Looking at Social Issues - Fundamental Baptist Fellowship

1993
Looking at Social Issues
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FRONTLINE
Volume 3 • Number 5
THE JOURNAL
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FUNDAMENTAL BAPTIST
FELLOWSHIP
OF AMERICA
PUBLISHER
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EDITOR
Dr. Frank Bumpus
BOARD MEMBERS
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Dr. Ed Caughill
Dr. B. Myron Cedarholm
Dr. Marion Fast
Dr. Collins Glenn
Dr. Bill Hall
Rev. Mike Harding
Dr. David Ines
Dr. Bob Jones, Ill
Dr. Gary Jones
Rev. Milton Jones
Rev. Walter Kirk
Dr. Gene Lasley
Dr. Harry Love
Dr. Greg McLaughlin
Rev. Bennie Moran
Dr. Fred Moritz
Dr. Ed Nelson
Dr. Les 011ila
Rev. Mau Olson
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Rev. Bradley Smith
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The Pastor's Challenge Today
Although thirty-three years of pastoring bring many fond memories of joys, victories and battles, some of the hardest times in my life
have come from leading a soul to Christ out of Sodom and seeing the
grave clothes of fleshly habits still hang on that soul. Therefore, it is
imperative that pastors preach the Word with all its power and
purity to get our people grounded so they can experience victory in
their lives. As it was in the days of Lot, so will it be in the days of the
coming of the Son of Man. We are living in those days.
The biggest challenge facing pastors today is the deterioration of
the home. The family unit is the very foundation of our society.
Pastors and churches must build families who teach and develop
Biblical philosophies in their homes. The average home is no more
than a glorified boardinghouse for the children. Many times it is no
more than a place to eat and sleep—with very little training,
discipline or order.
Pastors and churches must accept the responsibility of training
parents to be godly. They must return to the basics of building
strong families and having family altars. The television, news
media and music do the teaching in the average home. Pastors must
challenge their people to live godly, separated lives and to accept
the responsibility of being parents.
Lot discovered that Sodom was a good place to raise cattle but
a poor place to raise children. He took his children from Sodom, but
he could not take Sodom from
his children. Therefore, it behooves every fundamental,
Bible-believing Baptist pastor to
pray, work and preach to help
parents strengthen the home,
because as the home goes, so go
the church, the schools and the
nation. The greatest challenge
in the twentieth century is to
build strong, godly Christian
homes—homes that will produce young people to be pastors, missionaries, evangelists
and full-time Christian workers.
There is no such thing in
Dr. Rod Bell
America today as "close family
living." Children are no longer
close to their relatives. In many instances, children have substituted
neighbors for relatives and friends. They have even bestowed upon
them titles such as "Aunt" or "Uncle." Fathers are spending more
time on their jobs, and mothers are working outside the home to
supplement the income. Children know very little about family life.
They are no longer cared for by a trusted aunt or grandmother but
by the "girl next door" or the chief babysitter. The parents need to
get their priorities straight and realize that children are "an heritage
of the LORD" (Ps. 127:3). It is the parents' responsibility to pass on
godly family values, which are the very fiber and soul of our nation.
The challenges pastors face today are to build strong godly
families, to encourage our congregations, and to return to basic
Christian teachings, because we are living in the age of Lot.
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
FRONTLINE
Features
Environmentalism:
The Myth
of Impending Disaster
Features
Departments
9
Biblical Viewpoint
Layton Talbert
18
At a Glance
22
Ladies' Circle
13
Linda Harper
A Godly Mother's Admonition to Her Daughter
An Honest Look
at the Lottery
and Gambling
15
Ken Pulliam
Reviews
Living Under Caesar
Mark Simmons
Principles from Scripture
on how a Christian should
respond to a godless
government.
10
Does the Bible
Condone Alcoholic
Beverages?
Gary Reimers
An examination of the
history of wines in ancient
times and the significance
of the Bible's references to
them.
22
Interesting
Bible Facts
24
Focus
Current Events of
Interest to Believers
26
Finances
For the Wise
and Otherwise
Fall • 1993
Special Report
Homosexual activists in San
Francisco besiege
fundamental church.
The Bitter Fruits of
Ecumenism
Wilson Ewin
Many evangelicals are
teaching that there is no
difference between the true
gospel and the gospel of
Roman Catholicism.
But is this really true?
20
28
The Myth
of Impending Disaster
he rising environmental consciousness of this century has focused attention on several legitimate
concerns. No compassionate or thoughtful person wants to ignore the degradation of the earth God created.
Many in the environmental movement have resorted to misrepresentative,
misinterpreted, inflated or altogether fabricated "information" to advance their
concerns. While the environmental sensitivity of some people is genuine, many
are clearly motivated by an ulterior
agenda: paganistic New Age objectives,
anti-human animal rights activism and
even blatantly anti-capitalistic socialistic
ideologies.' The environment is a ubiquitous issue confronting all of us.
If Christians do not cultivate a discerning grasp of the facts, adopt a Biblically informed perspective on the
environment and understand their Biblically defined relationship to it, they will
likely fall prey to one of two attitudes:
(1) an irresponsible, fatalistic mentality
that ignores legitimate concerns and duties, or (2) a gullible, undiscerning espousal of ideas and activities that are
antithetical to Scriptural revelation.
Getting the Facts Straight
Many have forgotten that just a few
years ago global warming was not a
threat. In fact, it was not even a theory.
The impending environmental doom of
which we were warned as early as 1968
was not a rise in the earth's temperature,
but the onset of a new ice age! This view
was officially adopted and publicized by
the U.S. Academy of Sciences only 16
years ago!' Now glaciers are out, and global warming is in.
Many eco-scientists prophesied that
the oil well fires set by Saddam Hussein
in Kuwait would take years to extinguish
and result in widespread drought and
famine in Africa and Asia. The fires were
extinguished in a matter of months, and
the famine expectations proved to be illusory.
Press releases this summer chronicled
satellite data which demonstrates that estimations of the rate of the deforestation
of South American jungles were exagger-
ated by two or three times. Similarly, reports of a mysterious sheep blindness in
South America attributed to ultraviolet
radiation seeping through the allegedly
thinning ozone layer turned out to be
nothing more mysterious than pinkeye.
Natural volcanic activity belches
more ozone-depleting materials into the
earth's atmosphere yearly than centuries' worth of the world's peak production of CFCs'. The simple reason the
earth's ozone layer has not, and will not,
be destroyed is that the ozone is naturally created and replenished by a rather
commonly recurring phenomenon—
sunlight.
Christians should be aware of the
ideological bias that motivates much of
the environmental movement and
should measure every claim and warning against the objective evaluation of
Scripture.
Returning
to a
Biblical
Understanding
of Our Place
in God's
Creation
Distinctively Christian
Responses Distinctly Missing
We read and hear about the devastation of South American rain forests (previously known as jungles), ozone
"holes" (a popular misnomer), large
scale extinction of species, and global
warming—in short, the systematic destruction of our "fragile" planet. The
book market has been steadily burgeoning to meet the growing interest in the
environment. Unfortunately, current
Christian treatments of this subject are
seriously deficient. Some are positively
misguided and dangerously misleading.
Probably the most popular of these
Christian environmental works advises
Christians in how to "rescue the earth
without worshipping nature."' The
book reflects a dismaying dearth of
solid, Biblical justification for the
author's position and an alarming misrepresentation of Scripture when it is
cited.
More scholarly works veer into theologically fuzzy language. Some view the
Bible as a "kind of ecological book—a
manual helping believers to live rightly
on earth."' Another "Christian" book on
the environment advances the notion
that the traditional Judeo-Christian view
FRONTLINE
Fall 1993
Layton Talbert
3
of God "as all-powerful King" may
have a harmful effect on people's
view of creation, causing us to shift
the burden and responsibility for its
welfare onto God. This author's solution is that people may need to alter their view of God. He also rejects
the Genesis account of creation in favor of evolutionary theory, and he
implies that the economic solution to
earth's environmental ills involves a
shift from a capitalistic mentality to
a more socialistic structure.'
The Biblical Emphasis:
Conscientious Stewardship
The Bible contains a wealth of
material pertaining to the environment and its relationship to us and
to God. A Biblical perspective on environmental issues takes into account the following Scriptural
principles.
1. God created the earth and all
things on it and has appointed man
as His steward over it (Gen. 1:26-28;
9:1-7; Ps. 8:3-9; Rom. 1:25). The
Bible declares, "The earth is the
LORD'S" (Ps. 24:1; 50:10-12). The
Christian view of the environment
must be grounded in the truth of
creation and its implications of divine ownership. At the same time,
we must take full account of the
Creator's decree placing us as stewards of the earth.
At his creation, man was granted
"dominion over" God's creation and
charged with the privilege and responsibility of ruling that creation.
Man exercised a benevolent dominion/stewardship. The Fall and Flood
did not alter that position and
charge. Though the relationship was
altered to an adversarial dominion/
stewardship, the animal and plant
creation was given into man's hand
for his use (Gen. 9:2, 3). A steward
does not actually possess the objects
under his stewardship but responsibly manages what belongs to the
Owner.' The twin realities of divine
ownership and human stewardship
must keep one another in check.
2. God designed the diversity of
the earth and its environment to
4
magnify His glory. The chief end of
creation is to glorify the Creator.
Psalm 19 affirms that the celestial
creation is intended to "declare the
glory of God" and to show "His
handiwork." Likewise, the enormous diversity and complexity of
the terrestrial creation reflects the
incomparable wisdom and power
of God (Neh. 9:6; Ps. 104:2; Jer.
10:12). This fact has ramifications
for preserving and wisely managing natural environments. It is important, not only aesthetically but
also spiritually, for man to have access to those aspects of nature that
God intends to magnify His presence and glory. God's charge to
Adam in the Garden is also instructive (Gen. 2:15). Adam was to cultivate it and to keep it. Stewardship
duties involve a balance between
management and preservation, cultivation and protection, not only for
the benefit of man but also for the
glory of God.
3. God has a structured hierarchy of priorities that values man
more highly than animals or
plants. Genesis 1:26-28, 9:1-7 and
Psalm 8:3-8 state that plants and
animals are part of the creation
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Fall 1993
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over which God has assigned man
stewardship. Even when God exercises His right to destroy portions
of His creation, His purpose of either judging or blessing man is invariably at the center of the action.
