Newsletter Vol.2, #10—March 5, 2006

Matthew 8 ⁷And he said to him, "I will come and heal him."  ⁸But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

"Fellowship"

Robert F. Turner 

In 1 John 1: John describes his fellowship with God as one dependent upon his walking "in the light" of God's truth. He had learned of Christ first hand, and then wrote this truth for our benefit; so that we may have the same kind of fellowship he had, i.e., fellowship with God. There is no fellowship with God for those who walk in darkness - error and sin.

But in 3 John (verses 9-10) John tells us of some of his brethren (evidently folk who had fellowship with God) who had been cast out of the church. Diotrephes had severed fellowship with them, and forbad others to have such fellowship. This was wrong, undoubtedly; but the fact remains that it could and did happen. This is a case where God maintained a fellowship which men refused.

The opposite is true in 1 Corinthians 5. Here, a member of the church in Corinth (whom we conclude to have had fellowship with God at one time) now lived in immorality. According to 1 John 1: (and implied here) this man had now severed his fellowship with God. He walked in darkness. But the brethren in Corinth continued to keep fellowship with him. This too, was wrong - but it did happen. Men maintained a fellowship which God refused.

Thus, two types of fellowship are apparent - that with God, depending wholly upon our walking in truth; and that with men (even brethren), which is subject to man's approval or disapproval. Saying we should approve only that which God approves (with which I agree) does not change facts. Brethren sometimes approve that which they should not - or disapprove that which they should accept. God knows the difference, and judges accordingly; but the 'party' doesn't always act as God would have it act.

As we individually obey the gospel we pledge ourselves to serve God. To Him we must individually give account when life is through (Matthew 16:24; Romans 14:4, 12). Following this agreement of allegiance, and subject to these obligations, we join hands with others to work and worship together in a local fellowship, or congregation. God commands this union; the ties of this association are grand and its obligations real; but it remains the means of serving the Master, and must never become our Master.

Fellowship of men with men is an earthly tie which has an acceptable religious significance only when it complements our service to God. It is given divine regulations, but men do not always follow those regulations. One who counts on the outward bond of 'church' fellowship alone to guarantee his spiritual redemption, leans on a broken reed. No, I do not depreciate the importance of the church. I seek to emphasize the meaning of the true church, as God's people, we do God's work in God's way - praised for their allegiance and service to God, rather than for their faithfulness to the 'party'.

Brethren who are primarily interested in keeping their fellowship with God intact, will be drawn to one another by his common interest, and find a congregational fellowship that forecasts the sweetness of heaven.

Do We Mean What We Say?

Steven Harper

            A few years ago, after a certain man had run for President and won, it was not long before he began trying to implement some of the things he had promised during the election campaign, but some things were left noticeably undone and even untried. One reporter, during a news conference with this man's press secretary, asked about the things this man had promised during the campaign and the lack of effort after his election. The press secretary, without blinking an eye and with not even the slightest hesitation, said, "He kept the promises he meant to keep." Translated: He lied; he never meant to do that at all!

It is a sad state we have come to when our President stands before the country and shakes his finger at us and blatantly lies to our face and, should he be challenged about unkept promises, simply say — without the slightest hint of regret — that he never meant to keep those promises anyway. There is a huge difference in a President telling the nation something he genuinely believes to be true and is found later to be false, and a President who knows the truth and tells a blatant and purposeful lie to divert attention away from himself [and then blame the one who discovered his 'indiscretion' for causing so much trouble]. Gone are the days when our leaders can be considered moral leaders, and gone are the days when a man can trust the mere word of another. Now, everything must be done with lengthy paperwork and legal documents to ensure promises are kept; now we must sign legal documents for even the smallest transactions and the 'handshake deal' seems have gone the way of the covered wagon and cheap gasoline.

