The Church s Special Responsibilities and Privileges. The Lazy, the Deceitful, the Angry, and the Fools. True Deaconship. Was James Ignorant?

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1 Te Curc s Special Responsibilities and Privileges By Timoty J. ille of Asland, Illinois Mattew 18:17-20 It sould be te desire of every member of Crist s body tat personal offences end at te personal level, and are scripturally resolved witout being brougt before te curc. Te purpose of offences, from te sinful standpoint, is to interfere wit te mission of Crist and te commission of Crist s kind of True Deaconsip By Roger Reed of Mansfield, Oio Over te years, I ave traveled many miles and eard and preaced many sermons. I ave met many of my fellow Broters and Sisters in te Lord and observed many tings pertaining to curc decorum and curc attitudes. But one of te most disturbing to me is te role of deacon and ow te pastor is treated by tem. curc: For te Son of man is come to save tat wic was lost (Matt. 18:11). Sad, would it not be, if ever our personal beavior proved an interference to te saving work of our blessed and wonderful Lord, Savior, and ead? I do not mean (Continued on page 2) Tere are two tings tat I would like to touc upon in tis articleone concerning te deacon s duties and responsibilities and one on te treatment of te pastor. Te first mention of te duties and responsibilities of deaconsip (Continued on page 6) Te Lazy, te Deceitful, te Angry, and te Fools By Paul Stepp of Indore, West Virginia I went by te field of te slotful, and by te vineyard of te man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over wit torns, and nettles ad covered te face tereof, and te stone wall tereof was broken down. Ten I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of te ands to By Curtis Pug of Poteau, Oklaoma sleep: So sall ty poverty come as one tat travellet; and ty want as an armed man. (Prov. 24:30-34). Tere are at least four prominent types of men tat are condemned in te Book of Proverbs. Tose four types of men I want to speak of are te Lazy, te Deceitful, te Angry, (Continued on page 9) Was James Ignorant? Or Tougts On Understanding Te Epistle Of James Tere is disagreement, and as been for centuries, as to wom James wrote is epistle. Tis disagreement is not mere impractical academics, but affects te meanings of various statements e wrote and is terefore important to us. Understanding tis part of te context of te book sould guide our understanding of it. So we furnis tis brief consideration of te time and circumstances of James epistle oping tat it migt be a elp to te reader in understanding Te Epistle of James. Tat James wrote early in Cristian istory is universally agreed upon, probably as early as A.D. 45, making is letter te earliest written of all New Testament Books. As best we can date tings, Saul (Paul) ad been fetced by Barnabas from Tarsus in A.D. 46 te year after James wrote and tey ad traveled to Antioc in Syria. We know were tey were te next year for te Scripture is clear: Ten departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And wen e ad (Continued on page 11)

2 Page 2 Te Berea Baptist Banner April 5, 2017 April 5, 2017 Volume XXXVII, Number 4 Wole Number 453 Editor: Cristoper Cockrell Staff: Seron Cockrell, Marsa Kiser, Virginia Cockrell TE BEREA BAPTIST BANNER (UPS ) is publised montly for $6.00 per year by te autority of te Berea Baptist Curc, 3881 igway 363, Mantacie, Mississippi Periodical Publication postage paid at Mantacie, Mississippi. POSTMASTER: Send address canges to TE BEREA BAPTIST BANNER, P. O. Box 39, Mantacie, Mississippi PUBLICATION POLICIES: All matter for publication sould be sent to te editor. All manuscripts are to be typed and double spaced. All suc material becomes te property of BBB and will not be returned unless requested by te writer. We reserve te rigt to edit and condense all materials sent to us for publication. Te publication of an article does not necessarily mean te editor is in complete agreement wit te writer, nor does it mean e endorses all tis person may ave written on oter subjects. 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Te post office will only forward periodical mail for 90 days. Tey carge us $.70 for eac cange of address tey ave to send us. Please save us tis expense and te post office time. BUNDLES TO ONE ADDRESS: Tese are sent for $4 per paper for a year. An example: 10 papers for one year at $40 or 20 papers for one year at $ LOCATION OF PUBLISING CURC: Our curc is located on state igway 363 about one mile sout of Mantacie, Mississippi. Readers are always welcome to visit our services. CURC PONE: A PAPER WITOUT SUBSCRIPTION: Some times people write to us and say tat tey did not subscribe for te BBB. Tey are receiving our paper because someone else as paid for teir subscription. We trust te BBB will be received as an outstretced and to you. Take wat you find elpful and discard wat you cannot use. If you do not want to receive suc a gift subscription, please write to us. We are appy to cancel suc a subscription. We do not want to go were we are not wanted. DISCLAIMER: Te Editor assumes tat te articles submitted for publication in te BBB are written by te person wose name tey bear, unless oterwise indicated by a quote from anoter writer. owever, te Editor cannot personally guarantee tat tis is te case in all articles wic appear in te BBB. Te purpose of te Berea Baptist Banner is as follows: 1.To onor God and to exalt te Lord Jesus Crist. 2. To preac te gospel to lost sinners. 3. To spread te wole counsel of God s Word. 4. To encourage God s preacers and to strengt-en is curces in te most oly fait. 5. To motivate God s cildren to a closer fellow-sip around is Word. 6. To inform people of world events in ligt of Bible propecy. 7. To condemn and expose error werever it may rear its ugly ead. 8. To stimulate Cristian growt in grace. 9. To make te Devil and is demons as mad as possible. Tune in to te Berea Baptist Broadcast STATION TIME DIAL WATTS WCNA, Myrtle, MS...Sunday 9:30-10:00 a.m ,000 FM WCTT, Corbin, KY...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 AM WFTA, Tupelo, MS...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 FM KARI, Blaine, WA...Saturday 10:30-11:00 a.m ,000 AM KPRV, eavener, OK... Sunday 8:30-9:00 a.m ,000 FM WQRL, Benton, IL...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,500 FM WPWT, Bristol, TN...Sunday 1:00-1:30 p.m ,000 AM WPWT, Colonial eigts, TN...Sunday 1:00-1:30 p.m FM WPWT, Kingsport, TN...Sunday 1:00-1:30 p.m FM GONE TO SLEEP WAITING ON TE MAIL? Look at your mailing label on te front page of tis mont s paper. If you see above your name Expires 4/2017 ten tis will be your last issue. So don t fall asleep waiting for te mailman! Renew now so you won t miss next mont s Banner. Curc s Special (Continued from page 1) to intimate tat we can keep te Lord from saving any one wom e seeks to save. But I do mean to state empatically and plainly tat we can be found opposed to Crist and is cross in our beavior, our attitude, and our speec (Matt. 17:21-23). Now, wen we speak of te curc, we mean wat te Bible means. We see in our text tat te curc as te responsibility of exercising curc discipline upon its members tose wo are called bretren wo will not repent of personal offences against oter members. Tis can only be understood of a local, visible congregation, wic congregates or assembles at a specified place and time for te purpose of worsipping God and carrying out te commandments of Crist. Tis is te only kind of curc tat we find mentioned or described in te Scriptures. Te notion tat tere is any oter kind is witout scriptural warrant or basis. We ave certain scriptural responsibilities and privileges granted us as a curc of te living God, like and descended from te first curc wic Jesus personally instituted and establised during is personal eartly ministry, comprised initially of te persons wom Jon te Baptist ad made ready for te Lord. Te first responsibility wic we find mentioned in our text is tat of dealing wit sin in te way wic our Master and ead as prescribed. We will not continue as a curc of te living God long in tis world witout aving to deal wit sin in our members. Eac of us personally as to deal wit sin in te members of our mortal bodies (Col. 3:5-11). It is no surprise, ten, tat te curc body will ave to deal wit sin in its members, seeing tat te curc body is comprised of individual members wo are aving daily to eac deal will sin. Te desire of eac of us in dealing wit sin sould be tat our sin not ave to be dealt wit by te curc. We sould be zealous and repent witout te need for broterly or curc rebuke. Te watcfulness wic we are to exercise over ourselves sould call to our attention tat we ave grieved te oly Spirit of God, and at once send us to mourning te loss of te smile of our indwelling Companion and elper, wo is so like Crist to us tat e was sent by Crist to occupy Crist s place wit us all along our pilgrim journey ere below, until Crist comes for us imself to receive us to imself. Tat we sould offend tat gracious divine Person wo as worked in our spirits to produce saving fait wic as made us rigt wit our great and gracious God; wo is imself te divine pledge of eternal triumps and treasures to come; wo as sealed us to te day of redemption; and wo dwells wit us and is in us, and takes up our eart cries to God as is own personal, unutterable groanings; to grieve im sould immediately cause us eart-rendings of godly sorrow wic produce repentance! Ten, tere is also te motive tat ougt to move our earts to almost te same degree, tat we ave offended a broter (for first loving God wit all our eart, soul, mind, and understanding, we ougt next to love our neigbor as our self). To cause our broter or sister to stumble to be te cause by our own action or inaction, our own selfisness, our own carelessness, our own sinfulness, (Continued on page 3)