In addition, the entire Old Testament sacrificial system is structured on the premise of the
substitutionary death of "innocent"
animals for the spiritual welfare of
man (Lev. 17). The psalmist notes
that whereas God often permits
animals to suffer need, people who
seek the Lord will not lack any
good thing (Ps. 34:10). Jesus plainly
indicated that mankind is worth
more in God's eyes than animals
(Matt. 6:26), and He did not hesitate to permit the harming of animal or plant life for the spiritual
welfare and instruction of man
(Matt. 8:28-32; 21:18, 19). God's primary concern throughout Scripture
is for man to have dominion over
beast and plant, and we Christians
must model that priority in our
value system.
4. God cares for His creation
with intimate delight and concern.
Despite the priority God places
upon man, Scripture graphically
portrays God's care for and great
pleasure in His creation (Job 38:26,
27; Ps. 104:10-14; 25-28; Jonah 4:11;
Matt. 6:26-30; 10:29). God's covenant with Noah not to destroy the
earth again by flood contains a fascinating and often overlooked detail. God repeatedly specifies that
the parties with whom He entered
into this covenant include not only
man but also "every living creature
. of all flesh" and even "the
earth" itself (Gen. 9:10-17).
5. God takes human despoliation of the environment seriously.
God pronounced judgment on nations for needless devastation of
the natural environment (Isa. 14:7,
8, 20; Jer. 51:25; Hab. 2:17). Intentional exploitation and thoughtless
despoliation of the environment is
not dominion but vandalism. While
God's curse rests on those who
"[worship] and [serve] the creature
more than the Creator" (Rom. 1:25),
Scripture equally affirms that God
will "destroy [those] which destroy
the earth" (Rev. 11:18). The overall
context of Revelation clarifies why.
Christ will do so at His Second Advent because He is returning to lay
claim to the earth and its inhabitants as His rightful possession and
inheritance (Ps. 2:8; Rev. 11:15-18;
Luke 19:12).
Man "destroys"8 the earth not
only through his misuse and abuse
of it, but also by his depravity as it
is played out in sinful acts that
bring God's judgment on him and
the earth (Rev. 6, 8, 9, 16-19). Romans 8:18-23 hints at the liberating
ramifications Christ's redemptive
work will have for the subhuman
creation itself when that redemption is fully realized. Creation will
one day be freed from its bondage
to "corruption" or decay (a root
noun form of the verb "destroy" in
Rev. 11:18)—the bondage induced
by man's fall and depravity.
In Brief
Environmentalism
from a Biblical Perspective
1. God created the earth and all
things on it and has appointed
man as His steward over it.
2. God designed the diversity of the
earth and its environment to
magnify His glory.
3. God has a structured hierarchy
of priorities that values man
more highly than animals or
plants.
4. God cares for His creation with
intimate delight and concern.
5. God takes human despoliation of
the environment seriously.
6. God expects man to be prudent
and non-wasteful in his use of
environmental resources.
7. God will not allow man to destroy the earth.
8. God alone reserves and exercises the right to destroy the environment He created.
FRONTLINE
Fall 1993
6. God expects man to be prudent and non-wasteful in his use
of environmental resources.
Amidst a growing anti-hunting
sentiment in America, the implications of Scripture are clear: Man retains the right to manage and
harvest the environment, including
animals, for his benefit and use
(Gen. 9:2, 3). At the same time, God
requires that man use well what he
takes. Scriptural principle censures
the wasting of resources (Prov.
12:27). God also gave Israel positive
principles for the wise resource
management of flora and fauna
(Deut. 20:19, 20; 22:6, 7).
7. God will not allow man to
destroy the earth. "Destroy" is
used here in the sense of total or final destruction. Regarding the notion that man can in a few short
years destroy this vast and stable
planet, someone has observed
tersely, "What intoxicating vanity!"
Our view of history is often arrogantly shortsighted. The threat of
global warming, which warns of an
impending unstable environment
in which distinct seasons are virtually non-existent, is explicitly antiBiblical. God promised that the
continuous cycle of distinctive seasons will persist as long as the earth
exists (Gen. 8:22). Despite the contention that man will destroy himself and his world, Scripture
affirms that God will not permit
man to destroy His creation—He
reserves the right to do that in His
time and in His way. The earth is
not a fragile planet whose delicate
balance we threaten to capsize. It is
ancient, self-cleansing, self-rejuvenating and quite stable (Ps. 104:5).
8. God alone reserves and exercises the right to destroy the environment He created. He did so
universally in the Flood (Gen. 68). He did so locally in Egypt
(Exod. 7-12). He does so today
through natural disasters. He will
do so on an unprecedented scale in
what the book of Revelation describes as the Great Tribulation
(Rev. 5-16). From an environmental perspective, perhaps the most
5
astonishing aspect of the devastating
seal, trumpet and bowl judgments
described in the pages of the Apocalypse, is the fact that the earth still
survives in spite of it all! In fact, the
planet goes on to blossom globally
into unparalleled fruitfulness and
abundance for another millennium.
End Notes
1 For an insightful analysis of
environmentalism's propensity to
socialism, pseudo-scientific alarmism, anti-capitalism and anti-human
thinking see E. Calvin Beisner's
"Environmentalism or Stewardship?" in Crosswinds, Fall 1992, pp.
60-68.
Conclusion
The environmental issue constantly confronts Christians in virtually all forms of media challenging
traditional ideas and values. It is essential that Christians adopt a position substantiated by Scripture in
order to avoid either a careless irresponsibility that ignores legitimate
stewardship obligations or a naive
gullibility that will cause us to drift
from our Biblical responsibility.
Christians can have confidence in—
and derive direction from—the reliable revelation and sound principles
of the One who will one day return
to reclaim, renew, rule and finally
remake the earth. •
Dr. Layton Talbert is a freelance writer
living in Greenville, South Carolina.
John F. McManus, "Nothing More
Than Hot Air," The New American
(June 1, 1992), p. 7.
2
'Former Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Dr. Dixy Lee Ray explains this subject in Robert W.
Lee's "Ozone 'Hole': The Prize EcoScam," The New American, July 26,
1993. Dr. Ray's books Trashing the
Planet and Environmental Overkill,
drop a scientific bombshell on the
alarmist claims of environmental
activists.
Tony Campolo, How to Rescue the
Earth without Worshipping Nature.
Campolo relies heavily on Greek
Orthodox theology and on liberal
Roman Catholic theologian Pierre
Teilhard de Chardin. His chapter
purporting to investigate what
theologians and the Bible have to
say about environmental issues cites
only four passages and seriously
mishandles Scripture.
Calvin B. DeWitt; The Environment
and the Christian.
5
Shantilal P. Bhagat, Creation in Crisis: Responding to God's Covenant.
7 Dr. Henry Morris has a helpful discussion of man's stewardship relationship to the creation in "The
Bible, Creation, and Ecology," No.
221 in the Impact series available
from the Institute for Creation Research.
8 "Destroy" is an infrequent Greek
verb that has the idea of ruining or
despoiling. Its root form often has a
moral-ethical connotation of corruption. This form, combined with the
object "earth," is best taken not in
an exclusively physical sense (as
Christian environmental writers
typically use it), but as including the
physical and moral corruption that
man brings on God's creation
through his depravity.
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P78
G
od has ordained three institutions (or spheres) of authority
for the proper administration of society: the home (domestic authority), the church (spiritual authority)
and the state (civil authority). To
each institution He has delegated
His authority. The following diagram illustrates this concept:
The three circles illustrate the
three spheres of authority and their
overlapping relationships with one
another. God,
symbolized by
the large circle,
is the source of
authority behind all three ins ti tu ti ons . He
exercises authority in areas outside
the boundaries of the
three institutions. When one of these
institutions extends its authority beMark Simmons
yond its boundary, it unjustly treads
upon God's authority. Since God is
the source of all authority, the ChrisHow Should
tian obeys God by submitting to
a Christian Respond
Consequently, the basis of obeHis institutions.
to a Godless
dience to all three of the institutions
The hierarchy of authority
Government?
is the source of the institution's auwithin the business world serves as
thority. In the case of each of the
an excellent analogy of this Scripinstitutions, the Christian's ultimate obligation is always tural truth. When the president of a company functions
obedience to God.
as the ultimate authority, he has delegated his authority
When the Christian obeys the state, he is actually to many representatives among his staff. All the repreobeying God because the state is only exercising author- sentatives administer the president's authority within
ity that God has delegated to it. Therefore, the Christian's their own well-defined boundaries. When a vice presiobligation to obey the state (and other God-ordained dent gives orders, those orders come down with the
authorities) rests upon his obligation to obey God. The authority of the president, because the president has
Christian demonstrates his obedience to God by obeying delegated his authority to the vice president. However,
God's authority exercised by the state.
should the vice president attempt to order his managers
God has, however, circumscribed the state's author- to do something outside the realm of his authority, his
ity with well-defined boundaries. The state exercises orders lose their presidential authority. The managerial
God's authority as long as it restricts its operations and staff's obligation to obey the president and his authority
decrees to its Scripturally delineated boundaries. When remains at the expense of the vice president's contrary
the state extends its authority beyond the boundaries orders.
that God has established, its divine authority terminates.
The Christian honors God's authority by obeying all
As the Christian obeyed God through obedience to the the institutions that exercise His authority. When God's
state's authority (when it operated within its bound- institutions and representatives of authority disregard
aries), now the Christian obeys God by disregarding the Him, they claim authority they do not possess and
unscriptural extension of the state's authority beyond expect obedience that is not due to them. Hence, generGod's established boundaries. Since the Christian's ulti- ally speaking, the Christian's sacred responsibility is to
mate obedience is always to God, the Christian continues obey the state. However, on occasion, the Christian's
obeying God at the state's expense. The real difficulty in equally sacred responsibility may be to demonstrate his
the relationship between the Christian and the state is not obedience to God by disobeying the conflicting decrees
in the Christian's disobedience of the state, but in the of the state.
state's disobedience of God. The following diagram illusThe next question that arises is, "Then where does
trates these principles of authority.
civil disobedience come in?" There are two kinds of civil
Living
under
Caesar
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
7
disobedience: direct civil disobedience and indirect civil disobedience. Indirect civil disobedience is violating a law that has no
connection with the law someone feels compelled to disobey. For
example, to protest the state's stand and funding of abortion,
people from all across America could come for a rally on the
The Bible characters did not
violate laws they did not like or
laws they did not think were fair
or laws that they had personal
convictions about. They were
being commanded to violate the
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Special Features Include:
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general Sessions • Funtime • Fellowship
clear command of Scripture.
