those in power so that we
may lead a quiet and peaceable life in
all godliness and honesty (1 Tim.
2:2). Quiet means tranquil and

peaceable means undisturbed. To

the captives, Jeremiah wrote, And
seek the peace of the city whither I
have caused you to be carried away
captives, and pray unto the LORD for
it: for in the peace thereof shall ye
have peace (Jer. 29:7). Those in positions of authority have a great effect
upon the lives of Gods children.
Some bless our lives while others are
a curse. Rulers like Cyrus and Artaxerxes were a blessing. They let captives return to their homeland and
rebuild. Other leaders like Pharaoh
(Exodus 1), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan.
3), Darius (Dan. 6), Herod (Matt. 2),
the Jewish authorities (Acts 4:18;
5:42), and Nero (2 Tim. 4:6-8) were a
curse. They made the lives of Gods
children extremely difficult. We need
to pray for those in power so that we
might have peace and prosperity.
IT IS PLEASING
We read, For this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior; Who will have all men to be
saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:3-4). The
word acceptable means agreeable.
Praying for those in authority is in
agreement with Gods will. It is consistent with Gods desire for all men
to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (2 Peter 3:9; John
3:16). As you know, some governments enact policies that aid the

spread of the Gospel while others

enact policies that hinder its spread.
God wants us to pray for rulers to
make the right decisions.
IT IS POWERFUL
Paul wrote, For there is one God,
and one mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim.
2:5). The prayers of saints are powerful because they are on speaking
terms with the only mediator (Matt.
19:26; 1 John 5:14-15; Phil. 4:12). No
one else in the nation has this privilege and source of power. Do you
recall the situation in Babylon when
Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and
couldnt remember it? If you do, then
you recall that only Daniel and his
three friends could give the dream
and its interpretation because they
were the only ones who knew the
God who reveals secrets (Dan. 2:2430). Today, Christians are the ones
who have the connection to the God
who rules the universe. The prayers
of the righteous avail much (James
5:16-18).
Each of us needs to commit to
praying daily for those in positions of
power. Religious freedom, marriage,
and the lives of millions of unborn
babies all hang in the balance.
1458 Flint Lock Dr.
Hernando, MS 38632

64

MAILBAG

S.EEK T.HE O.LD P.ATHS

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
FREE upon request. Its primary purpose and goal in publication can
be found in Jude 3; II Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:13; Titus 2:1; II Peter 1:12.
All mail received may be published unless otherwise noted. Articles
are also welcomed.
Editor: Garland M. Robinson

http://www.seektheoldpaths.org

EAST END CHURCH OF CHRIST

102 EDISON ST.
MCMINNVILLE, TN 37110-2216

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P A I D
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My family and I appreciate your prayers, encouragment

and contributions as we continue to raise funds for our
financial support. I want you to know how much you mean
to us. Thank you so much. The date of our new work was
delayed a little, but officially begins September 1, 2009 when
Kevin Key begins his work as the preacher for the East
End church of Christ. We welcome him to the work at East
End. There is plenty for us to do. Garland M. Robinson

ing I was baptized in a large trash can. Call it trash can salvation if you
will. Of course some people, for their own reasons, dont agree, but all
that matters to me is on that morning I was added to the church of
Christ and that is what was important to me, being obedient to him. So
to the fellow from Arkansas (I think it might be church of Christ at 102
S Walnut Warren, AR), I am a Christian and I am a warrior for Jesus
Christ. I do seek the fellowship with you and all who are in His service.
There is a lot of work to be done right here and I ask for any and all help
I can get if anyone out there has any tracts or other material, please,
please, send it to me so I can pass on to others in here. I love all of you
and I thank God for you. Thank you Mr. Robinson for your work! When
I get out, one of the first things Id like to do is contribute to your works
for Him. Until then, you have my time at your disposal. All you have to
do is ask. Thank you and God bless you ...Danny Frazier #662263 A11, 96 Horsley Mill Rd., Carrollton, GA 30117. Dear brethren,
Greetings from our congregation Nempi Church of Christ. Brethren, I
am writing to request for some Bible literature from you that will help
our congregation like, new or used bibles, leaflets, sermon tapes or Cds,
bible class materials, sermon books, song books and other materials
within your reach for our use and our Christian library. Please send in
bulk, we doesnt get literature easily so I hope you will help our congregation for the materials mentioned above. Praying for the fund for shipping it here. In Christ ...Mr. Ezehael L. Mbaenyi, NEMPI CHURCH
OF CHRIST, P.O. Box 23 NEMPI, ORU WEST L.G.A, IMO STATE
474004 NIGERIA. Keep up the good work. Here are some funds to
help ...Jim Parsley, Columbus, NE. You are doing a great work that
is needed so much in this world today. We have been getting Seek the Old
Paths for many years ...Buddy & Charlotte Smith, Hornbeak, TN.
I need to get the STOP paper going again to my mother-in-law, now in
assisted living. Her paper has stopped and it used to come to my house
directly to her. Please resume the mailing to Hibernia Weaver. Thanks
...Cathy Weaver, Springdale, AR.