3 April 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 3 Curc s Special (Continued from page 2) of te injury of one wo is a member of our own selves for we are members one of anoter (Ep. 4:25), sait te Word of God sould cause us at once to mourn our own personal folly, and at once seek to be forgiven, and to again walk in te rigt way as we ougt. Would you wound your own eye for spite? Would you injure your own and. or arm or foot, for sporting fun s sake? You would be accounted a fool yea, more tan a fool, a mad man by all rigt-tinking people. O, let us labor to eed tat wonderfully wise admonition of Scripture: I Jon 2:1-3. All responsibility is ultimately personal responsibility. Sin in te curc sin committed by members of te curc is te personal responsibility of te one wo committed te sin, and te one wo was sinned against. May we labor so tat any sin wic we do commit ends tere, between me, te offender, and my broter or sister wom I ave offended. And, I say, suc tat it is committed no more, and te commission of it is repented of, confessed, forsaken, and forgiven. Sould te sin not end tere, it will likely become te responsibility of all te members of te curc wic is a grievous ting, because ten all are exposed to te sin, and sin is a deadly cancer wic grows and enlarges itself by leaps and bounds, and is greatly contagious! Know ye not tat a little leaven leavenet te wole lump (I Cor. 5:6)? Sin is migtier tan we. It slew us in our infancy yea, it slew us in our conception Beold, I was sapen in iniquity; and in sin did my moter conceive me (Ps. 51:5) and it will make us te downfall of every oter person wit wom we ave contact if we do not slay it by te power of Jesus cross! O, wat carefulness must be exercised, wat umility, wat Crist-likemindedness, wen we, as a body of Crist, are required to take on te responsibility of dealing wit sin in our members! Sin is a missapen ting, and it missapes all else. Remember wat trouble was caused Israel of old wen Acan trespassed in te accursed ting. Wy ast tou troubled us? te LORD sall trouble tee tis day (Josua 7:25), was te divinely recorded condemnation upon Acan and is ouse. Remember wat trouble sin wrougt in te curc at Corint, suc tat tey beaved exactly te opposite as tey sould ave. Tey sould ave been in mourning, but tey were puffed up wit pride (I Cor. 5:1-2). Sin is no cause for celebration. It is worty only of a funeral, and so let us give it one wenever it rears its ugly ead. Let it be mourned and mortified, for only suc may it be rigtly dealt wit by us. Let us remind ourselves at tis point as to te aim of our dealing wit sin personally and in te curc. Moreover if ty broter sall trespass against tee, go and tell im is fault between tee and im alone: if e sall ear tee, tou ast gained ty broter (Matt. 18:15). Te object is to gain our broter, not to lose im. I am reminded of te failure of King Saul, wen e sinned in failing to obey te commandment of te Lord in utterly destroying te Amalekites, tat avowed and bitter enemy of God and God s people, against wom God ad sworn eternal warfare (wom do you tink will win in tat war, God or Amalek?). Saul spared Agag, te king of Amalek. e sowed more affinity Little ills By Nataniel ille of Plant City, Florida... and te little ills rejoice on every side (Psalms 65:12). Te New Birt #13 Evidences of aving Been Born Again Part 6 Wosoever believet tat Jesus is te Crist is born of God; and everyone tat lovet im tat begot lovet im also tat is begotten of im (I Jon 5:1). In addition to believing tat Jesus is te Crist, tose wo are born of God will love te bretren tose wo are also born of God. Te Bible speaks of a natural affection tat we ave for our spouses, cildren, friends (II Tim. 3:3). But natural affection is not tat love wic evidences one is saved. Te word lovet in our text is agapo. It is tat selfsacrificing love tat caused Jesus to leave is Fater s trone and go to Calvary to die for wretces to an enemy tan to God. Samuel te propet called for a sword, and ewed Agag in pieces before te LORD in Gilgal (I Sam. 15:33). Samuel did not ack King Saul to bits, toug e did mourn because of is sin. We are not to ack one wo is a broter to bits; but we ougt to take te sword to any and all sin. I say again, let us remember our aim, wic is te destruction of our enemy, sin, and not te destruction of our broter. Wat is our responsibility as a curc toward sin in one wo is called a broter? Jesus states, And if e sall neglect to ear tem, tell it unto te curc: but if e neglect to ear te curc. Te curc is to first listen, and ten be eard; and if se is to be eard, se terefore se must like me. Te Lord Jesus stated: Tis is my commandment, tat ye love one anoter, AS I AVE LOVED YOU (Jon 15:12) (emp. N). Loving tose wo are born of God AS JESUS LOVED ME is te love tat evidences tat I am saved. Te love tat Jesus Crist as for tose wom e as born again is a super-natural love. is love for is people passet knowledge (Ep. 3:19); forgives and forgets sin (Luke 23:34); loved me in Getsemane wile in agony (Luke 22:44); love led im to Calvary (Jon 3:16). We must ask ourselves: Do I ave tis love for my broters and sistersin-crist; or do I ave mere natural affection because tey are friends and family? speak. Se must we must, as a unified body (1) speak to te sinning, erring broter; and (2) speak against is sinning. Te object in mind is te recovery of our broter. Wat pleadings, beseecings, earnest exortations, and admonitions are called for! Wat supplications, intercessions, and crying before te trone of grace must go before, around, and beind all, we cannot measure! Wit lowliness and meekness did Crist come to recover us from te pit of sin; and wit suc lowliness and meekness must we seek to recover a broter or sister wo as been overtaken in a fault. Bretren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye wic are spiritual, restore suc an one in te (Continued on page 4)

4 Page 4 Te Berea Baptist Banner April 5, 2017 Curc s Special (Continued from page 3) spirit of meekness; considering tyself, lest tou also be tempted (Gal. 6:1). We must not say, O, I am not spiritual enoug for tis. A broter is at stake! We must be spiritual! We must put on te armor of ligt, for our own broter is being assaulted by te forces of spiritual darkness and wickedness. Tey would ave im if tey could; and if tey cannot ave im, tey would ruin im if tey migt; and failing tat, tey would scar is conscience. Satan desired to ave Simon Peter, to sift im as weat: and as yet, your adversary te devil, as a roaring lion, walket about, seeking wom e may devour (I Pet. 5:8). Israel was compelled to love te bretren by not permitting sin to go uncecked (Lev. 19:17). ow muc more are we, members of Crist s body, compelled to love one anoter, being commanded bot by a new commandment as well as by a living example to love one anoter and lay down our lives for te bretren! ow muc more ougt we to take a watc care over ourselves personally and one anoter collectively, tat we do not allow tat wicked leaven of malice, ypocrisy, envy, idolatry, and lying deceit to corrupt our membersip! Wat means, tis, ten, wen one wo was called a broter or sister must be unto us as an eaten man and a publican? We would not old concourse or close fellowsip wit an eaten man and a publican. We would not account it fitting of our calling, or worty of tat gospel by wic we ave been saved and are kept safe, to ave fellowsip wit teir unfruitful works and ways. So, tat is wat it means. We are not to carry on friendly fellowsip wit tem in te same manner as wen sin ad not made inroads by way of teir conduct into our midst. Te Jews would not countenance te ill-gotten gains of a publican. Tey would not enter te ouse of a person of an eaten nation (refer to Acts 10:28). We are told tat wile one wose name was numbered among te members of te curc refuses to repent, we are not so muc as to eat wit tem (I Cor. 5:11). Will teir feelings be urt? Very likely. Will tey be destroyed by our witolding fellowsip from tem? Not at all, but sin may be. In te world, love is said to entail never disagreeing wit someone s beavior; but not so in te Word of God. Can two walk togeter, except tey be agreed (Amos 3:3)? Te curc and te erring member are no longer walking te same way; and eiter we will walk wit te erring member, or we will walk wit God. I can love a person wose beavior is foolisly and recklessly dangerous; but I do not ave to expose myself to teir folly and recklessness on account of love. I can warn, set a rigt example, pray and intercede; but tat does not require me to ride along te road of disaster in te passenger seat wit tem wile tey drive farter and farter from God s will. We find tat te next special privilege tat is granted te curc of te living God wile se occupies until e comes is tat of obtaining answers to united prayers. Again I say unto you, Tat if two of you sall agree on eart as toucing any ting tat tey sall ask, it sall be done for tem of my Fater wic is in eaven (Matt. 18:19). I feel tat tis is one of te more neglected of divine grants given to te Lord s kind of a curc in tis dispensation. Wat a peculiar and precious privilege, tat te request of even te smallest of Crist s congregations, be it offered in oly and divinely-effected unity, is guaranteed fulfillment! In my carnal mind, I find it unbelievable; but in my renewed mind I rejoice and am moved to leaping for joy tat suc a promise is given by our wonderful Savior and ead, wo never exaggerates or lies, not even for effect, but is always altogeter trutful and faitful. O, curc, ave you grasped tis promise? You ave no greater to take old upon during your eartly our of service to your Lord and Master. All requests granted, wen requested in unity. We ear many speak of te blessing of unity, but unity in wat, we ask? ere Jesus exorts to unity in praying and beseecing God for te tings needed and desired in is service. ow often, wen confronted wit te responsibility of dealing wit sin, as was previously noted, ave we gone and-in-and, eart-wit-eart, boldly unto te trone of grace, tat we may obtain mercy, and find grace to elp in time of need (eb. 4:16)? ow often, if an erring broter was restored, ave we joined in united giving of tanks to God for te mercy given and te longsuffering sown? I say again tat tis is a special privilege granted peculiarly to te Lord s curces. Tis gracious grant of divine mercy is a privilege of every congregation of te Lord, sould tey exercise it (and tey sould). We find te first curc doing so on at least two occasions, once for divine aid in preacing te gospel; and once for divine deliverance from persecution (Acts 4:23-33; 12:1-17). It is divine aid and deliverance wic we need at every our and in every circumstance. aving, terefore, tis divine grant of exceeding gracious liberty, let us exercise it wit believing earts. Notice tat tis privilege requires agreement. Wat sort of agreement do you suppose is required? I ave eard many in curces state tat so long as tey agree and te curc decides on someting, tat is all te agreement tat is required to do anyting tey desire. I do not tink so. I tink tat tese wo agree on eart, as Jesus says, must not violate te principle wic governed everyting e ever said or did during is own eartly ministry, wic was, Ty will be done in eart, as it is in eaven (Matt. 6:10). Is it not te principle of all prayer, tat, if we ask any ting according to is will, e earet us: And if we know tat e ear us, watsoever we ask, we know tat we ave te petitions tat we desired of im (I Jon 5:14-15). Tese two (or more, as te case may be, if te curc as more tan two members) wo agree are first of all in agreement wit God. Tat was te problem wit te previously considered erring broter e was walking contrary to God, God s Word, and God s will. Wen te curc members are united in obedience to God s will, ten may tey ask God wat tey will and teir request sall be granted. Let me offer a simple illustration. Suppose all of te members of a curc are united in placing video gaming macines in te annex of te curc facility. Tey propose tat te proceeds will all go to support some worty cause, suc as feeding te ungry, cloting te naked, and assisting te poor. Tey are united, tey pray, and ten tey proceed to acquire and install te macines and (Continued on page 6)