Mackinac Bridge connecting Michigan's upper peninsula with the
rest of the state. Traffic would come to a grinding halt! The nation's
attention would be focused on the protesters and their cause. They
would be violating Scripture. In this case, there is no connection
between the law they are protesting and the law they have
violated. That is why it is called indirect civil disobedience. There
is no record of this kind of civil disobedience anywhere in the
Bible.
On the other hand, there are several references to direct civil
disobedience. This could be defined as directly and willfully
violating a law or decree issued by the state. The Hebrew midwives saved the male children. Daniel prayed when forbidden.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship the image
prepared by Nebuchadnezzar. Peter and John continued to preach
although they were forbidden.
The key thread in all the examples is twofold. First, the disobedience was always direct, never indirect (violating one law to
protest a different unjust law). Second, the law issued by the state
was in direct violation of the clear command of the Scripture. The
Bible characters did not violate laws they did not like or laws they
did not think were fair or laws that they had personal convictions
about. They were being commanded to violate the clear command
of Scripture.
Civil disobedience to the Christian is a last resort, not a first
option. When the state is asking us to violate our conscience and
the clear teaching of Holy Writ, we seek all opportunities of legal
recourse first. When those fail, we are left with Peter's response as
he was jailed for preaching and was released on the condition that
he could not preach, "We ought to obey God rather than men"
(Acts 5:29). II
Dr. Mark Simmons is the pastor of Marquette Manor Baptist Church in
Downers Grove, Illinois.
8
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Fall 1993
CHRISTIAN CAMP &
CONFERENCE CENTER
In the Blue Ridge Mountains
of North Carolina
For more information about either of these exciting and
informative programs, write or phone
THE WILDS, P.O. Box 796, Taylors, SC 29687-0796
(803)268-4760 or FAX (803)292-0743.
Music Seminar
Glorifying God with Excellence in Christian Music
January 4-7,1994
Guest Speakers:
Glenn & Jan Christianson • Tim Fisher • Dr. Frank Garlock
Terry Hamilton • Faye Lopez • Dr. Mark Minnick
Larry Robbins • Andy Taylor • Mac Lynch
Special Features Include:
Daily workshops • Q&A Forums • Free Music Samples
Chapel Time • Music Publishing Distributors
This exciting program is open to pastors, musicians,
and laymen interested in one of the most important
facets of the Christian worship service—music! We will
focus not only on the "bows" of ministering, but the
"whys" as well. Daily discussions will be held on
techniques, problems, tools, budgets, time constraints,
and more. Don't miss this time to fellowship with other
music-minded Christians and publishing companies.
BIBLICAL VIEWPOINT
By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them
Norman Pyle
In 1988, Democratic presidential candidate Mike who openly kissed and pawed her girl friend, a muDukakis was politically wounded when he admitted nicipal court judge from San Francisco, in a gay rights
he was a "card-carrying member" of the American parade. She cost the Boy Scouts hundreds of thouCivil Liberties Union. Today the ACLU is "in." Not sands of dollars in support because they refused to
only card-carrying members, but also those who had approve homosexual scout masters.
held high positions with the far-left organization are
HHS Secretary Donna Shalala accused by the
now going to hold high positions in the federal gov- sodomites of being a lesbian, has appointed a gay
ernment as well, enabling them to shape U.S. foreign activist as her assistant for public affairs and the
and defense policy.
media. He has opportunity to
Harvard University Vice President John Shattuck, work with the White House
Shattuck
for instance, has been named assistant secretary of and 250 government proisn't the only
state for human rights. The position is important grams. Shalala also appointed
because the person who holds that job plays a crucial a lesbian ACLU lawyer as a
ACLU bigwig to
role in deciding which countries violate human rights, counsel for HHS.
be offered a key
which nations, in short, should receive our blessings
Robert Hattoy, the White
role in the
and largess and which will receive sanctions.
House's most prominent hoWho is Shattuck? Shattuck, also a lecturer at mosexual, is an associate perClinton
Harvard Law School, headed the Washington office sonnel director and oversees
Administration.
of the ACLU from 1971 to 1984, when that organiza- the search and screening protion was hell-bent on crippling this nation's policy of cess for potential hires in fedconfronting the Soviet threat abroad and scrutinizing eral agencies in jobs
throughout the administrapro-Communist revolutionary groups at home.
Shattuck isn't the only ACLU bigwig to be offered tion. Homosexuals call him their "mole" (Calv ry
a key role in the Clinton Administration. Martin Contender 7/15).
Halperin has been named as a top assistant to DeJudge Ruth Bader Ginsberg has just been confense Secretary Les Aspin. firmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Judge Robert Bork
Halperin is no "New said that she was probably the best we could expect
Democrat." He is a far-left from the Clintons. She is a feminist, former ACLU
The ACLU is "in"
civil libertarian who made executive and a solid supporter of homosexuality and
... those who had his mark during the Cold unrestricted abortion. How good can you get?
held high positions War attempting to underJoycelyn Elders, the Arkansas condom queen, is
the
Clintons' choice for Surgeon General. Her spemine
America's
key
nawith the far-left
tional security agencies, cialty in Arkansas was pushing sex education on
organization are
including the CIA, the FBI those four years old and older. Ever since sex educaand the Pentagon.
tion was introduced in the '60s and '70s, teen pregnannow going to hold
cies and venereal diseases have gone through the
As
the
director
of
the
high positions in
ACLU's Washington of- roof. Dr. Elders ridicules those opposed to abortion.
the federal govern- fice, Halperin has chamThomas Payzant, another sodomite supporter and
pioned the activities of Boy Scout basher from California, was recently conment as wall.
Philip Agee, the pro-Com- firmed as Assistant Secretary of Education.
munist CIA renegade, tesSheldon Hackney, commissar of "political cortified on behalf of rectness" as president of the University of Pennsylva"Pentagon Papers" leaker Daniel Ellsberg and gener- nia, is the new chairman of the National Endowment
ally waged an unholy war against American's intel- for the Humanities.
ligence community.
We now have a very clear picture of the moral
Many in the national security field are outraged standards and agenda of this current administration.
that Halperin—who has backed the most brazen and As Matthew 7:20 instructs us, "by their fruits ye shall
damaging intelligence leaks and leakers —will now know them."
have access to our most supersensitive Pentagon
secrets (Human Events 3/20 and 2/13).
This is an excerpt from A Christian View of the News,
Roberta Achtenberg was appointed as Clinton's which is compiled and edited by Norman Pyle, pastor of
highest fair housing officer. She is an avowed lesbian Bible Baptist Church in Riverdale, Georgia.
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
9
Does the Bible
Condone
Alcoholic
Beverages
•
F
undamentalists find themselves in a
difficult and awkward position concerning alcoholic beverages. By instinct,
tradition and Biblical principle they are
convinced that believers should abstain
entirely. Yet that position is under strong
attack today by others who also claim to
believe the Bible. Among new-evangelicals the trend is toward "social drinking" as an acceptable practice for
Christians, and they point to the Word of
God for support. Besides numerous Old
Testament passages that speak favorably
of wine (Judg. 9:13; Ps. 104:15; Gen.
14:18), the New Testament seems to permit the use of wine, even for church
leaders (1 Tim. 3:8; 5:23). The only Biblical restriction, according to this position,
is excessive drinking that leads to drunkenness. How should we respond to
these arguments? Must we leave the
matter to "personal convictions"? Or is
there a standard for God's people to follow? As always, the fundamentalist must
turn to the Bible for the answers.
The Practices of Drinking
The first step in coming to a Biblical
view of alcoholic beverages is to interpret the Bible historically. Was wine in
the Bible the same as wine today? In
other words, we must be sure we are
comparing the proverbial "apples to
apples" (or in this case "grapes to
grapes").
4
Alcoholic Beverages
in the Ancient World
by far the easiest way to deal with
this issue is to deny the alcoholic content
of wine in the Bible. Perhaps it was only
fresh grape juice. Unfortunately the Bible
will not support that conclusion. The
usual words for wine in the Bible occur
in some contexts that demand an alcoholic content. For instance, without the
presence of alcohol to fight bacteria,
there would be no benefit in pouring
wine on open wounds (Luke 10:34) or in
treating stomach disorders (1 Tim. 5:23).
Furthermore, there would be no possibility of intoxication (Gen. 9:21; Prov.
23:29-35; Eph. 5:18). With the possible
exception of fruit of the vine, no Biblical
terms clearly and consistently distinguish fermented wine from unfermented
Gary Reimers
10
FRONTLINE
Fall 1993
such as vodka or gin, has as much as 40
juice. In fact, without refrigeration or
percent alcohol. Even beer, produced by
pressurized bottling, unfermented grape
fermentation of cereal grains, contains 4
juice was available only immediately afto 7 percent alcohol. While this amount
ter grape harvest.
Fermentation is a natural process that approximates the amount in naturally
fermented wine, it is of course never ditakes place when grape juice comes into
contact with the yeast released from bro- luted. In fact, each of these modern categories of alcoholic beverages, when
ken grape skins (during the treading of
consumed in their standard serving
grapes). Under normal conditions the resizes, contain about the same amount of
sulting wine will contain no more than
seven percent alcohol. According to secu- alcohol. That is, an average drink = 5
ounces of wine = 12 ounces of beer = 1
lar authorities, people in Bible times
1/2
ounces of whiskey = 0.6 ounces of
would dilute this wine, usually with two
pure
alcohol. That would be about three
parts water, reducing the alcohol to less
times
the alcohol contained in an 8 ounce
Encyclopedia
Amerithan 2 1/z percent (see
cana, 1989, Vol. 29, pp. 44, 45). The reason cup of diluted wine in Bible times.
Clearly wine today is not the same as
for this mixture of wine was very practical: pure drinking water was scarce. Even wine in the Bible.
