Waldron Mission Fund

 

Under the oversight of the elders of the Crossville church of Christ, PO Box 211, Crossville, TN 38557
Text Box: BULLETIN BRIEF Vol. 1 November 1998 No. 11 Text Box: IDEAS REGARDING DIVORCE/REMARRIAGE Wayne Jackson Certain brethren advance the notion that non-Christians are not amenable to the marriage law of Christ. The motive behind this concept is to justify those who have been involved in unscriptural divorce and remarriage, but who, subsequently, have obeyed the gospel. It is alleged that their pre-baptism unions are irrelevant since God’s marriage law did not apply to them before their conversion. The fallacy of this doctrine can be demonstrated by reducing it to an absurdity. It is conceded by virtually everyone that it is possible for a Christian to be scripturally married to an unbeliever. Though there are principles which should discourage the believer from marrying outside of Christ, the union is legitimate (I Cor. 7:13-14; I Pet 3:1). It is possible for a Christian to be married to an unbeliever. On the other hand, if God’s marriage law does not apply to “the world,” the unbeliever cannot be married to the Christian (or anyone else, for that matter). The notion that the marriage law of Christ is not applicable to unbelievers forces the following conclusion: The union of a Christian to a non-Christian is, at the very same time, a non-marriage/marriage. That is, it is a marriage for the believer, but not a marriage for the unbeliever. The doctrine is truly nonsensical. P.O. Box 555265, Stockton, CA 95205 Text Box: MOLES, BATS AND THE NIV Jim E. Waldron It amazed the apostle Paul to learn that the Galatian Christians had so quickly turned from the living God and His word to a perverted version of the gospel (Gal. 1:6-7). After expressing this amazement he said, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8). In our time it is amazing as to how many Christians, even preachers, have turned from the truth to a perverted gospel. This is what has been done by those who have accepted the New International Version. As proof that the NIV is a perverted gospel the following evidence is presented. The NIV teaches the Calvinistic doctrine that babies are sinful from conception. They quote David as saying, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). In contrast to which the New King James Version records, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” The American Standard and the King James of 1611 translates Psalm 51:5 in the same manner. That is, all three clearly show David was not affirming he was sinful. Jesus testified, concerning the nature of little children as he spoke to adult men and women who were sinners, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 18:3). Moses recorded, “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21), not from conception or birth. Ezekiel wrote, “the son shall not bear the guilt of the father” (Ezekiel 18:20). Paul affirmed, “we are the offspring of God” (Acts 17:29). How could David, as an offspring of God, be sinful from the time he was “conceived?” Such is a lie - a perversion of God’s word. The NIV also corrupts the word by teaching the Calvinistic doctrine that the human body is sinful in and of itself (totally depraved) for they translate the Greek word sarx (flesh) as “sinful nature” (Rom. 7:18; 8:4-13; 13:14; Gal. 5:13- 24). Again the NIV perverts the word of truth by teaching the blasphemous doctrine of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, which asserts while Jesus’ body was in the tomb His soul was in the grave also. See Acts 2:31 where the NIV translates the Greek psuche (soul) as “he” and hades as grave. In contrast to this the New King James Version properly records, “that His (Jesus) soul was not left in hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.” Hades does not mean the grave as the Watchtower and the NIV affirm. Yet, many among the clergy and even some among us, go merrily along with this perverted version that has Christ’s soul in the grave between His crucifixion and resurrection. The NIV also corrupts the word of truth by teaching the bankrupt doctrine of evangelical Protestantism that men are saved by faith alone. See Romans 1:17 and 10:10. The NIV in the name of presenting the Bible in contemporary language has given the world a perverted gospel. Thus, its translators and publishers are under a curse (Galatians 1:6-9). In the language of the prophet Isaiah to ancient Israel concerning their idols we urge, that the NIV be cast “to the moles and bats” (Isaiah 2:20).