5 April 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 5 Te Noted Pastor By Todd Bryant of Nortport, Alabama Wy Can You Not Pay Attention in Worsip? For tis cause also tank we God witout ceasing, because, wen ye received te word of God wic ye eard of us, ye received it not as te word of men, but as it is in trut, te word of God, wic effectually worket also in you tat believe (I Tess. 2:13). It is a burden for every pastor tat I know. People sow up for a curc service dressed appropriately and talking te talk, so to speak. Service begins and somebody is not singing. Tey are talking. Maybe it is talking to a kid or to a spouse or to a friend wo knows? But noneteless, te worsip of God is being put aside for idle catter. Ten, te singing is done. Te pastor steps into te pulpit to preac te sermon e as studied for all week wile praying tat God would enable im to reac te flock. is ope for te past several days is tat earts and minds would be canged by tis sermon. ours ave gone into te study and preparation. Words (Englis, Greek, ebrew all) defined prases laboriously studied notes became an outline. e rose up early Sunday morning wile everyone was still asleep to restudy is outline in prayer tat God would use im tat day. e glances out to is flock tat e cares for so deeply te flock e as studied to feed. More idle catter more talking people engaged in conversation tat clearly as noting to do wit God or worsip. Wy does tis appen? If you struggle to listen to a pastor exposit God s Word for you, someting is wrong. First tings first, if you are an adult, you sould be able to sow enoug respect for God and te man e as called to lead you by listening to wat e as to say. It is simply disrespectful to ignore a man tat as put in so muc effort te past week for you and te good of your soul. And if te pastor is wort is pay, e as put in far more effort tan you will ever realize in tis life. None of us would appreciate suc an attitude on a personal level. Yet, many believers struggle wit it. We must learn to respect tose God as placed over us to lead us. Obey tem tat ave te rule over you, and submit yourselves: for tey watc for your souls, as tey tat must give account, tat tey may do it wit joy, and not wit grief: for tat is unprofitable for you (eb. 13:17). I do not begin to ave all te answers as to wy people get up, bate and drive to curc only to sit tere on teir cell pone and talk wit teir neigbor. Tere is no common sense in tat. And furtermore, it sows tat we (as citizens of a free country) are completely spoiled. Tere are believers today in oter parts of te world putting teir lives on te line every time tey assemble. Can we not at least respect tem? But onestly, respect is not nearly te wole issue. Tere is a root cause as to wy you migt tink it is OK to visit during te services rater tan pay attention to te Word of God as it is preaced to you. Maybe you are not saved. I guess tat is quite a bomb to drop. But in our text verse above, Paul differentiates te salvation of te believers in Tessalonica as it compared to tose tat did not regard te Word of God as worty to ear. If you do not care about te preacing of God s Word and you feel talking to your neigbor (and tereby indering teir listening) is more to be preferred tan listening attentively, tat is a great cause for concern. Someting is gravely off and it may be a false profession on your part. Tat said, some true believers certainly waver from time to time in teir walk wit Crist. Te Word of God is often laid aside for oter secular tings in life. Peraps atletics, or some obby, or cildren or even work as so drawn your attention tat it s difficult to focus on God. Let us all remember tat we must not lay up for yourselves treasures upon eart, were mot and rust dot corrupt, and were tieves break troug and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in eaven, were neiter mot nor rust dot corrupt, and were tieves do not break troug nor steal (Matt. 6:19-20). Jesus followed tis instruction up wit tis declaration, For were your treasure is, tere will your eart be also (Matt. 6:21). If your eart just is not in curc worsip, your treasure is not eiter. Do not fool yourself. Your priorities are off. Take note, for te LORD seet not as man seet; for man looket on te outward appearance, but te LORD looket on te eart (I Sam. 16:7). God imself knows wat is going on even if you are able to fool tose around you. Do not pass up te opportunity to listen to God s Word preaced. Do not flippantly sit in worsip visiting wit your neigbor wile te pastor sares is ours of labor in God s Word wit you. I ave sat in te living room of a dying man wit tears flowing down is face as e admitted ow e ad ad far less regard tan e sould ave for God s Word and te preacing of it. If you are a cild of God, you will face te same deat wit te same regrets as tat man if you treat te worsip service flippantly. We are blessed (for now) to be free in America, to sit in a congregation tat preaces God s Word (if your curc does not, you need to find a new curc). You will certainly look back and wis you ad listened if you do not now. Remember, you, as a curc body, ired a man to care for your souls. Allow im to do te job you called im to do. You can only do tis wen you approac te preacing of God s Word attentively and prayerfully. A SERMON QUERY Is tere not ere a propet of te LORD besides, tat we migt enquire of im (II Cron. 18:6)? An article or sermon comparing people from every walk of life tat were saved during te ministry of Crist compared to people of our day and time. An article comparing te curces of te early apostalic age wit modern day assemblies. Editor s Note: In years past many of te old Baptist papers would publis a sermon query in te pages of teir paper. Tese were inquiries of interest in an idea for an article on te described topic.