A second important difference is the
today travelers to the Holy Land must be
purpose for using alcoholic beverages. In
careful about drinking the water. People
Bible times the purpose was to purify
in the ancient world discovered that the
drinking water. In our world good
alcohol in wine killed enough of the
drinking water is usually available. Inharmful bacteria to make the water acstead, most people who drink alcoholic
ceptable. The resulting mixture, howbeverages today do so either because
ever, was more like water than wine. At
they like the effect of the alcohol or bethis alcohol level the average person
cause they want to be accepted by othwould have to consume nearly a gallon
of the mixture to become intoxicated. The ers. Alcohol today is not so much a
same is true for other varieties of wine in beverage as it is a planned intoxicant—
the Bible. "Mixed wine" (Prov. 23:30) was exactly the use prohibited in the Bible.
With the higher levels of alcohol, intoxiwine flavored with herbs, and "strong
cation and even alcohol dependence can
drink" (Deut. 14:26; Luke 1:15) was the
be difficult to avoid. Currently there are
fermented juice of other fruits (strong rean estimated 10 million alcoholics in the
fers to the flavor, not the alcoholic content). In every case, the wine was diluted United States and another 10 million are
categorized as problem drinkers. Nawith water. It is the use of undiluted
tional surveys reveal that alcohol is inwine, with its deep red color, that Scripvolved in as many as 65 percent of the
ture condemns as dangerous (Prov.
murders committed in the United States,
23:31).
50 percent of the assaults, 35 percent of
Alcoholic Beverages
rapes, 55 percent of domestic violence,
in the Modern World
60 percent of child abuse cases and 60
percent of all traffic fatalities. The use of
While the goal in the ancient world
alcohol in our society is a raging menace,
was to reduce the alcohol content of bevfar different from anything imagined,
erages, the modern world has sought
permitted or encouraged in the Bible.
ways to increase it. Standard table wines
have as much as 14 percent alcohol due
to the addition of extra yeast and the con- The Problems of Drinking
Both in the ancient world and in the
trol of the heat generated by the fermenmodern
world there were and are seritation process. Of course, wine is not
ous problems associated with alcohol.
diluted today so that modern wine has
The Bible recognizes these problems and
more than five times as much alcohol as
urges God's people to avoid them.
the diluted wine of the ancient world.
Furthermore, fortified wines such as port
Personal Problems
or sherry have alcohol added, resulting in
Those who love wine are susceptible
an alcoholic content of 18 to 24 percent.
to loss of resources (Prov. 21:17) as they
Hard liquor produced by distillation,
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
Alcohol
today is not so
much a beverage as it is a
planned intoxicant—exactly
the use prohibited in the
Bible.
11
God's Word
associates
serious spiritual problems
with the use of
alcohol—problems that
ought to make
any believer
shudder.
spend their money and time on its
purchase and pleasure. The annual consumption of alcoholic beverages in the
United States has reached 2.7 gallons of
pure alcohol for every person 14 years of
age or older, the equivalent of 591 beers
each, a substantial financial expenditure.
The use of alcohol also causes the loss
of discernment. Isaiah knew of individuals
who "erred through strong drink, they
are swallowed up of wine, they are out of
the way through strong drink; they err in
vision, they stumble in judgment" (Isa.
28:7). Modern medical research has
proven that even a few drinks impair
mental ability.
The loss of control is probably the most
dangerous result of alcohol use. Even a
godly individual like Noah found that alcohol can lead to sin, shame and family
divisions (Gen. 9:21). Today the loss of
control seen in drunken driving is a serious problem facing our nation.
Spiritual Problems
God's Word associates serious spiritual problems with the use of alcohol—
problems that ought to make any believer
shudder. First, wine is on the same level
with sexual immorality in its ability to
turn the heart of a person away from the
Lord (Hos. 4:11). That is, it can cause a
lack of love for God. Second, it can promote a lack of service for God. Matthew
24:48-51 pictures a servant who loses
sight of the Lord's return and turns to
drinking instead of fulfilling his service
for the Master. Third, the abuse of alcohol
can indicate a lack of relationship with the
Lord. Drunkards are regularly included
in the New Testament lists of those who
shall not "inherit the kingdom of God"
(1 Cor. 6:10). Should God's people be
playing with such a dangerous substance?
Together with the pleasures and cares of
this life, drunkenness can dampen our expectation and weaken our preparation of
Christ (Luke 21:34). Do not let alcohol divert your attention from Christ!
The influence of alcohol on our lives is
not the only consideration. Given the
weakness and inability of so many to
withstand and control the effects of alcohol, God commands us to abstain lest we
corrupt others (Rom. 14:21). Do not let alcohol destroy your brother!
Certainly no one ever took his first
drink expecting or planning to become an
alcoholic. There is a subtle deception
about alcohol that leads people to believe
that nothing bad will happen to them.
Scripture says the one who believes that
lie is a fool (Prov. 20:1). Do not let alcohol
deceive you!
Specific Prohibitions
While the Bible does not prohibit the
use of wine for people in general (assuming the proper dilution), there are three
classes of people for whom no amount of
alcohol is allowed. The priests serving in
the tabernacle were not to use alcohol lest
it hinder their ability to communicate the
truth of God's Word to others (Lev. 10:911). Kings were not to use alcohol lest it
distort their ability to discern what is right
(Prov. 31:4, 5). Nazarites were not to use
alcohol lest it deter their dedication to the
Lord (Num. 6:3).
Those are not outdated Old Testament
categories. God has designated us "kings
and priests" (Rev. 1:5, 6) and calls on us to
dedicate ourselves to serve Him (Luke
9:23). Certainly God's standards for His
kings, priests and dedicated servants today are at least as high as they were then.
The only question is, "Are we willing to
submit to His will and His Word?" Consider carefully the apostle Paul's exhortation:
The Prohibitions of Drinking
So far it is clear that alcoholic beverages come with a serious set of problems
that would seem to be sufficient to convince any believer to abstain. Scripture
also contains some clear commands concerning drinking that turn this issue into
a matter of obedience or disobedience.
Dr. Gary R. Reimers is the
pastor of Heritage Baptist
Church in Dover, New
Hampshire.
12
General Prohibitions
Christ frequently warned His disciples to be alert for His Second Coming.
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
The night is far spent, the day is at
hand: let us therefore cast off the works
of darkness, and let us put on the
armour of light. Let us walk honestly,
as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But
put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
make not provision for the flesh, to
fulfill the lusts thereof (Rom.
13:12-14). •
Ladies' Circle
A Godly
Mother's
Admonition
to Her
Daughter
Linda Harper
A
s I have reflected over the years, God
impressed me to share the following
principles. I have found them to foster a
faith in God that will stand the test of
time.
The godly woman learns to be submissive, trusting God to take care of her.
Submission comes out of a genuine desire to please another. It implies a quiet
confidence that God will work out everything in His time and for His glory,
whether she understands it or not. Genuine submission fosters exactly the kind of
love and honor every woman needs from
her family. However, submission is not
always easy. At times she is absolutely
sure she is right, but God's Word applies
even in those situations. A woman who
discreetly and gently offers advice, who
lives daily according to the Word and
who reflects wisdom in other areas of her
life will often find that her family develops absolute trust in her judgment (Eph.
5; Rom. 8:28).
Learn to maintain a healthy body,
since your physical health directly influences your spiritual life. The godly
woman should handle well any tool God
has given her to use. She should not
complain continuously about her minor
discomforts and ailments. Her family
soon tires of listening to a daily recital of
discomforts. A woman can maintain a
healthy body by (1) resting in the Lord,
(2) praising the Lord in everything,
(3) putting variety into life and (4) obeying God in everything He gives to do.
Those four things will take away many
of the stresses and cares that create
physical problems (Deut. 7:12-15; Prov.
4:20-23; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20).
Learn to solve problems creatively
and to be diligent in all your responsibilities. The godly woman should study
the characteristics of the virtuous
woman of Proverbs 31 who "eateth not
the bread of idleness" (v. 27). This
woman rises while it is night to serve her
family; she brings her food from afar;
she is strong and makes wise judgments;
she stretches out her hand to the poor;
she is not afraid her family will be cold,
because she has made clothes for them;
she opens her mouth with wisdom; and
her husband praises her. This woman
fears the Lord, and He gives her the
"fruit of her hands."
Learn to present the gospel in a manner that many will accept Christ as Savior. The godly woman seeks to win
others to the Lord. She does this by
prayer, by diligent study, by faith that
God will lead and guide in all interactions with others, and by taking advantage of opportunities God gives to
witness.
Learn to laugh. The godly woman
should not make such a serious business
of living that she neglects the delightful
nonsense and laughter that eases the
load and sweetens the hours for her family. Being a good wife and homemaker
takes practice. Just as in any other great
profession, you will have some failures
and foolishness along the way, so please
learn to laugh (Prov. 17:22).
These principles have stood the test
of time because they are based upon the
Word of God. God's Word never
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
These principles
have stood the
test of time
because they
are based upon
the Word of God.
13
changes; it is the same yesterday, today
and forever. Proverbs 30:5 reminds us
that "every word of God is pure: He is a
shield unto them that put their trust in
Him."
At the close of our lives, God will
question, "How much have you given?"
not "How much have you got?" He will
ask, "How much have you done?" not
"How much have you won?"; "How
much have you sacrificed?" not "How
much have you saved?"; "How much
have you loved and served?" not "How
much were you honored?" It is my
prayer that each of you will apply these
principles in your lives and that as time
goes by, you will see your family abide
by the Word of God, which has stood the
test of time. •
Mrs. Linda Harper is currently an educational
consultant at O'Berry Center, an institution for
the mentally handicapped in Goldsboro, North
Carolina. She is a pastor's wife and the mother
of three sons.
God's School Is in the 'Valley
God's school is in the valley,
And some lessons are hard to learn;
But the Savior gently teaches
Until unto Him we turn.
The way may be dark and scary,
And we may not see the way;
But the Savior's loving presence
Will lead us day by day.
We may not know the reason,
For the time in valley dim;
But the Savior uses the valley
To strengthen lives for Him.
We cannot walk the valley,
Through our strength alone;
We must have the Savior with us
To lead us safely home.
So when you walk the valley,
With its lessons hard and long,
Ask the Savior to teach you
And place in your heart a song.
—Marie M. Johns
14
FRONTLINE
Fall 1993
An Honest Look
at the Lottery
and Gambling
A
new craze is sweeping America.