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

The following people would like to

request Seek The Old Paths to be
sent to their home each month. It is
an interesting publication and we
greatly appreciate your offer to send
it. Thank you for the work you are
doing. God bless ...Wewoka
Church of Christ, Wewoka, OK. I
have just finished reading two of
your wonderful, spirit-filled writings
in the May & June issues of STOP magazine that my mother let me
read. I would really like to be put on your mailing list because my mother wants hers back. Im a Christian at the church of Christ here. I think
the reading in the STOP magazine is so truthful and inspiring. Keep up
the good work for the cause of Christ ...Rosetta Roberson, Monticello, GA. Im writing about STOP. A few months back I asked for and
began getting this publication. I wonder if you ever send back issues? I
am missing Nov/08 and Feb/09. Im pretty sure I loaned them out and
never got them back. If it is your policy to send back issues, I would be
most grateful if you would send these ...Geneva Stark, Eufaula, OK.
[EDITORS NOTE: We are happy to mail back issues to those who
can use them. Thanks]. Thanks for keeping me on the mailing of the
Old Paths. Keep up the good works. It has been a blessing to me
...Euna Geeter, Summerville, GA. I sure appreciate STOP and all
you and others are doing to teach the Truth ...name withheld, TN.
Thank you. Thank you ...Bettye Zumbrun, Delton, FL. First and
foremost, God bless you and all that are in His service. You published a
letter I wrote to you a few months back and since then I have received
some letters from others who want to help and are concerned about my
situation. First, I want to thank each and every one. I have lived for 43
years a very selfish and a very blind life. God has blessed me in so many
ways that I could not list them all. Like so many others, I would pride
myself on being self dependent and would glory myself for all my success, but could not understand why I failed so miserably until the day I
got arrested in 2005. It was then that I was motivated to change (just not
sure how). I did not get to court till 2007. Till then I had improved my
life 100% from what it was, but was still missing a great savior. The
judge sentenced me to 8 years and while I was in a 6x10 cell 23 hours a
day, I read the Bible for the first time. The date was Jan. 14, 2008. I was
blown away! For the next six weeks I read this book three times. Mind
you, I may not have been getting as much as I should have from it, but I
sure was getting familiar with it. I was sent to Carroll County prison
February 8 and have been here for over one year now and in that time I
have grown to be a very strong baby. I tell people all the time about my
creator and about the relationship I have and how I came to be so close
to Him. See, I may be locked up but I am free, free to keep my eyes on
Him! People who are free have to go to work, spend time with their family, they have other responsibilities, but I have only one: to get to know
my creator in the utmost intimate way I can. I pray, study, pray, study,
pray every day and because he has sent wonderful Christians my way, I
have been able to grow and mature at a breathtaking rate. I have read
His words over and over: (1) Hear, (2) Believe, I believe in the Gospel
with all my heart. (3) Repent, I have repented (I have turned from my
sinful ways), (4) Confess, I confess to any and everyone that Jesus is the
Son of God. Now here is where the problem came in. Here in Carroll
County prison, they do not allow baptism. So for ten months I prayed for
this to change and then the chaplain died and a new one took over, so I
had hope, but these people dont believe you have to be baptized to be
saved. I myself know that Im commanded to believe and be baptized. I
ask some ministers of the church of Christ about who could baptize and
found that it was not so much as who baptized you but whom was
being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (they being immersed or completely submerged in water). So, not being the baptism I would have preferred, but like the word says, he will provide, so at 2:30am one morn-

Seek The Old Paths August 2009