6 Page 6 Te Berea Baptist Banner April 5, 2017 Curc s Special (Continued from page 4) invite folks to play so as to fund te worty causes mentioned. All are satisfied. All, except God, I daresay. Unity is not te only requirement. Te world is, and will be, united against God in sin and sinning; but tey sall not prosper, teir unity notwitstanding. Te Lord s kind of a curc may not do watever te members want, and assume tey ave God s approval. Merely because tey mouted a prayer and did wat tey wanted does not mean tat God approved or elped. God allowed a Jezebel to old sway in te curc at Tyatira for a wile; but not for long, or forever (Rev. 2:18-23, 29). Tat if two of you sall agree on eart, as toucing anyting tat tey sall ask; bot in te case before mentioned, and in any oter ting: weter it be for temselves or oters; to assist tem in te ministry of te word, and give success to it, for te conversion of sinners; and in te performance of any miracle, for te confirmation of te Gospel; in te administration of ordinances, for te comfort of saints; and in laying on of censures, for te reclaiming of backsliders; or be it wat it will tat may be done, consistent wit te glory of God, te purposes of is mind, and te declarations of is will, and te good of men, provided tey agree in teir requests; toug tey are ere on eart, and at suc a distance from eaven, from wence teir elp and assistance come: it sall be done for tem of my Fater wic is in eaven; wit wom noting is impossible; and wo, as e regards te effectual fervent prayer of any rigteous man, so more, of two agreed togeter in anyone ting; and still more, of a curc and community of saints in teir united requests: a great encouragement tis to social prayer, toug ever so few are engaged in it. (Gill, Jon.) O, curc, do not neglect your privilege, for erein lies your power. eaven and eart may be moved by a single saint wo prays believingly; ow muc more so wen you, is espoused and beloved bride, unite in lifting up oly ands witout wrat and doubting, calling upon im to fulfill is precious promises! Let all be done wit and by prayer, or else all will be done in vain. Te key to tis privilege of answered prayer, and te foundation upon wic it rests, is te final privilege wic we notice: For were two or tree are gatered togeter in my name, tere am I in te midst of tem (Matt. 18:20). Te sweetest privilege of all tat is afforded te Lord s curces is is peculiar presence in teir midst. It is on account of tis tat tey are, truly, te ouse of God, wic is te curc of te living God, te pillar and ground of te trut (I Tim. 3:15). Absent tis privilege, te curc of te living God would be no different tan te idolatrous temples of pagan deities. Tanks be to God tere is a difference, a divinely caused and effected difference, grounded upon divine promises, wic cannot fail! Tat God sould visit man to save im were wonderful beyond imagination; but tat e sould abide wit men, and make is abitation wit tem, troug is Spirit, is wonder beyond wonderment! It is te igest privilege tis side of eaven, after te divine grant of soul-salvation, to be granted a place in te ouse of God, and to worsip God terein and tereby (Ep. 2:19-22). I will say gladly and freely, tat I ave known no greater joy nor peace nor satisfaction in tis life tan tat wic I ave known by way of being in te ouse of God. One ting ave I desired of te LORD, tat will I seek after; tat I may dwell in te ouse of te LORD all te days of my life, to beold te beauty of te LORD, and to inquire in is temple (Ps. 27:4). In te Old Testament, God s ouse was called an ouse of prayer for all people (Isa. 56:7). It was te place were God was to be approaced, acknowledged, adored, and sougt after. So is is ouse today, wic is is kind of New Testament curc, weresoever se may be found upon te face of te wole eart. It is on account of im wo meets wit is people in is curces tat teir prayers acceptance gain, and teir requests are performed by te living God, wo rules over all tings, visible and invisible, in eaven, in eart, and under te eart. Let me conclude by stating tat suc a privilege is in itself a responsibility. aving a divine pledge to be in our midst wen we meet togeter, ow can we do anyting but meet togeter to claim tis gracious pledge! If a king, queen, president, governor, celebrity, famous atlete, or ric person of ig station were to promise to meet wit us, we would not tink or dare to decline or miss te meeting, ad we even common manners or decorum. But ere is a pledge from te Prince of Peace and Life, e wo bore our sins in is own body on te tree, te Lord of lords and King of kings, te Savior of te world! ow can we decline to ever meet wit im (eb. 10:23-25)? God s grace be wit you, dear curc of te living God! True Deaconsip (Continued from page 1) is found in Acts 6:1-7. Ten we see te qualifications for deacons in I Timoty 3:8 and Titus 3:12. We see Paul acknowledges te deacons along wit te bisops (pastors) at Pilippi. Paul and Timoteus, te servants of Jesus Crist, to all te saints in Crist Jesus wic are at Pilippi, wit te bisops and deacons (Pil. 1:1). For one reason or anoter some deacons ave forgotten (or never knew) wat teir true duties are. It appears, (from my observation) tey tink teir duties are to run, and dictate to te pastor and curc, and run rougsod over tem bot. Tat is NOT te duty of a deacon. I ave not for te life of me figured out wy or wen tis line of tinking came about. Maybe tere needs to be a seminar to teac wat is required of a deacon before tey are ordained. Te duties of a deacon are to serve, not rule or be ead onco. According to te Baptist Curc Manual by J. M. Pendleton te deacon s responsibility is as follows: DEACONS: Te office of deacon originated in a state of tings referred to in te sixt capter of te Acts of te Apostles. It is said tat...wen te number of te disciples was multiplied, tere arose a murmuring of te Grecians against te ebrews, because teir widows were neglected in te daily ministration (Acts 6:1). Te Grecians were Jews as well as te ebrews, but tey spoke te Greek language, (Continued on page 7)

7 April 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 7 True Deaconsip (Continued from page 6) and were probably not natives of Palestine. Te members of te curc at Jerusalem ad all tings in common, and a distribution was made out of te common stock as every man ad need. Tis seems to ave been done at first under te immediate direction of te apostles; and te intimation is tat te large increase of te curc interfered wit an impartial distribution of supplies. Te apostles saw tat, if tey made it teir personal business to serve tables, it would greatly inder teir work in its spiritual aspects. Tey said:...it is not reason tat we sould leave te word of God, and serve tables; werefore, bretren, look ye out among you seven men of onest report, full of te oly Spirit and wisdom, wom we may appoint over tis business, but we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to te ministry of te word (Acts 6:2-4). Tus, te creation of te office of deacon recognizes te fact tat te duties of pastors are preeminently spiritual; and tat tey sould not be burdened wit te secular interests of te curces. Te opinion as been entertained by some tat te deaconsip was designed to be temporary. Te argument is tat te office was created because te property of te curc at Jerusalem ad been trown togeter into a common stock. It was requisite to ave officers to superintend and distribute it. Ten te inference is drawn, tat wen te property of curcmembers was no longer put into a common stock, te office of deacon was virtually abolised. Tis reasoning is more plausible tan conclusive. In proof of tis, it may be said tat te members of te curc at Jerusalem were not required to put teir property into a common stock. It was a voluntary matter. Nor is tere an intimation in te New Testament tat any curc, except te one at Jerusalem, ever adopted te common-stock regulation. It was, doubtless, considered by tat curc a prudential arrangement, wic involved temporary expediency rater tan permanent principle. Tat te curc at Antioc did not follow te example of te curc at Jerusalem, in relation to tis matter, is evident from Acts 11:29. Ten te disciples, every man according to is ability, determined to send relief to te bretren wo dwelt in Judea. Tis individual determination sows tat te property of te curc was not in common stock. And Paul s direction to te curc at Corint (I Cor. 16:2) indicates tat te Jerusalem policy ad not been adopted. Te same apostle, too, in is letter to te Pilippians, and to Timoty, refers to deacons. Tere was, terefore, a recognition of te deaconsip wen tere was, so far as we know, no common property regulation. And more tan tis, te irresistible inference from Paul s first Epistle to Timoty is tat te office of deacon is as permanent as tat of pastor. No one doubts tat te office of pastor is to be perpetuated to te end of time. Te conclusion is tat te deaconsip is permanent in te curces of Crist, and tat pastors and deacons are te only permanent Scriptural curc officers. Te words...men of onest report, full of te oly Spirit, and wisdom... applied to te first deacons, indicates tat tey were men of unblemised reputation, ardent piety, and good common sense. Tese qualifications sould be sougt in all wo are appointed to te office of deacon. Te prase, full of te oly Spirit, is an admirable description of fervent, elevated piety; and in te selection of deacons teir spirituality must be regarded, for teir duties are not exclusively secular. Teir secular duties, owever, sould be performed in a spiritual frame of mind; and in tis way... tey purcase to temselves a good degree, and obtain great boldness in te fait. In visiting te pious poor, to distribute te carities of te curc, deacons must not perform te duty in a formal manner, but must inquire into te spiritual as well as te worldly circumstances of te recipients of te curc s bounty. Tey will often witness suc an exibition of fait, patience, gratitude, and resignation as will ricly repay tem for teir labor of love. As occasion may require, tey sould report to te pastor suc cases as need is special attention, and tus tey will become a connecting link between te pastor and te needy ones of te curc. As deacons were appointed at first to serve tables, it may be well to say, tere are tree tables for tem to serve: 1. Te table of te poor. 2. Te table of te Lord. 3. Te table of te pastor. Te pecuniary supplies to enable tem to serve tese tables must be furnised by te curc. Te custom of taking a collection for te poor wen te Lord s Supper is administered is a good one, and worty of universal adoption. It is suitable at te close of te solemn service to tink of te pious poor, wom sickness or some oter misfortune may ave kept from te sacred feast. As some pecuniary expenditure is necessary in furnising te table of te Lord, tis sould be made troug te deacons; and it is eminently proper, toug not indispensable, for tem to wait on te communicants in te distribution of te elements. Deacons must serve te pastor s table. It is not for tem to decide ow liberally or scantily it sall be supplied. Te curc must make te decision, and enlarged views sould be taken wen it is made; for te energies of undreds of pastors are greatly impaired by an incompetent support. Te pastor s compensation aving been agreed on by te curc, te deacons must see tat it is raised and paid over. Tey may appoint one of teir number acting treasurer, wo sall receive and pay out funds; but it sould never be forgotten tat deacons are by virtue of teir office te treasurers of te curc. To appoint any oter member to act as treasurer is not warranted by Scripture. It is said tat in some curces te trustees fix te salaries of pastors; and from time to time increase or diminis tem according to teir pleasure tat tey employ coirs, buy organs, engage sextons, etc., etc. All tis is utterly indefensible. Trustees ave not a particle of rigt to do tese tings. Te government of a curc is wit its members. Te curces must say wat pastors salaries sall be, weter music sall be led by coirs, wit te aid of instruments or not, etc., etc. Noting must be done wic infringes te fundamental doctrine of curc independence. It is well worty of te consideration of te curces weter tey sould ave trustees distinct from (Continued on page 8)