It's called "lotto fever." Now
more than thirty states have the lottery,
and several more voted for it last November. Legalized gambling has reached
epidemic proportions. In 1988, $278 billion was wagered in this country (Time,
7/10/89). That figure exceeds more than
twice the funds spent on education, more
than fifteen times the donations to
churches, and even more than the money
spent on medical care. We have traded
coins for character and money for morals. Truly, gambling is the new "drug" of
the nineties.
What attitude should a Christian have
toward gambling? Isn't buying a lottery
ticket just harmless fun? Isn't the money
going for a good cause—the education of
our young people? Serious Christians
need to stop and consider the following
points before playing the lottery or gambling.
It Contributes to Poverty
Ken R. Pulliam
The state lottery could be better
named the "state lootery." It loots money
from those least able to afford it. In
Maryland, the poorest third of the population buys half the lottery tickets (Christianity Today, 7/10/87). In New Jersey, a
study showed that a third of the families
with annual incomes below $10,000 spent
FRONTLINE
Fall 1993
a fifth of their incomes on the lottery
(Christianity Today, 9/8/89). The lottery
is actually a type of child abuse. It deprives children of needed food and
clothing in search of a pipe dream of material prosperity. Instead of making
money for the state, the lottery increases
the welfare and dependent child subsidies needed by the community.
It Produces Compulsive
Gamblers
Some argue that since people are going to gamble anyway, we should legalize gambling and receive the profits
from it. The truth is, however, the state's
sanction of gambling has persuaded
many people to gamble who probably
never would have. The state's attorney
of Connecticut explained, "What we did
was encourage people to engage in the
vice. We convinced people to gamble
who never would become involved in
gambling. We created a whole new generation of gamblers" (Emett Henderson,
State Lottery). Studies show that between
5 and 10 percent of those that play the
lottery will become compulsive gamblers, unable to control their addiction.
These individuals will make shipwreck
of their lives and bring great heartache
to themselves and their families. "It is
bad enough that large numbers of
15
A person has a
greater chance
of being struck
by lightning than
winning the
lottery. How
then can buying
a lottery ticket
be an act of good
stewardship?
people have a weakness for gambling; it
is inexcusable when a government exploits that weakness" (Norman Geisler,
Gambling: A Bad Bet). Each lottery ticket
should contain the following warning:
"WARNING! The state treasurer has determined that playing the lottery is hazardous to your financial health and may
contribute to compulsive behavior"
(Norman Geisler, Gambling: A Bad Bet).
It Is Bad Stewardship
The odds of dying in a car crash are
6,000 to 1. They are 500,000 to 1 that you
will die in an airplane disaster. The odds
of winning a typical state lottery, however, are 5 million to 1. (Florida is 14 million to 1.) A person has a greater chance
of being struck by lightning than winning the lottery. How then can buying a
lottery ticket be an act of good stewardship?
Romans 14:12 teaches that God will
call upon all believers to give an account
of their lives. Certainly, this accounting
will include the way we spent our
money. To spend money on lottery tickets is not a good use of God's money.
It Contributes to Laziness and
Unproductivity
The Bible teaches that man is to earn
his living by the sweat of his face (Gen.
3:19). Paul wrote that if a man will not
work neither should he eat (2 Thess.
3:10). Work is the divinely ordained
method of producing wealth (Eph. 4:28).
As the commercial says, the only real
way to make money is the old-fashioned
way—"earn it." Gambling, on the other
hand, offers "something for nothing." It
offers great riches without having to
work for them. This method of getting
money violates God's plan that we all
work. "State lotteries are governmentsanctioned laziness, offering an illusory
Working in
or Visiting
Chicago?
16
Pastor Mark R. Simmons of
Marquette Manor Baptist Church
(Downers Grove, Illinois) is teaching a
weekly Bible study for business professionals in the Chicago downtown area.
The Bible study is in the offices of
Clayton Brown and Associates, Inc.
Lunch is provided (donations accepted).
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
bypass sign on the road of life that reads:
'Avoid working. Try gambling'
(Norman Geisler, Gambling: A Bad Bet).
It Feeds on Greed
The clearest Biblical statement against
gambling is the tenth commandment:
"Thou shalt not covet" (Exod. 20:17).
Why do people gamble? Because they
hope to strike it rich. They covet money
and the things it can buy. In America today most people, including Christians,
worship at the altar of materialism. For
this reason the lottery is so popular.
However, the Bible teaches that seeking
to be rich is wrong:
But they that will be rich fall into
temptation and a snare, and into
many foolish and hurtful lusts,
which drown men in destruction
and perdition. For the love of
money is the root of all evil: which
while some coveted after, they have
erred from the faith, and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows (1 Tim. 6:9, 10).
The Christian should learn contentment with the material blessings God
has providentially allowed him to have
(1 Tim. 6:6-8; Phil. 4:11). His focus
should be, "But seek ye first the kingdom
of God, and his righteousness; and all
these things shall be added unto you"
(Matt. 6:33). He realizes that "a man's life
consisteth not in the abundance of the
things which he possesseth" (Luke
12:15).
For these reasons—poverty, gambling, stewardship, slothfulness, and
greed—Christians should oppose the
lottery. IN
Dr. Ken R. Pulliam is a professor at International
Bible College in Tempe, Arizona.
The Bible study will meet from
12:00 to 12:40 P.M. in the AV Room on
the 30th floor of 500 West Madison
(between Canal and Clinton Streets).
For more information call:
(708) 964-5363
Help Wanted
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• balance that encourages the missionary without
interfering with his daily ministry.
In a day when balance is rare, we need to get behind GFA
as they labor to get out the Gospel."
Gospel Fellowship Association
Rev. Mark Batory, Missions Director
Dr. John Dreisbach, Field Representative
Suite 205 • 1430 Wade Hampton Blvd.
Greenville, SC 29609 • (803) 242-1598
FRONTLINE
Fall 1993
17
The First Epistle of John
Background • Gnosticism
Author
John the apostle
Date
Probably between A.D.
85 and A.D.90
Recipients
The Christian Church—
First John was not
addressed to any congregation in particular, but
the commands given applied to the first-century
church in general. First
John does not include
personal references to
particular churches or
pastors.
Purpose of Writing
To defend the faith, caution against false teaching, inform about
common false doctrines
The teachings of gnostics
permeated the thinking
of some false teachers at
the time of the writing of
1, 2 and 3 John. One
group of false teachers
taught that the human
body could be controlled
only through discipline
and care. The second
circle taught that nothing
could be done about the
evils of the human body.
They lived by the Epicurean philosophy of "eat,
drink, and be merry."
Gnosticism focused far
too much on the human
body—its needs and desires—and did not focus
enough on the spirit. The
emphasis in training believers needed to be
upon the wondrous work
of Christ on the spirit of
man. Many teachers of
gnosticism denied the
deity of Christ and the divine nature. They taught
that Christ, the Son of
God, did not suffer and
die, because He died as
Jesus, the Son of Man.
His divine nature had already left Him before He
died for us.
The apostle warned
believers about false
teachers and admonished them to "believe
not every spirit" (1 John
4:1) and to "receive
[them] not into [their
houses]" (2 John 10). He
then instructed them to
"follow . . . that which is
good" (3 John 11).
Tyndale New Testament
Commentaries: The
Epistles of John, Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing
Company, Grand Rapids,
Michigan, 1974.
Biblical Viewpoint: Focus
on I, 2, and 3 John, Bob
Jones University Press,
Greenville, South Carolina, 1993.
Wuest's Word Studies:
Studies in the Greek Text
of 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3
John and Jude, by Kenneth S. Wuest, Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing
Company, Grand Rapids,
Michigan, 1954.
The Epistles of John:
Light, Love, Life, by W. E.
Vine, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids,
Michigan, 1970.
Theme
Christian assurance
Epistle of 1 John: Life at
Its Best, by Roy L. Laurin,
Dunham Publishing Company, Grand Rapids,
Michigan, 1964.
Key Verse
First John 5:13, "These
things have I written unto
you that believe on the
name of the Son of God;
that ye may know that ye
have eternal life, and that
ye may believe on the
name of the Son of God."
18
I From the
Bookshelf
The Epistles of John, An
Expositional Commentary, by James Montgomery Boice, Ministries
Resources Library,
Zondervan Publishing
House, Grand Rapids,
Michigan, 1979.
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
■ Outline
First John covers many practical topics for living successful Christian lives. Roy L. Laurin captures this
emphasis throughout his outline of the book of
1 John, which stresses the many aspects of the Christian life.
VII. The Conquering Life-1 John 3:4-10
A. To sin is unlawful (v. 4).
B. To sin is unreasonable (v. 5).
C. To sin is unspiritual (vv. 6-8).
D. To sin is unchristian (vv. 9, 10).
I. The Manifested Life-1 John 1:1-4
VIII. The Love Life-1 John 3:11-24
A. The beginning of life (v. I)
B. The experience of life (v. 2)
C. The fellowship of life (v. 3)
D. The joy of life (v. 4)
A. Love proves our unlikeness to human nature
(vv. 11, 12).
B. Love proves our unlikeness to the world (v. 13).
C. Love proves our likeness to Christ (vv. 14, 15).
D. Love proves our likeness to God (vv. 16, 17).
E. Love proves our new likeness to the truth
(vv. 18-24).
II. The Illuminated Life-1 John 1:5-2:2
A. The Christian message of light (v. 5)
B. The Christian manner of life (1:6-2:2)
IX. The Discerning Life-1 John 4:1-6
III. The True Life-1 John 2:3-11
A. By the indwelling of a Divine Spirit (v. 1)
B. By the confession of a Divine Lord (vv. 2, 3)
C. By the presence of a Divine Life (v. 4)
D. By the authority of a Divine Word (vv. 5, 6)
A. Man's measurement
B. God's measurement
1. Keeping (vv. 3-5)
2. Walking (vv. 6, 7)
3. Loving (vv. 8-11)
X. The Love Life Emphasized-1 John 4:7-21
A. Love is the essence of God (vv. 7, 8).
B. Love's highest manifestation is Christ (vv. 9-11).
C. Love is the evidence of the New Birth
(vv. 12-16).