CHRISTMAS

R.C. Oliver

 

I shall be forever grateful to men recognized for their faithfulness, maturity and wisdom, who have gone before, especially men of the 30’s and 40’s who wrote articles for such journals as the Gospel Advocate and the Firm Foundation on the subject of “Christmas.”  I could know, in those days, that some time during the holiday season there would be several good articles written on the subject of Christmas, but it is not that way any more, for we have drifted!  I may never have studied the subject as I have, had it not been for those good articles written on the subject of Christmas.  I am therefore indebted to those men for creating within me a desire to study the subject for myself.  I wish therefore, in this article, to give several reasons why Christmas should not be celebrated in memory of Christ’s birth as a religious holy day.  Observe therefore the following reasons.

 

CHRISTMAS IS NOT A BIBLE SUBJECT. The first thought I wish to give is the fact that Christmas is not mentioned in the Bible, so in order to study the subject, one should consult some of the good encyclopedias that are available and study them.  Of course, the Bible mentions the birth of Christ, but this is not to say that it mentions Christmas, as we shall learn in further study of the subject.

 

CHRISTMAS IS A MISNOMER. Christmas is a misnaming of the day.  The word is a combination of two words:  One Greek (Christ's) meaning the “anointed,” and the other Latin (misaim) meaning “to send,” but there is no way to prove that Jesus was sent to the earth on December 25th.

 

GOD HAS NOT COMMANDED IT.  There is no evidence anywhere that God ever commanded anyone to observe the birthday of Jesus on this day or any other.  It is the Christ of Calvary, not the babe of Bethlehem that is to be emphasized    (I Cor. 11:26).

 

EARLY CHRISTIANS DID NOT CELEBRATE THE DAY.  The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Volume 3, Page 47 says: “There is no historical evidence that our Lord’s birthday was celebrated during the apostolic or early post-apostolic times.”

 

SPECIAL DAYS FORBIDDEN.  In Galatians 4:10 Paul writes: “Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years, I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.”

 

IT IS OF PAGAN ORIGIN.  Christmas did not originate with God; it originated in paganism.  So the more pagan, heathenish, a church is, the more one may expect it to say and do about Christmas!

 

IN CONCLUSION:  Space forbids giving other reasons why Christians should not observe Christmas as a religious holy day, but these are sufficient to challenge the honest heart to study more.  This writer knows no reason why one cannot observe the day as he might any other legal holiday, but remember to keep it out of the church!  It is no part of Christian doctrine! (I John 4:1).  Compare it with circumcision which is hygienically permissible, but religiously forbidden.  “Search the scriptures daily whether these things are so” (Acts 17:11). 1308 36th St, Parkersburg, WV 26104

 

Editor’s note: Some churches have begun to mimic the man-made churches with Christmas plays and even charge for such. Some have their Easter Sunrise services. This is not speaking as the oracles of God” (I Pet. 4:11).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NO PROBLEM!!

Freddie Clayton

 

When a person is eager to learn the way of salvation and is willing to accept the word of God as the final authority, there is no problem in teaching him what to do to be saved.  When differences arise among brethren and all have a humble attitude and there is a sincere desire for peace and unity and all parties want to follow God’s will, the settlement is no problem.  When a person genuinely believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and wants to yield in submission to His wishes, once he is shown that the Lord commands baptism for the remission of sins, because he is honest and longs to go to heaven, there is no problem in his being baptized. 

 

When a worshipper comes into the assembly with the right attitude of heart, there is no problem if the song leader misses the pitch on one of the hymns or if the building is too warm or too cold or if the janitor missed some paper under the pew or a cobweb over the pulpit or the sermon lasts 40 minutes instead of 25 or 30.  Is it possible that many of the problems which arise are simply the bitter fruit of improper thinking or wrong heartedness?  P. O. Box 123, Dunlap, TN  37327

 

 

 

 

 

BULLETIN BRIEF NOTE: In Our August issue we named those who spoke on the 1998 Jubilee in Nashville.  Among those was a brother named Ron Adams, who spoke three times.  We received a kind letter from brother Ron Adams who preaches for the North San Diego church in California telling us it was not he, but a different brother with the same name.

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