8 Page 8 Te Berea Baptist Banner April 5, 2017 True Deaconsip (Continued from page 7) deacons. Would it not be better for every curc to merge its trusteesip into its deaconsip? We do not esitate to answer tis question in te affirmative. Trustees attend to some of te secular interests of te curces, and all tese interests sould be under te management of te deacons. Tey were appointed originally for tis very purpose, and a full discarge of te duties of teir office would supersede te necessity of trustees. Sould te curces practically adopt tis view, it migt be necessary, in some cases, to increase te number of deacons. Tis could be done. Te probability, too, is tat te plan ere recommended would secure a better deaconsip in many curces; for tey make it a point to select teir best business men for trustees. Tese are te very men for deacons. But te supreme argument in favor of tis arrangement is, tat it is scriptural, wile tere is no scriptural autority for trustees as distinct officers. End Quote. Tere are oter curc manuals tat Baptist curces use suc as Baptist Curc Manual by Dr. J. E. Cobb, Te iscox Standard Baptist Manual by Edward T. iscox, and Te Pastor s Manual by J. R. obbs. Tese tree along wit Baptist Curc Manual by J. M. Pendleton are te four I ave in my library. Tere is more tan enoug information from tese writers to know ow deacons sould conduct temselves. Tere may not be an agreement on every issue tat tese men ave written down, but te guideline is certainly tere for Baptist curces to use along wit oly Writ, always being first and foremost. Before I continue, let me make someting perfectly clear. Te New Testament Baptist Curc is an autonomous body. Autonomous means: government, 1. self-governing; independent; subject to its own laws only; pertaining to an autonomy, or a self-governing community. 2. aving autonomy; not subject to control from outside; independent: a subsidiary tat functioned as an autonomous unit. First, te curc is not governed by anyone or anyting from te outside. Second, te curc functions as a unit from te inside (te body), and no one person dictates to it. Te membersip as a wole makes te decisions. I am aware tat our Baptist curces are split wen it comes to men and woman voting and I will not argue tat point ere, only to tis point I would say, it is up to te local curc to decide. I will not reas wat J. M. Pendleton as quoted ere. But it sould be obvious at tis point tat te office of a deacon sould be used to serve tables and noting else. Te tougt of deacons calling members of te curc to persuade tem on ow or wat to vote on is totally antiscriptural. And it blows my mind tat tis is even appening and I can assure you it as. Tere is no excuse for oter members of te curc weter deacon or not, to engage in suc a practice eiter. Tis would be unacceptable as well. Now, so I do not get accused of telling curces wat tey can and cannot do, let me clarify someting. Weter I would agree or not, if any New Testament Curc would vote to ave teir deacons call oter members of te curc to persuade tem on any issue or put te deacon in te position to run rougsod over teir pastors, te curc ten is in teir rigt to do so, but in my opinion te Lord would not be pleased. Remember wat Jesus said concerning te curc, Verily I say unto you, Watsoever ye sall bind on eart sall be bound in eaven: and watsoever ye sall loose on eart sall be loosed in eaven (Matt. 18:18). I believe te curc will be eld accountable for bad decisions. Muc more could be said concerning deacon meetings and/or men s meetings as our curc does once a mont, but again it is up to te local curc to decide teir plan of attack on wat is best for tem. Second ting I would like to bring out in tis article is te treatment of te pastor concerning is financial support. To me te pastor is te most neglected member in many of our curces today, and some treat im as a second-rate individual, or citizen, wen I believe te Scripture is quite clear on tis matter. ebrews 13:7, 17, and 24 says, Remember, Obey, and Salute tose wo ave te rule over you. Paul told Timoty, Let te elders tat rule well be counted worty of double onour, especially tey wo labour in te word and doctrine (I Tim. 5:17). Te main point I want to it on ere is te support of te pastor, wic in many cases is grossly neglected. Edward T. iscox says concerning Pastoral Support, and I quote, A pastor sould be well and generously supported as to is salary, according to te ability of te curc e serves. e will not expect to live up to te standard of te wealtiest; e ougt not to be expected to live down to te standard of te poorest. Wen te curc extends a call, tey name te amount tey are willing to pay. Of course, it is optional wit im weter to accept te call on suc conditions. If e does, e cannot find fault tat tey give no more, unless, indeed, as is not infrequently te case, tey delude im wit te promise tat tey will increase te amount te next year; a promise often made, but not always kept. But let te stipulated sum be regularly and promptly paid, oterwise e will not be able promptly to pay is debts, and is reputation will be compromised and is caracter imperiled. It is a bad ting for a clergyman to get te name of not paying is debts. End quote. Like I said, tis is someting tat in some cases pastors are grossly neglected. Some believe te man of God tat as been called by God sould not receive a salary or some sort of compensation for all e is expected to do. Tat is very sad for tose wo do not believe in taking care of teir pastor. It is very ard to respect a curc tat does not do tis. Even Paul received elp for is necessities from te curc at Pilippi, wen e was in Macedonia and Rome, For even in Tessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity (Pil. 4:16). And apparently, te Pilippians were te only curc tat did so according to (v. 15). Wat a same tat oters did not do te same. Folks must not tink too muc of teir pastor wo do not see to is needs. Some may try to use te following two Scriptures. Likewise must te deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to muc wine, not greedy of filty lucre (I Tim. 3:8). Wose mouts must be stopped, wo subvert wole ouses, teacing tings wic (Continued on page 9)

9 April 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 9 True Deaconsip (Continued from page 8) tey ougt not, for filty lucre s sake (Titus 1:11), to sow tat financial elp is not to be given to te preacer. But tese two verses are letting te man know tat if e desires te office of a bisop, it sould be te desire for te furterance of te gospel tat drives im, not money. If I were doing it just for te money, I would not be driving eigty-six miles one way twice a week. And I would be looking for a lot bigger congregation tan I ave rigt now. So, your argument is not valid if you old tat view. Jesus said te labourer is worty of is ire (Luke 10:7). And Paul told Timoty, quoting Jesus, te labourer is worty of is reward (1 Timoty 5:18). Reward meaning wages! Read again I Timoty 5:17. If one would take te time, and most do not in tese last days, to do a study on pastors and deacons, I believe tey would come away in a entirely different spirit and understanding of tis matter. God Bless! Te Lazy, te (Continued from page 1) and te Fools. Tese four sinful caracteristics were not someting new to Solomon s time and place. Nor are tese four sinful caracteristics wic we can see evident in our society today in any way unique to our place and time. Instead, eac of tese (and every oter) wicked beaviours of men can be traced to te sin of Adam, and to te depraved nature wic every man born since, as inerited from Adam. Lazy As in all te four sinful traits tat I want us to notice, te Trait of Laziness is very prominent in our world today. Let me read you a passage from te Book of Proverbs: Te slotful man sait, Tere is a lion in te way; a lion is in te streets. As te door turnet upon is inges, so dot te slotful upon is bed. Te slotful idet is and in is bosom; it grievet im to bring it again to is mout. Te sluggard is wiser in is own conceit tan seven men tat can render a reason (Prov. 26:13-16). Lazy Society Muc of te world s society (and most noticeable to you and me is te society of te nation in wic we live) as become a society and a system of government tat rewards te lazy man and woman. Solomon said, Te slotful man roastet not tat wic e took in unting: but te substance of a diligent man is precious (Prov. 12:27). In fact, tere are many places in te world, to wic you can go, especially some countries of Europe and te United States, in wic a man or a woman can, many times, make a better living off of te Government tan tey can wile working an entry level job. For tis reason men and women are encouraged to stay ome, be lazy, and do not work. owever, te Apostle Paul told te Galatians, But let every man prove is own work, and ten sall e ave rejoicing in imself alone, and not in anoter. For every man sall bear is own burden (Gal. 6:4-5). And ten, later, we read tese words of te Apostle Paul: But as toucing broterly love ye need not tat I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taugt of God to love one anoter. And indeed ye do it toward all te bretren wic are in all Macedonia: but we beseec you, bretren, tat ye increase more and more; And tat ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work wit your own ands, as we commanded you.; Tat ye may walk onestly toward tem tat are witout, and tat ye may ave lack of noting (I Tess. 4:9-12). In is second Epistle to te Tessalonian Curc, Paul wrote, For yourselves know ow ye ougt to follow us: for we beaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neiter did we eat any man s bread for nougt; but wrougt wit labour and travail nigt and day, tat we migt not be cargeable to any of you: Not because we ave not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. For even wen we were wit you, tis we commanded you, tat if any would not work, neiter sould e eat. For we ear tat tere are some wic walk among you disorderly, working not at all; but are busybodies. Now tem tat are suc we command and exort by our Lord Jesus Crist, tat wit quietness tey work, and eat teir own bread (II Tess. 3:7-12). I tink it is a same tat te younger generations, wic are in our nation, are mostly made up of men and women wo were brougt up in a nearly socialist society in wic big government is expected (not te exception, but te rule) to pay te way for tose tat do not work. ear te words of Solomon again on tis subject: Go to te ant, tou sluggard; consider er ways, and be wise: Wic aving no guide, overseer, or ruler, Providet er meat in te summer, and gateret er food in te arvest. ow long wilt tou sleep, O sluggard? wen wilt tou arise out of ty sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of te ands to sleep: So sall ty poverty come as one tat travellet, and ty want as an armed man (Prov. 6:6-11). Lazy Cristians Te laziness of our society, and te laziness of te world around us, as always been a detriment to te Cristians tat seek to serve te Lord. We see laziness all around us, and it as an effect on us as well. But, as te Servants of te Lord, it is required tat we must work. In fact, te very idea of a Servant implies muc work, and no laziness. Te Apostle Paul told te Tessalonian curc, We give tanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our payers; Remembering witout ceasing your work of fait, and labour of love, and patience of ope in our Lord Jesus Crist, in te sigt of God and our Fater (I Tess. 1:2-3). Te word work is used often to describe our service to te Lord. Sometimes we tink of work and we tink of only deeds tat we ave done, or deeds tat we migt yet do. In oter words, we see Work as a description of our mission or ministry. owever, te word work is often used as a verb, and pictures, very definitely, labor and effort. James told is readers, But woso looket into te perfect law of liberty, and continuet terein, e being not a forgetful earer, but a doer of te work, tis man sall be blessed in is deed. (James 1:25). James wanted is readers to be doers of te work. Te Lord Jesus Crist told is Disciples, No man, aving put is and to te ploug, and looking back, is fit for te (Continued on page 10)