D. Love brings boldness before judgment (v. 17).
E. Love banishes fear (v. 18).
F. Love verifies love (vv. 19, 20).
G. Love fulfills God's commandment (v. 21).
IV. The Abiding Life-1 John 2:12-17
A. The different kinds of Christians (vv. 12-14)
B. The wrong kind of love (vv. 15, 16)
C. The right kind of love (v. 17)
V. The False Life-1 John 2:18-27
A. The age (v. 18a)
B. The characteristics of the age (vv. 18b, 19)
C. The safeguards of the soul in this age (vv. 20-27)
XI. The Overcoming Life-1 John 5:1-12
A. Love and life (vv. 1-3)
B. Faith and victory (vv. 4, 5)
C. Christ and witnesses (vv. 6-12)
VI. The Coming Life-1 John 2:28-3:3
A. His coming and our confidence (2:28)
B. His coming and our new birth (2:29)
C. His coming and our name (3:1)
D. His coming and our change (3:2)
E. His coming and our attitude (3:3)
XII. The Eternal Life-1 John 5:13-21
A. The assurance of eternal life (v. 13)
B. The assurance of the power of prayer
(vv. 14, 15)
C. The assurance of the presence of Christ
(vv. 18-21)
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
19
Special Report
At the Gate
Homosexual activists
in San Francisco
besiege fundamental church
A crowd of 75 to 100 homosexual
activists conducted a rowdy demonstration at a Baptist church in San
Francisco. They blockaded some
churchgoers from entering the Sunday evening service, and they vandalized the grounds during the service
to protest a visit by a leading foe of
special gay civil rights, Lou Sheldon
of the Traditional Values Coalition.
The protesters swarmed over the
property of Hamilton Square Baptist
Church and pounded on its doors
early in the September 19 service before being pushed back by San Francisco pOlice. Sheldon is a leading
opponent of pro-gay legislation in
California and across the country. His
visit was not announced publicly by
the church, but was publicized in two
of the city's homosexual newspapers.
Ultimately, it was Sheldon who
called 911, sending riot police to the
church to protect parishioners from
shouting gay activists who were
pounding at all entrances to get inside. Police made no arrests in the
incident, and it received no coverage
by either of the Bay City's two major
newspapers. In an interview, the city
editor of the San Franciso Chronicle
said the paper checked out the episode a couple of days after it happened and "it didn't seem to be much."
But a videotape of the protest provided to World by Hamilton Square
Baptist Church shows visitors being
blocked from entering the main door.
A local Presbyterian minister,
Charles Mcllhenny, is shown on the
tape struggling to push by angry protesters and get inside the sanctuary.
Mcllhenny later succeeded in pulling
his wife inside—out of the arms of
protesters trying to keep her from
entering. Others in Mcllhenny's party
were unable to gain entrance as the
20
outnumbered police held the doors
shut to keep the mob outside the
church building.
Mcllhenny's wife, Donna, was
scratched, grabbed from behind, and
at one point lifted off the ground as
she tried to get inside, Mcllhenny said.
She and other visitors were pelted
with rocks, which also struck the window panes of the entry doors, reported Hamilton Square pastor David
C. Innes. Gay activists yelled obscenities and blocked traffic by lying in the
street. Others used megaphones and
blew whistles.
Innes said a single parent and her
6-year-old daughter were told they
could not enter the building: "A rioter
grabbed her daughter's arm as she
was clinging to her mother, and began interrogating her. The daughter
finally entered the building by passing through the rioters. The child was
crying and petrified."
An audio tape of the Hamilton
Square service records sounds foreign to the usual sermon contained on
such tapes. Drowning out the chants
of gay activists is the steady banging
of homosexuals kicking and pounding on the church's side (emergency)
doors.
Innes can then be heard ordering
ushers to lock the doors and telling
the churchgoers to remain calm in
their pews. "When I see this, I say
somebody had better stand up to it,"
Innes stated from the pulpit. "If we
don't stand up to this, folks, it's going
all through the country. And I've told
you they're going to be at the front
door of the church, and they are.
They're here today."
He continued: "This is why the
average preacher won't get involved
in controversy, won't take a stand,
and it's an utter capitulation. . . ."
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
According to Innes, homosexual
protesters removed the Christian flag
from the church flagpole and ran up
the gay rainbow flag. A church caretaker was assaulted when he attempted to remove the gay flag. And
the newly planted landscaping was
overturned.
The videotape of the incident
shows a cement bench that was reportedly overturned and destroyed
by the protesters. It also shows
Sheldon being pelted with what appeared to be eggs as he was escorted
from the building by riot police following the service. Churchgoers were
forced to make a coordinated exit from
the church in three separate groups,
as frightened children clung to their
parents, according to a press statement released by the church.
Officers from the San Francisco
Police Department's northern district
responded to the disturbance. One
officer spoke to World on the condition that he not be identified. Asked
why there were no arrests, he answered: "That would not be a politically correct move—pure and simple."
Police, he said, have to do a careful
"step and dance" with homosexual
activists because of political pressure.
Upon leaving, several protesters
warned, "We will be back." But Innes
said he has already invited Sheldon to
return, and has appealed to the
mayor's office with evidence of the
incident.
Reprinted with permission,
World Magazine, Asheville, NC
Dr. Innes is pursuing legal action
against the San Francisco City Board
on two central issues:
1.The failure and unwillingness of the
city to secure the safety of the church
property and its activities.
2. Religious freedom—the right to
believe and to practice our faith and to
invite the speakers we choose without
threat of riot against us.
What has happened here will happen
all across America if God's people do
not establish a beachhead, draw the
line and take their stand.
Audio and video tapes of the incident
and additional information are available
from Hamilton Square Baptist
Church, 1212 Geary Street, San
Francisco, CA 94109.
VERY
SERIOUS
O
What is the purpose of our children's ministry?
Do we teach our children with effective and
productive tools?
Does our children's ministry produce spiritual fruit
that remains?
How can we help our children learn and apply
Biblical truths in a practical and useful way?
we reach families outside our church and win
O Can
them to Christ?
INTERESTING BIBLE FACTS
The Traveler, or Stranger,
in their Midst!
The Mosaic law instructed the
people of Israel about the importance of hospitality to. strangers
(Exod. 22:21; 23:9; Deut. 10:19). Devout Israelites would never intentionally evade their responsibilities
to strangers. Owners of wells had
the added responsibility of offering
water to all strangers passing
through their land. Etiquette dictated that strangers not help themselves to the water in a well; they
must wait until that water was offered to them. Young maids drew
water from the family wells and had
many opportunities to give water to
thirsty strangers. Jesus emphasized
this tradition in his command to His
disciples to preach, to heal and to do
good, as giving "a cup of water to
drink in my name" (Mark 9:41)!
One of David's Mighty Men!
Abishai, son of David's half-sister Zeruiah, was the brother of
Asahel and Joab, David's general
(2 Sam. 2:18). Abishai and David
crept into King Saul's camp in the
middle of the night and found Saul
Who Were the Patriarchs?
and all of Saul's soldiers asleep
The Greek word patriarch ap(1 Sam. 26:5-9)! His bravery eviplies to Abraham (Heb. 7:4), to the
denced itself most when pursuing
twelve sons of Jacob (Acts 7:8, 9),
Abner, the killer of his brother
and to King David (Acts 2:29). It is
Asahel (2 Sam. 2:18-24).
a name given to the Old Testament
Abishai was one of David's
heads of families who lived before
mighty men who had "lifted up his
the time of Moses. The paternal
spear against three hundred" and
right of a patriarch of a tribe or clan slain them (2 Sam. 23:18; 1 Chron.
was determined by the forefather
11:20). He was instrumental in the
of the tribe, descending from him
slaying of the Edomites in the Valto the first-born son or the eldest
ley of Salt. Abishai and his men
male descendant. The head of each slew eighteen thousand and gained
family had the same paternal rights back their country (1 Chron.
within his family that the patriarch
18:12, 13).
had within the clan.
REVIEWS
for God so loved the
world that he gave his
only begotten Son.
that whosoever believeth to him
bur
should not perish.
e everlasting
John. 3:16
God's Word in Calligraphy
James R. Thompson is the creator of KJV Scripture verses in
calligraphy. They are hand-lettered and then printed on quality
paper.
Jim has been active in serving the Lord through his artwork all
his life. He received his training at Bob Jones University and Red
Rock College in Denver. He is thankful for a steady hand at 75,
and says he is doing better work than ever before.
These verses are perfect gifts for friends and relatives. Every
church bookstore should keep a good supply on hand. Deuteronomy 6:9 teaches us to "write them [the Scriptures] upon the
posts of thy house, and on thy gates." Here is the perfect way to
do so.
For additional information contact:
Thompson Graphics
1321 61st Ave. E., Box 2
Bradenton, FL 34203-6954
(813) 753-4487
22
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
has some SERIOUS ANSWERS.
A
fter nine years of ministry, over 700 Patch the
Pirate Clubs are making a powerful impact
around the world. Each week nearly 13,000 young
sailors are participating in daily devotions,
experiencing exciting club meetings, singing
creative Christ-honoring songs, and are learning
to apply Bible truths in their lives. The clubs are
even making a difference with the adults! The
following testimony from a pastor's wife who has
seen the Patch the Pirate Club in action will reveal
answers to your questions about how effective
this program can be in your ministry.
April 1993— I just wanted to let you know how special it was Sunday evening when the Patch Club sang. They did such a
beautiful job—the words were so clear you could hear them all the way to the back of the sanctuary. However, the best part
of all was seeing all of those children lined up there on the platform—each one representing a soul that will live for all
eternity. A lump came up in my throat as I realized that the words to all the songs you teach them will impact their lives
forever. The music they learn has words that grab hold of their behavior. They simply can't get away from applying it to
their relationships with their friends and parents. Every child on that platform Sunday evening can help their parents and
friends to live for God. I see then: building up the "body of Christ." Many parents are more faithful and involved because of
Patch Club.
Chart your course for a productive children's ministry that's positive! Order a special Preview Kit today which includes a
complete 3- month curriculum filled with life-changing stories, songs, activities, and devotions. Each kit includes a
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FOCUS
Are Ken and Barbie
Breaking Up?
The front page of LISA Today's
"Life" section August 6 publicized a new product that may
make parents indignant. It is a
Ken doll (from Mattel's "Earring
Magic" collection) that has Ken
sporting an earring, a lavender
mesh shirt, a fake leather vest
and black pants. According to
USA Today, the $11 Ken dolls are
being snapped up by homosexuals.