We might expect this behavior in the godless society in which we live [it is not a 'Christian nation' by any stretch of the imagination], but it is an outright shame when those who claim to be disciples of Christ follow this same pattern of life and behavior. I know that, by making this charge against some of my own brethren, I am making a serious charge — it is very serious — but it is one that should be noted and one that we should no longer tolerate. Far too much damage is being done to the reputation of true and faithful Christians and, worse, to the name of our Lord and Savior who died for us. How is this being done? Consider these examples:

By Preachers and Public Teachers of God's Word. When we have gospel preachers and teachers publicly proclaim a willingness to speak the truth without fear or favoritism but who later are found to have withheld portions of God's word because of friends or family, we should be ashamed that such men are not rebuked, disciplined, and denied a public speaking position. What are some thinking when, instead of distancing themselves from such men when they are exposed, spend all their energy and efforts chastising the ones who have exposed their hypocrisy? What must the world be thinking when they see us uphold the hands of the hypocrite and rebuke the faithful? What must they think when they read the words of these hypocrites — condemning one brother for error and his supporters for their support, but who then defend one of their own who teaches error? What must the world think when preachers and public teachers [in either the spoken or written word] "welcome" all challenges and then refuse discussion when one does challenge their teachings or practices? What do other disciples think?

Let me tell you what they think: They think we are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites! All the bluster and apparent fearlessness to be challenged is one thing, but if we are unwilling to back up our words then we had best just sit down and be silent! Why do we say "If anyone hears or reads something with which they disagree, you would be our friend to let us know" if we really don't want to hear we might be wrong? Furthermore, what are we teaching our children and the babes in Christ when we "welcome" challenges to our words and faith and then refuse and excuse ourselves from such challenges when they do come? Let me tell you what we are teaching them: We are a bunch of hypocrites who really do not mean what we say. When we have men who boldly preach, teach, and write words as they attempt to explain and interpret God's will and who say they are willing to hear all challenges to their words, but who then cower behind the glow of their computer screens or behind their office doors when challenged, we should be ashamed and expose such men for the cowards and charlatans they are. The apostle Paul, when his life was on the line, said, “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews” (Acts 26:2) — and then he proceeded to answer! Paul was not all talk and no action; he was willing to lay his life on the line to answer those who challenged his faith. Some preachers I know should be greatly ashamed for appearing to be bold for Christ and truth in the public forum but who will then silently retreat from any and all offers to discuss their teachings, and who will refuse because they suddenly "don't have the time" or because they "don't like the tone" of the discussion. It doesn't take an electron microscope to see that a coward and a hypocrite has been revealed. Surely we can do better than this!

By Members in the Local Church. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate faithful and reliable brethren. I have been in some small congregations where certain brethren could be counted on to be there every time the doors were opened or, if need be, to open the doors themselves. They understood that the local congregation depended on them to be there as much as possible and to at least show the courtesy to let someone know ahead of time that they are unable to come, should that ever be the case [which was rare]. I could just about close my eyes and point to the place where they were sitting and know that when I opened my eyes, they would be there. They were not just faithful brethren, they were dependable brethren! I know I wasn't the only one who appreciated their dependability.

I find it sad I have to distinguish between those two terms, however, for they should coincide. It seems many brothers and sisters do not seem to put the two together, though; some think they can call themselves "faithful" and be about as unreliable as the truthfulness of a story in The National Enquirer. When brethren get angry when their faithfulness is questioned, but who will then think nothing of purposefully missing worship because of the flimsiest of excuses, we have a genuine perception problem! Exactly what does "faithful" mean? Showing up one out of five times? Twice? Three times? More than simply considering percentages, we must examine our hearts and see what is in there that has convinced us we are "faithful" when we are, in actuality, falling far short. I am confident we would be less than pleased if we hired someone who came to work only one day per week when we expected him to be there Monday through Friday. What do we think God expects of us?

In the first century, Christians were willing to lay their lives on the line for Christ. When they were driven out of their homes and cities, they didn't give up on the Lord; they continued to preach the word (Acts 8:3, 4)! When Paul found himself in prison for preaching the gospel, he did not despair, but wrote words of encouragement to the brethren on the other side of the bars that held him prisoner (Philippians). What is it that we allow to stand in the way of our faithfulness and what is it that has so damaged our trustworthiness to the point our own brethren cannot depend on us when it is time for the Lord's work to be done?

Do you mean what you say? I sure hope so. But the proof is in your actions. Are you faithful? Prove it by letting nothing stand in the way of your service and worship. Prove it by doing whatever it takes to grow in spiritual strength and knowledge. Prove it by making God your highest priority. Prove it by your life, not just your words.

TRUTH & REASON, a bulletin of the Glendale church of Christ, Glendale, AZ, October 2, 2005