10 Page 10 Te Berea Baptist Banner April 5, 2017 Te Lazy, te (Continued from page 9) kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). I do not know if you ave ever noticed tis fact, but tere is a definite idea of work and labor in te picture of tis ploug. And, tere is a definite idea of laziness and faitlessness in te picture of te one tat would turn away from te ploug and be looking back. Te way is not always easy. Te way of Crist can be ard and laborious, and work and effort is required on our part. e will elp us, and give us strengt and will ease our burden and our way as we trust in im; but it is only is strengt tat can make te way passable it is, indeed, a way of difficulty, and work, and labor, and trials. Deceitful Te second sinful trait I want to consider is tat of deceit. In te world in wic we live, it as become an accepted practice to lie and deceive. In fact, it seems tat one almost cannot make it in te political or corporate world witout being deceitful. Te wise man Solomon ad someting to say about te deceitful man as well. e tat atet dissemblet wit is lips, and layet up deceit witin im; Wen e speaket fair, believe im not: for tere are seven abominations in is eart. Wose atred is covered by deceit, is wickedness sall be sewed before te wole congregation. Woso digget a pit sall fall terein: and e tat rollet a stone, it will return upon im. A lying tongue atet tose tat are afflicted by it; and a flattering mout worket ruin (Pro. 26:24-28). In fact, earlier in te book of Proverbs, we read tis: Lying lips are abomination to te LORD: but tey tat deal truly are is deligt (Prov. 12:22). I tink lying is someting tat a cild learns at an early age. And, I tink tat in our society today, contrary to te way it was in times past, lying is allowed and even condoned amongst cildren. Cildren are raised in suc a way tey are not taugt tat it is wrong to lie; in fact, te implication is normally conveyed tat deceit can work out in a beneficial way. Wen tey ave as teir examples, men and women in our government, in our businesses, in our entertainment industry, and in society as a wole tat openly lie, and get away wit it; is it any wonder tat tey grow up accepting deceit as a way of life, and even as a means of advancement? Broters and sisters, it sould not be so! Te people of tis land, and te people of our society and government, sould not condone te sin of deceit, nor sould we make it someting tat is an acceptable means to an end! We read in te Law of God, Ye sall not steal, neiter deal falsely, neiter lie one to anoter (Lev. 19:11). Tis is a plain teacing of Scripture. It is just as muc a command of God, as tou salt not kill, or tou salt not commit adultery. And yet, deceit and lies are openly committed all around us, and I am afraid it even creeps into te curces of Jesus Crist. Consider te words of te Apostle Paul wic e ad for te Colossians, Lie not one to anoter, seeing tat ye ave put off te old man wit is deeds (Col. 3:9). Tere sould not be any suc ting as even a little wite lie tat we allow amongst te cildren of God. We sould all make it our daily objective, to speak te trut, and lie not. (See I Timoty 2:7). We need to be an example to te world of deceivers amongst wom we live. Angry Te tird terrible trait today is anger. I ave noticed tat in all aspects of our world, te trait of anger is becoming more and more prevalent. Tis is someting tat te wise man also refers to: An angry man stirret up strife, and a furious man aboundet in transgression (Prov. 29:22). Anger, fury, malice, and wrat all express a similar emotion. Tese are tings tat are very prominent in te world today. We ear of road rage. And we ear and read accounts of te anger tat men and women demonstrate towards eac oter over wat are very often, trivial matters. Tis anger often begins wit words, and soon escalates to violence. Injury and sometimes deat are many times te result of someone losing teir temper. Te Bible does not teac tat we sould express anger and fury in tese pysical tings. In fact, unless you want to reference te rigteous anger of God, of wic rigteous men and women of God sometimes partake, you cannot find tat te Bible condones anger in any way. Solomon instructed us wit tese words: A wise man fearet, and departet from evil: but te fool raget, and is confident. e tat is soon angry dealet foolisly: and a man of wicked devices is ated (Prov. 14:16-17). In Proverbs 21:19 Solomon tells us, It is better to dwell in te wilderness, tan wit a contentious and an angry woman. And ten later e writes, Make no friendsip wit an angry man; and wit a furious man tou salt not go: Lest tou learn is ways, and get a snare to ty soul (Prov. 22:24-25). Anger is a snare to te souls of many. Many folks are bound to teir anger, and cannot escape te violent and destructive tendencies of te wrat of man. ere, in tese last two passages tat we ave just referred to, we find a key to our battle against anger: Do not associate wit angry and furious folk! In oter words, just as laziness and deceitfulness are contagious, so too, is anger contagious. Te best way to abstain from it, is to not condone it, nor associate wit it. Most folks wit bad tempers and violent reactions do not ave many friends. Do not let us be counted among tose few friends for long! Instead, we sould control te angry tendencies of te fles troug te power of te oly Spirit and te study of te Word of God. Te anger and wrat of te world will certainly stir witin us from time to time; but, te cild of God sould aspire for a godly and spiritual control in tese purely pysical and carnal tendencies. Paul instructed Titus in te requirements of a bisop, For a bisop must be blameless, as te steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filty lucre (Titus 1:7). Fools Te last trait tat I want us to notice is also often referred to in te book of Proverbs, and tat is te trait of foolisness. As snow in summer, and as rain in arvest, so onour is not seemly for a fool. As te bird by wandering, as te swallow by flying, so te curse causeless sall not come. A wip for te orse, a bridle for te ass, and a rod for te fool s back. Answer not a fool according to is folly, lest tou also be like unto im. Answer a fool according to is folly, lest e be wise in is (Continued on page 11)