Cabinet Member Addresses
Gays and Lesbians
Federico Pena, the Department
of Transportation (DOT) secretary, addressed a rally for "Gay,
Lesbian and Bisexual Pride" on
June 15. His speech marked the
first time a cabinet-level official
has spoken publicly "in support
of equal rights for the gay community," reports the Washington
Blade. Earlier Pena had issued a
memo that added "sexual orientation" to the list of criteria protected in job and policy decisions
at the agency, even though homosexual rights have not been
codified in federal employment
regulations (World, 7/3/93).
Government-funded
Art Showing Closed Down
Early in August the National
Endowment for the Arts still had
no chairman, and its budget was
once again under assault. In July
the House of Representatives
voted to cut the agency's $174.9
million budget by five percent, or
$8.7 million, and some lawmakers were pressing for deeper cuts
24
Current Events
of Interest to Believers
or even extinction for the dinosaur.
In the meantime, the NEA was still
laying rotten eggs by putting on an
exhibit of homo-erotic, sadomasochistic, and blasphemous "art" it
funded. The exhibit at the U.S. Capitol and the House annex buildings
was so grotesque that House
Speaker Tom Foley and other leaders of Congress took time off from
their denunciations of censorship to
order that the showing be closed
down.
No Evangelism of Muslims
Iran has required all churches to
sign a statement declaring they will
not evangelize Muslims, but several
Assemblies of God and Brethren
churches have flatly refused to comply. In mid-June the Iranian Ministry of Guidance ordered the
Assembly of God's Central Church
in downtown Teheran to cancel its
Friday worship meetings—the Muslim day off—and it required worshippers attending the Sunday
church services to show their identity cards at the door. Church leaders responded, "You can arrest us,
put us in prison, execute us, but we
will not close down our churches"
(NNI, 7/ 28/ 93).
ACLU Fights Jail Ministries
The American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU) has filed suit over a
jail program teaching inmates about
Christianity. Fort Worth, Texas, offers a Christian-education program
that houses participating inmates in
a separate cell block. The ACLU
claims the arrangement violates the
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
U.S. Constitution. The voluntary
program involves five hours of
daily instruction and homework assignments. County officials praised
the program for its effect on inmate
behavior and morale (Alliance Life,
8/11/93).
Michigan Strikes Down
Home School Requirement
The Michigan Supreme Court
voted 4-3 May 25 to strike down
the certified teacher requirement
for families who home school because of their religious beliefs. The
court ruled in People v. Dejonge that
the Michigan school officials had
failed to show that the teacher certification requirement was the least
restrictive means of discharging the
state's interest in seeing that children are educated.
"This is an important victory for
home schooling and religious liberty, because it is the first time in
recent American history that a state
supreme court has struck down the
requirement that students be
taught by state-certified teachers,"
explained Michael P. Farris,
founder of the Virginia-based
Home School Legal Defense Association. Farris has represented the
DeJonge family since the case began eight years ago.
Sharing the Burden
for Homosexual Rights
The homosexual lobby is pressing for inclusion in heath care reform. The gay lifestyle creates
unique medical demands. The 1993
March on Washington Platform
urges the inclusion of services such
as artificial insemination of lesbians
and "sexual re-assignments" (sex
change) surgeries. There are whispers coming out of the White
House that the Health Care Reform Task Force will include a reproductive health benefits
package, but financing expanded
services remains the problem.
One mechanism is to change insurance underwriting practices to
shift costs. "Community rating"
means that groups that now enjoy the lower premiums because
of low-risk characteristics will
pay a higher premium to cover
the costs of broadening the insurance pool to cover high risk
groups.
Big Government
Is Enemy of Family
Advocates of big government
favor conditions that erode the
family, since they desire to transfer family responsibilities to the
state to make everyone dependent upon, and loyal to, the state
(New American, 7/12). The late
Harvard sociologist Pitirim
Sorokin saw this anti-family
trend early on and predicted a
tragic breakdown of marital and
family life. He rightly observed
that since "even an illiterate
mother, endowed with kindness
and common sense, appears to
have been a better moral educator of children than most of the
highly trained educators of
schools," it is not right to withdraw children "from the educational influence of the homes at a
progressively younger and
younger age." Strong families are
a force for freedom.
Black Bible Chronicles
Here are two samples from a
new Bible translation called the
Black Bible Chronicles (African
American Family Press). The Ten
Commandments: "You shouldn't
diss the Almighty's name, using it in
cuss words or rapping with one another: It ain't cool, and paycheck's a
monster." God's warning to Noah:
"I'm fed up with what's happenin
anymore, so I'm gonna do what I
gotta do, and end things once and for
all. Man, I'm gonna blow the brothers
clear outa the water."
Black Bible Chronicles is just one of
many new "market-driven" Scriptures, according to a report in Time
(7/26/93). Religious publishers, eager to expand a $400 million Bible industry, are selling niche-oriented
Bibles in a variety of new interpretations and formats. "In a BaskinRobbins society, people don't want
chocolate or vanilla. They want a special flavor that really meets their
needs," says Bill Anderson, president
of the Christian Booksellers Association.
Civil Courts May Limit
Religious Education
Civil courts may limit parents'
rights to direct the religious education of their children, a Maryland appeals court has ruled. A 1983 divorce
case had given the father extensive
visitation rights with his daughter.
After the father began attending a
fundamental Baptist church, the
mother complained that their daughter showed signs of anxiety, including anxiety attacks, insomnia and
crying. Based in part on the testimony of a pediatric psychiatrist, the
mother sought a court order barring
the father from taking the child back
to the Baptist church. The trial prohibited the father from having the
child "participate in any church or
church-related activity."
Although the appeals court found
this decision to be too broad, it did
agree that the father should not be al-
lowed to take his daughter along
in door-to-door witnessing: "It
was the proselytizing by the father and the direct involvement
of the child in his efforts to convert others that [the psychiatrist]
found particularly harmful to the
child, and thus the record would
support a prohibition of activities
of this type in the future." The
court sent the case back to the
trial court for further deliberations (Church Law & Tax Report,
7/8/93).
Substance Abuse Is 20%
of Medicaid Costs
Substance abuse is a major part
of Medicaid hospital payments,
gobbling up $1 of every $5 spent
and doubling the length of hospital stays, per a Columbia University study (Huntsville Times).
Abuse of tobacco, alcohol and
drugs will add over $7.4 billion to
1994 Medicaid inpatient hospital
costs. Other findings of the study:
Over half of pediatric AIDS cases
are caused by parents' intravenous drug use. Seventy-two percent of chronic pancreatitis is due
to alcohol. Sixty-five percent of
strokes among younger Americans are related either to cigarettes or cocaine.
Who says it is no business of
Christian teetotal taxpayers if
other people drink, smoke, do
drugs or engage in high-risk
AIDS activities? We are unfairly
affected in many ways, so it is
still our business—even when
abuses occur in the privacy of
their homes (Calvary Contender).
This news is presented to inform and
challenge. The activities or people mentioned
do not necessarily carry the endorsement
of the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship.
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
25
How to Give without Being Taken
Having served one tour in Vietnam, I was wise to
murderous thieves and con men. (The Vietcong were
fairly nasty, as well.) However, on my way to visit
Vietnam for the second time, my commercial flight
landed in the Philippines. Two skycaps in uniform—
that is, one uniform (one wore the skycap shirt, and the
other wore the pants)—agreed to carry my luggage for
a bargain price: "We carry—one dollah." The only
problem was that one "skycapped" one piece of my
luggage one way, and the other "skycapped" off in the
opposite direction—leaving me in a lurch. Fortunately,
the security police grounded the skycaps before they
took off. I never did get my two bucks back, though.
I determined that I'd be more cautious and less naive. In August 1983, I backslid on my skycap lesson
and was responsible for our church being hoodwinked
out of S192 in cash by two "tarheelers." Later I learned
that they weren't really "tarheelers," but they were
West Virginians. Frankly, I don't know which fact disappointed me more.
It was a hot August (1983) Sunday morning. I
opened the Adult Sunday School class in prayer.
When I looked up, I found that the class had increased
by two, a middle-aged man and a young man. As soon
as class was over, I welcomed them.
I asked, "Are you from the area?"
The older man answered, "No, we're from North
Carolina. I pastor a church there. This is my son." He
paused. "I came up to conduct my sister's funeral. She
and my brother-in-law were killed in a head-on crash
in Oakland, Maryland," he sadly explained before recounting the whole incident.
Somewhere violins were playing a dirge. I actually
had to choke back the tears, because I remembered
hearing about just such an accident earlier that week.
The hook was set! In fact, I swallowed hook, line,
sinker, rod, reel and boat!
"Yesterday, we were heading home when the car
broke down. We had to spend the rest of our money—
seventy-five dollars—to fix it," so, we had to sleep in
the car last night. But we didn't want to miss being in
the Lord's house on the Sabbath. We're sorry we were
late. Please, forgive our sloppy appearance, as well."
26
FRONTLINE
"Don't worry about that," I comforted him, "you're
welcome here; I know the Lord understands. I'm so
very sorry about your sister."
"Thank you, Pastor. Just pray that we can get back
in time for the revival services in our home church.
They're supposed to start tonight. I've got a full tank of
gas. With the Lord's help, we can just make it back in
time," he said as he bit his lower lip.
I called a deacon and a few other men together for
an impromptu meeting near the pulpit. "We've got to
help them," I said.
"I'll give twenty dollars," one man responded, as he
reached for his wallet.
"Let's just give them a check for a hundred dollars," someone else suggested.
Another person commented, "Let's just give them
all the cash that comes in the offering; they can't cash a
check today." I still don't know who said that. I now
believe it was the older "tarheeler."
It doesn't matter, though. At that point, we were so
vulnerable that if someone had said, "Let's put all our
money, checkbooks, stocks, bonds, wallets, watches,
rings, gold teeth and any other valuables into a pillowcase and give it to them," we would have done it. At
that time, we made Jethro D. Bodine, Beverly Hillbilly,
look like Albert Einstein, nuclear scientist.
As we all stood watching and waving as the men
pulled out of the parking lot with our $192, someone
observed, "Hey, they have a West Virginia license
plate."
It's amazing how quickly warm and fuzzy feelings
of sincere Christian love can be converted to a Shiite's
lust for vengeance.