11 April 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 11 Te Lazy, te (Continued from page 10) own conceit. e tat sendet a message by te and of a fool cuttet off te feet, and drinket damage. Te legs of te lame are not equal: so is a parable in te mout of fools. As e tat bindet a stone in a sling, so is e tat givet onour to a fool. As a torn goet up into te and of a drunkard, so is a parable in te mout of fools. Te great God tat formed all tings bot rewardet te fool, and rewardet transgressors. As a dog returnet to is vomit, so a fool returnet to is folly. Seest tou a man wise in is own conceit? tere is more ope of a fool tan of im (Prov. 26:1-12). I suppose tat we could begin to speak of te foolis man, by saying tis: Every one of te traits tat we ave previously observed, is a trait tat is to be found wit a foolis man. Foolis men are often times lazy, deceitful, and angry. Tis knowledge, by itself, ougt to be enoug to inspire us to abstain from tese traits tat we ave just mentioned. Wo wants to be known as a foolis man? Well, if a person desires to be known as a foolis man, ten let im be known as a lazy man, or a deceitful man, or an angry man! Te World is Blind to Salvation As we near te end of tis message, let me take tis opportunity to demonstrate unto you te greatest foolisness of all: demonstrated and practiced ignorance, in te tings of God. To te cief Musician, A Psalm of David. Te fool at said in is eart, Tere is no God. Tey are corrupt, tey ave done abominable works, tere is none tat doet good. Te LORD looked down from eaven upon te cildren of men, to see if tere were any tat did understand, and seek God. Tey are all gone aside, tey are all togeter become filty: tere is none tat doet good, no, not one. ave all te workers of iniquity no knowledge? wo eat up my people as tey eat bread, and call not upon te LORD (Ps 14:1-4). It is foolis to deny God s existence. It is foolis to deny God as te Creator. It is foolis to deny God as te Saviour of men. It is foolis to deny God s autority over mankind. It is foolis to deny God s promises for men. We can certainly notice tat foolisness in te tings of God extends to te foolis rejection of te Lord Jesus Crist as te Saviour of men. Any man or woman tat ears te words of te Gospel of salvation, and ten ignores or rejects tat gospel, is a man or woman tat exceeds all foolisness! Paul said, For te preacing of te cross is to tem tat peris foolisness; but unto us wic are saved it is te power of God (I Cor. 1:18). Te Saved Often Demonstrate tis Trait from Time to Time We read te words of te Apostle Paul in Galatians 3:1, O foolis Galatians, wo at bewitced you, tat ye sould not obey te trut, before wose eyes Jesus Crist at been evidently set fort, crucified among you? Just as laziness, deceit, and anger creep into te curces of Jesus Crist from time to time, so also foolisness finds its way into our midst. Peraps not to te extent of te foolisness of te world, in tat we migt reject te Saviour Wo as saved us. But, as cildren of God and as members of te curces of Jesus Crist, we do sometimes believe and practice foolis doctrines or eresies of men. And, from time to time, we may fall prey to certain foolis beaviors in our lives wic may cause us to even resemble te fools of te world. owever, let me give you te remedy for any foolisness wic migt exist in te earts and minds of tose wo know and love te Lord: te remedy for foolisness is knowledge. Study te Word of God, and your ignorance or foolisness will be wased away in te knowledge of God s Word and te instruction of te oly Spirit. Spend time in te public worsip services of te curc of Jesus Crist. Fellowsip wit wise and mature saints of God. Tink upon eavenly and oly ideals. Acquaint yourself more torougly wit te God Wo as saved you. e is te God of all wisdom, and e will surely rid you of foolisness. I ope tat you and I will persevere as Cristians, and seek to emulate te attitude and te beavior of our Lord Jesus Crist. We may live amongst lazy, deceitful, and angry fools but we do not ave to act like tem. In fact, it is our duty and great privilege to witness to tem of te love of God, as it is manifest in te Lord and Saviour, Jesus Crist. It is our onor to live lives tat sow a willingness to work in pysical and spiritual affairs; an integrity in pysical and spiritual matters; a temperance in all tings; and a knowledge and love for God in eaven, and is Son, Jesus Crist. Was James (Continued from page 1) found im, e brougt im unto Antioc. And it came to pass, tat a wole year tey assembled temselves wit te curc, and taugt muc people. And te disciples were called Cristians first in Antioc (Acts 11:25-26). So te ministry of Paul was in its infancy wen James wrote is letter. Understanding tat James did indeed write early in te first Cristian century, and if our dates are even remotely correct regarding Paul s early activities, ten we can be sure of tis: Paul ad not at tat early date yet received te abundance of te revelations e wrote of in II Corintians 12:7. Tus at te time James wrote is epistle wic e addressed to te twelve tribes wic are scattered abroad (James 1:1), neiter e nor Paul nor any oter follower of te Lamb knew tose tings tat would later be revealed to Paul and oters. Tey were all ignorant of some tings: tose tings tat would be later revealed. Prominent in wat tey did not know was te mystery tat Jews and Gentiles would be one body. More on tat later. (Tis ignorance regarding Jews and Gentiles certainly colored teir understanding of te relationsip between te two). If we keep in mind tis ignorance of God s revelation ignorance because God ad not yet revealed many tings and apply it to Te Epistle of James it will elp us understand muc in is letter. We do not mean tat James penned error: not at all! But is letter is curious in some respects, not te least of wic is te matter of wom e addressed. Did e write to te twelve tribes of te Diaspora (dispersion) as lost Jews only or as Cristians (not tat tey were even called tat as yet), or did e write to tem as a mixed group some saved, some lost? Are we to take all is statements as addressed to saints? Are tey all addressed to lost Jews? is meanings are greatly altered depending upon to wom e addressed certain statements. Some ave tougt to prove tat (Continued on page 15)

12 Page 12 Te Berea Baptist Banner April 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 1. Are God s elect te same as te wosoever will? -Tennessee Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio Te wosoever will are not just te same but te wosoever will ARE te very elect of God! I ope te questioner truly desires to know te trut ere and not just wanting a debate from te writers of te Forum. I ave eard tis argument from so many Arminians tat I worked wit, and I ave gotten really tired of teir argument. Wy anyone would callenge te Sovereign Grace of God is beyond me, but tey do and it is really a sad state to do so. First, let me set te record straigt. Te Word of God was written to te elect of God- God s people, and no one else. It is a personal letter from God to is elect. Ten I know wat te next question would be, well, could someone not be saved by reading te Bible? If tey were saved by reading te Bible, ten tey would be te wosoever, te elect of God!! But I am partial to Romans capter 10, especially Romans 10:8-17. Second, since te questioner did not give a Scripture reference for te wosoever will I will take it tat te text tey are quoting ere is Revelation 22:17. Te prases, wosoever will (Rev. 22:17), us-ward (Ep. 1:19; II Peter 3:9) for many (various references in te New Testament) are all referring to God s elect tat e as cosen, predestinated, foreordained before te foundation of te world. Ten, at te appointed time, God s elect are called out of darkness unto te marvelous ligt as Paul was on te road to Damascus. If one would just take te time and prayerfully study te first tree capters of Epesians and Paul s conversion, wic is told tree times in te Book of Acts, tere would not be a need for tis question or ever a discussion about man s Free Will concerning salvation. God is a oly, Sovereign God. For it is God wic worket in you bot to will and to do of is good pleasure (Pil. 2:13). And it does not matter if you agree wit it or not, it is still a fact!! God Bless! ROGER REED Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Ten said Jesus unto is disciples, If any man will come after me, let im deny imself, and take up is cross, and follow me. For wosoever will save is life sall lose it: and wosoever will lose is life for my sake sall find it (Matt. 16:24-25). Wosoever will is found many times in sligtly varying forms trougout te Old and New Testaments. Of tose references, I ave tabulated a non-exclusive list of 27 times it refers to te evidences of salvation, 13 verses quote a positive result, 10 reveal a negative result, and 4 are like te text tat sows bot patways wic a man may take, eiter positive or negative concerning God and is oly will for is creation. Sela! Tink about it! Te first ting we note concerning tese passages is tat wosoever will is a genuine invitation. And te Spirit and te bride say, Come. And let im tat earet say, Come. And let im tat is atirst come. And wosoever will, let im take te water of life freely (Rev. 22:17). Tis is a clear invitation to tose tat tirst and desire to come! Scripture is replete wit suc invitations to wosoever will. o, every one tat tirstet, come ye to te waters, and e tat at no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk witout money and witout price (Isa. 55:1). Come unto me, all ye tat labour and are eavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28). Even toug we know tat ALL will not or cannot come, wosoever will is a genuine invitation, as surely as te open door on Noa s ark was a genuine invitation. To wosoever wanted to come on board, tere was no divine manifest tat denied tem entrance. Indeed, every single soul tat wanted to come, walked on board. And of every animal tat came up te ramp; Noa did not turn a single, one away. Tat brings us to our second point. Wosoever will is an indication of te inner eart. Wen te rigteous turnet from is rigteousness, and committet iniquity, e sall even die tereby. But if te wicked turn from is wickedness, and do tat wic is lawful and rigt, e sall live tereby (Ezek. 33:18-19). Wosoever will continue in sin and te rejection of God and is Crist is revealing to all souls teir lost, degenerate eart, wile wosoever will repent of teir ungodliness will sow to all observers tat God as made a cange to teir inward eart. Our wosoever will fruits are an indication tat God s grace as been made effectual unto our salvation. Bring fort terefore fruits meet for repentance (Matt. 3:8). Sela! Tink about it! Te tird observation is a necessary one, for compreension of tis great subject. Wosoever will is a finite number tat sow te inclination given by sovereign grace to a lost soul, tat God as cosen or elected to draw unto imself. Te Bible and total depravity are clear tat No man can come to me, except te Fater wic at sent me draw im: and I will raise im up at te last day. tere are some of you tat believe not. For Jesus knew from te beginning wo tey were tat believed not, and wo sould betray im. And e said, Terefore said I unto you, tat no man can come unto me, except it were given unto im of my Fater (Jon 6:44, 64-65). Tat God inclines te eart of man to do good, is evident in te lives of saints and in Psalm 119:33-37: Teac me, O LORD, te way of ty statutes; and I sall keep it unto te end. Give me understanding, and I sall keep ty law; yea, I sall observe it wit my wole eart. Make me to go in te pat of ty commandments; for terein do I deligt. INCLINE my eart unto ty testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine (Continued on page 14)