We prayed, "Lord, you know our hearts. We sincerely desired to help these people. If they are lying
thieves, please stop them before they can hurt anyone
else."
Within the next few days, we heard numerous reports of other churches being bilked out of offerings.
While misery may love company, there is no consolation in that pitiful company.
Later that week, at my jail ministry, I asked the
prisoners gathered for the service, "Is this everyone?"
"No. There are two more back there. They're the
Fall 1993
ones that have been robbin' churches," they glibly reported.
The two men didn't come out. Yet, they heard the
message. Believe me, they heard the message! In fact, I
don't know if anyone has ever preached more eloquently or with more hell fire and brimstone than I did
that night.
A hard lesson is a good lesson. We owe those two
con artists more than $192 worth of thanks for making
us develop and use a policy on giving:
1. "Let us do good unto all men, especially unto them
who are of the household of faith" (Gal. 6:10). We
should help our own first. How many of our
churches have helped absolute strangers, yet we
have never done anything for our own. Strangers,
the lost and the unchurched should first be directed to contact charitable agencies.
2. Have a Charity Committee comprised of pastor,
pastor's wife and at least two other church members.
3. Any requests of more than $25 (or any amount determined by the church) must be approved by the
Committee. This policy does two thing:
• It allows the pastor to have some discretionary
funds for real needs. There are those with legitimate emergency needs.
• It discourages freeloaders, who won't wait for
approval.
4. Don't always give the cash. Offer to purchase the
food, medicine, diapers, gasoline, etc. It is amazing
how many folks want only cash—possibly for the
wrong reasons.
5. In dealing with strangers, I have found the follow-
fruit
tut the
of the
love is
longsuffering
goodness
If the people name a church, I ask if they
have called their pastor. I tell them that I
would be offended if our church members
went to another church for help before contacting me. I encourage them to call their pastor
before we give any assistance. If they won't
call, then I volunteer to call.
If they have no church home, I tell them
that maybe the reason that they are having
trouble is that the Lord may be chastising them
for failing to join a church. I ask them to contact a pastor in their hometown and arrange
for a visit before we will help them.
Needless to say, many of those requesting help
will not endure such scrutiny. That's the purpose of
the policy.
Please don't think that I am hard-hearted. I want
to help the truly deserving; however, I am determined
never again to waste the Lord's money. It is His
money.
We will give account about its use. I regret the loss
of $192, but the lesson we learned has saved wasting
thousands of dollars more. •
Terry Hagedorn is the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in
Reedsville, West Virginia
Spirit
joypeac
gentleness
Meeknesstemperance
faith
against such
there Is no law
Gal 5 2223
ing to be quite effective in weeding out the undeserving:
• I ask the people about their salvation. If they
are unsaved, I witness to them. Sometimes the
person gets saved! Nine times out of ten,
though, the people profess to be saved already.
• If the people are saved, I ask them of what
church they are members:
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FRONTLINE
Fall 1993
27
The Bitter Fruit of Ecumenism
O
ne of today's most popular evangelicals is Dr. Charles Colson. As
President of Prison Fellowship Ministries, he now openly teaches that fervent
Roman Catholics are members of the
Body of Christ and are believers of the
true gospel. He recently published a
455-page book entitled, The Body. The
entire work is intended to convince
"evangelicals that Catholic and Protestant doctrine have dramatically
converged" (p. 271).
The Colson organization is highly esteemed among evangelicals, and influential with 50,000 volunteers working
through 64 local offices scattered across
the USA. Dr. Wilson Ewin felt led to
prepare an open letter to Dr. Colson, and
this was mailed to him on August 20. The
letter itself dealt with one specific theme—
the gospel as it relates to Christ's atonement and explained in First Corinthians
15:3. The Saviour was once offered,
never to be offered again as emphasized in Hebrews 7:27; 9:25-38 and
10:8. A contrast was made with the gospel of Romanism. Romanism teaches
that Christ is still being offered in the
Mass and to this must be joined personal
sacrifices plus time in a purgatory.
The movement to accept Roman Catholicism by evangelicals is recorded in
a growing number of publications. Therefore, the need to instruct true believers in
the distinction between the Biblical gospel and that of Romanism has become
most urgent.
The following material is an excerpt
from Dr. Wilson's letter to Dr. Colson
outlining the difference between the true
gospel and the gospel of Roman Catholicism.
2S
FRONTLINE
Two Opposing Gospels
The word evangelical was given prominent use following completion of the Vatican II Sessions in 1965. The
term calls for attention and respect, for it comes from the
Greek word meaning "gospel." However, today's use of
the words evangelical and gospel by priests and spokesmen of the Roman Church calls for extreme caution.
The first truth of the gospel was defined in the Scriptures by Paul when he wrote these words to the Corinthian
church: "I declare unto you the gospel which I preached
unto you, . . . For I delivered unto you first of all that
which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:3).
God explains that "first . . . according to the scriptures" is man's reconciliation with God from sin or man's
redemption, propitiation was completed with Christ's
shed blood on the cross.
Christ said at the moment of His death: "It is finished"
(John 19:30). There is no further offering for sin, for the
Scripture states "it is appointed unto men once to die"
(Heb. 9:27).
The True Gospel—One Offering
To be evangelical, one must believe that Christ was
offered once for sin. Blatantly opposed to this God-given
truth, Roman Catholicism teaches that Christ shall continue to be offered for sin through the offering of the
mass. Therefore the "gospel" of the Vatican, the mass, is
a brazen denial of Christ's gospel. It is the absolute
antithesis of the gospel proclaimed by the apostles and
early Christians.
By God's grace, leaders such as John Wycliffe, John
Huss, Girolamo Savonarola, and later, Ulrich Zwingli,
John Calvin and Martin Luther generated a back-to-theBible reform movement that began in 1375. In spite of the
Inquisition and papal armies, the Reformation swept
over Europe. On the way to his trial in Worms, Germany
Luther said, "Huss has been burned, but not the truth
with him. I will go on" (A History of the Christian Church,
12th printing, p. 236).
Pope Pius IV published a Bull of confirmation of all
the Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent. This was
done with horrifying threats of punishment upon "each
and all of our venerable brethren, patriarchs, archbishops,
bishops, and all our other prelates . . . who would fail to
observe diligently the said decrees and ordinances . . ." (The
Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, p. 270).
Pope John XXIII confirmed this October 1962 during
his opening speech to the Vatican II Ecumenical Council.
Fall 1993
Wilson Ewin
He said, "The salient point of this Council is not, therefore, a discussion of one article or another of the fundamental doctrine of the Church which has repeatedly been
taught by the Fathers and by ancient and modern theologians and which . . . still shines forth in the Acts of the
Council of Trent" (The Documents of Vatican II, p. 715).
John Paul II is no exception to the rule. He stated this
several times in his Encyclical of December 2, 1984. The
document entitled, On Reconciliation and Penance in the
Mission of the Church Today, came as a result of the 1983
Jubilee Year celebration, which was called by the Pontiff
to mark the 195th anniversary of Christ's crucifixion.
in an unbloody manner, the same Christ who once
offered Himself in a bloody manner on the altar of
the cross, the holy council teaches that this is truly
propitiatory ... (The Canons and Decrees of the Council
of Trent, p. 104).
The Two Roads
Curses Still Standing
The Bible speaks of two roads that lead to opposing
eternal destinies, and therefore, call for close examination. God has warned, "There is a way which seemeth
right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of
death" (Prov. 14:12).
The Lord Jesus Christ declared that He personally is
the Way—the true road. He said, "I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me"
(John 14:6). Heavenly hosts sing before His throne, "Thou
art worthy . . . for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us
to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue,
and people, and nations" (Rev. 5:9).
Love led to the writing of You Can Lead Roman Catholics to Christ. First printed in 1961, it has been revised six
times across the years because of the shifting mask of the
papal system.
The capitulation of evangelicals to the wiles of Roman Catholic ecumenism continues unabated. Surprisingly New Evangelicals count some of the Vatican's most
subtle and cunning activists to be their acceptable collaborators. Whv? The apostle Paul spoke of their kind
when he wrote, "For such are false apostles, deceitful
workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of
Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed
into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his
ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness . ." (2 Cor. 11:13-15).
May God reveal these truths to you, and above all, the
spiritual darkness that comes when one turns, as did the
Galatians, towards a false gospel,and then leads others to
do likewise. The Saviour did warn, "It were better for
him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he
cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these
little ones" (Luke 17:2). •
As curses were pronounced upon those who might
reject the Church's teaching on penance, so the Vatican
equally applied (and still does!) the curses of Trent upon
those who question the sacrifice of the mass. This ceremony is defined as follows in Chapter II:
And inasmuch as in this divine sacrifice which is
celebrated in the mass is contained and immolated
Pastor Wilson Ewin is the author of the book The Assimilation of
Evangelist Billy Graham into the Roman Catholic Church. He
has ministered evangelizing Roman Catholics for over forty
years through Quebec Baptist Missions in Compton, Quebec,
Canada. He can be contacted for additional information on the
subject at P.O. Box 180, Norton, Vermont, 05907.
Many Offerings and Many Forms
Throughout the 1984 Encyclical, Pope John Paul II
calls the faithful back to the Canons and Decrees of the
Council of Trent. He renews the traditional structuring of
Catholic teaching on reconciliation or atonement for
personal sin through the stations of the cross, prayers to
saints, fasting, attendance at mass, penance, sufferings,
indulgences, and after death, the completion of this
atonement in purgatory.
The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent
continue to be a binding authority upon each and every
present-day Roman Catholic. They place curses upon
those who reject the apostolic teaching on indulgences,
personal penance, purgatory, and the seven sacraments.
Canon 12 says that if anyone says that God always
pardons the whole penalty together with the guilt and
that the satisfaction of penitents is nothing else than the
faith by which they perceive that Christ has satisfied for
them, let him be anathema.
Canon 13 states that if anyone says that the satisfaction for sins, as to their temporal punishment, is in no
way made to God through the merits of Christ by the
punishments inflicted by Him and patiently borne, or by
those imposed by the priest, or even those voluntarily
undertaken, as by the fasts, prayers, almsgiving or other
works of piety, and that therefore the best penance is
merely a new life, let him be anathema.
FRONTLINE
•
Fall 1993
29
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