13 April 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page I ear it said tat te angels sing in eaven, but do tey? I find no verse in te Bible tat tells me tey do. Mississippi Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O I ave not yet entered into te glories of te eavenly land, so I am really not qualified to answer tis question. I ave never knowingly eard an angel sing, toug it is said tat it is possible for us to entertain angels unawares, so maybe I ave and did not know it (eb. 13:2). I do know tat te angels are said to rejoice wen a sinner is brougt to repentance (Luke 15:6-7), so I would not blame tem at all if tey broke out in songs of joy. Wen te angels announced te birt of Jesus Crist to te seperds it sounded an awful lot like a ymn of glorious praise: And suddenly tere was wit te angel a multitude of te eavenly ost praising God, and saying, Glory to God in te igest, and on eart peace, good will toward men (Luke 2:13-14). Peraps tis same eavenly ost will be wit te redeemed wen te elect are singing a new song wit glorified voices (Rev. 5:9-10). I am not sure if tis qualifies as singing, but I do know for sure wat te eavenly ost will be doing and saying: And I beeld, and I eard te voice of many angels round about te trone and te beasts and te elders: and te number of tem was ten tousand times ten tousand, and tousands of tousands; Saying wit a loud voice, Worty is te Lamb tat was slain to receive power, and rices, and wisdom, and strengt, and onour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature wic is in eaven, and on te eart, and under te eart, and suc as are in te sea, and all tat are in tem, eard I saying, Blessing, and onour, and glory, and power, be unto im tat sittet upon te trone, and unto te Lamb for ever and ever (Rev. 5:11-13). Tere are some tings tat are not written in te Scripture tat will in all probability be revealed to us in glory. I am sure tat tere are some tings tat my finite mind could not possibly compreend ere and now, tat God will open up to me in te eavenly land. O, ow I long to find out! ow I long to be forever rid of tis old corrupt, flesly nature and be completely conformed to te image of te blessed Savior wo is Altogeter Lovely! Wat a glorious surprise it would be if God would assemble a eavenly coir of angels to praise is name and allow us te privilege of earing tem! I know wen I ear godly music down ere it stirs my eart to worsip and praise te Almigty. Would not it be wonderful to ear angelic voices singing songs, ymns, and spiritual songs composed by te Almigty imself? May God give us grace to feast on te future and look forward wit great anticipation to all te wonders e will open up to us in glory! TOM ROSS Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Sing, O ye eavens; for te LORD at done it: sout, ye lower parts of te eart: break fort into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree terein: for te LORD at redeemed Jacob, and glorified imself in Israel. Sing, O eavens; and be joyful, O eart; and break fort into singing, O mountains: for te LORD at comforted is people, and will ave mercy upon is afflicted (Isa. 44:23, 49:13). I found four main ebrew words tat mean singing, souting, and praising: ranan/rinna/ zawmar/siyr. It really depends on te context and te translator as to ow tey read in our Bibles. Angels are referenced in te Bible wit tese words and teir Greek and Englis equivalents, to make it fairly obvious, but even witout tem, several references refer directly to angels singing or playing te arps, so tat none can dogmatically say tat angels do not Biblically sing. In Betleem, at te birt of Crist, we find te sky filled wit singing angels: And suddenly tere was wit te angel a multitude of te eavenly ost praising God, and saying, Glory to God in te igest, and on eart peace, good will toward men (Luke 2:13-14). If te Englis word singing is not used, in te Greek, te word for saying is lego and is used also in Revelation 5:8-9 were te Englis word sung is indeed used in context, muc as te word praising is, in our Lukereferenced angelic coir, And wen e ad taken te book, te four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before te Lamb, aving every one of tem arps, and golden vials full of odours, wic are te prayers of saints. And tey sung a new song, saying, Tou art worty to take te book, and to open te seals tereof: for tou wast slain, and ast redeemed us to God by ty blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Te Revelation 5 reference is significant, as te beasts are created beings or angelic beings. Tey are te messengers of God, wic is te meaning of angelos, te Greek word for angels. Tey accompany te four and twenty elders on arps and sing te new song wit tem. Couple tis wit verses of te same capter and Revelation 7:11-12 and it is unmistakable, tat ALL te creation of God sings is Glory, wit te spoken words of song. Sela! Tink about it! But not just in Revelation, look at Epesians 5:19: Speaking to yourselves in psalms and ymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your eart to te Lord. Te Greek word laleo is used ere, wic is ubiquitously translated as speaking or said, but in te context in tis verse, obviously means to sing te words of psalms, ymns, and spiritual songs. Te saints are not just umming, and neiter are te angels. Tey are singing words tat ave worsipful meaning, and te Bible simply references tis many times, as saying, wen te undeniable context uses words like praising, singing, sung, worsipping, etc. Crist claims te title, Morning Star in Revelation 22:16, but (Continued on page 14)

14 Page 14 Te Berea Baptist Banner April 5, 2017 Forum #1 (Continued from page 12) eyes from beolding vanity; and quicken tou me in ty way (-tms empasis). As it is written, Tere is none rigteous, no, not one: Tere is none tat understandet, tere is none tat seeket after God (Rom. 3:10-11). Te effectual call of irresistible grace is te ONLY reason tat any descendent of Adam s race will ever come to te invitation of wosoever will and accept it, sowing te indication of te cange tat grace as effected in our earts, and tat God will receive ALL te glory for our salvation, because e as gifted an inclination in our earts toward life, ligt and te gospel. Praise im! Wosoever sall confess tat Jesus is te Son of God, God dwellet in im, and e in God (I Jon 4:15). Jesus said unto er, I am te resurrection, and te life: e tat believet in me, toug e were dead, yet sall e live: And wosoever livet and believet in me sall never die (Jon 11:25-26). Sela! Tink about it! Only God s elect will ever be found among te wosoever will, and tey certainly sall! MATTEW STEPP Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O We must identify wo God s elect are in order to effectively answer tis question. God s elect are tose wo ave been cosen in Crist by God te Fater before te world began in te covenant of grace (Ep. 1:3-7; II Tess. 2:13-14; II Tim. 1:9). Wen God te Fater unconditionally cose te elect, e gave tem to Crist to redeem and reconcile wit is own blood in time by way of vicarious sacrifice on te cross (Gal. 1:4, 2:20; Col. 1:14, 19-21; Rev. 1:5), tus securing teir justification (Rom. 3:24-28; 5:1). Te oly Spirit of God agreed, in te very same everlasting covenant, to regenerate, call, and sanctify all tat te Fater cose and all wo Crist died for (wo are one in te same) in time. God s eternal decree to save te elect is according to is immutable purpose. It is a fact of Scripture tat all te elect, cosen by te Fater and redeemed by Crist will witout a doubt come to a saving knowledge of Crist in time by te power of te oly Spirit. Jesus said as muc in Jon 6:37-39: All tat te Fater givet me sall come to me; and im tat comet to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from eaven, not to do mine own will, but te will of im tat sent me. And tis is te Fater s will wic at sent me, tat of all wic e at given me I sould lose noting, but sould raise it up again at te last day. From God s eternal perspective tere is no doubt tat te wosoever will tat e cose in Crist, and tat te oly Spirit quickens and makes willing in te day of is power are one in te same. Lost sinners are dead in trespasses and sins (Ep. 2:1) blinded and captivated by Satan (II Cor. 4:3-4; II Tim. 2:25-26), and wolly incapable of producing any spiritual activity or affection in te fles (Rom. 8:7-8). Te lost are totally depraved and entirely incapacitated wit regard to spiritual tings. Tey not only ate God (Jon 3:18-19), tey are completely unwilling to come to Crist in teir natural state (Jon 5:40; 6:44). In spite of teir condition, tey are commanded to repent (Acts 17:30-31) and believe te record of te Gospel (I Jon 5:9-13). Unless God intervenes in invincible grace, te lost sinner will remain in is ateful, corrupt, unwilling, rebellious condition. God must make im willing in te day of is power (Psa. 110:3). God must open te blinded eyes, te deaf ears, te ardened eart of te wicked sinner enabling im to tirst for Crist, te everlasting fountain of salvation. Wen God canges te sinner s will, e comes most freely to partake of free grace, drinking deeply of te water of Life. Everyting written above is scripturally and teologically correct. Let us get to te real issue beind te question. Can you and I quote Jon 3:16; Mattew 11:28-30; and Revelation 22:17 wen we are preacing and witnessing to lost sinners? Of course! I do not know wo te elect are until God calls tem out of darkness into is marvelous ligt, yet I am fully responsible to preac te Gospel to all men. I can say wit full confidence and witout any reservation: And te Spirit and te bride say, Come. And let im tat earet say, Come. And let im tat is atirst come. And wosever will, let im take te water of life freely (Rev. 22:17). Tose willing to come are given te ability to ear and tirst by te power of te oly Spirit. Tey are te elect, redeemed by te blood of Crist, and I can guarantee tey will come to salvation, according to te infallible Word of God. TOM ROSS Forum #2 (Continued from page 13) in Revelation 2:28, it is a gift to te overcomers in te Tyatira curc. Wat does it mean? Well, in Job 38:7, te context of te creation of te foundations of te eart (surely before te sixt day and man s creation) sows it to be te ciefest of te angels: Wen te morning stars (cief angels) sang togeter, and all te sons of God (te entire corus of angels) souted for joy? In te beginning God created te eaven and te eart (Gen 1:1). Te angels were created in te first verse of te Bible and were able to witness te remainder of te creation and molding of every eartly being and substance. And it is cronicled (by God) tat tey sung. Simply put, te eavens sing (Isa. 44:23), te trees sing (I Cron. 16:32), te dawn or dusk sings (Ps. 65:8), men sing (Ps. 149), waste places sing (Isa. 52:9), pastures and valleys sing (Ps. 65:13), all tat is in eaven and Eart sing (angels, too!) (Jer. 51:48), and even God sings (Zep. 3:17). Wy in te world would anyone logically conclude tat God would create angels incapable of singing? Praise ye te LORD! Sela! Tink about it! MATTEW STEPP Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio Tere is a verb prase as a definition of singing- sing out, informal. To call in a loud voice; sout: Tey lost teir way in te (Continued on page 15)

15 April 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 15 Forum #2 (Continued from page 14) cavern and sang out for elp. To answer te question: I ear it said tat te angels sing in eaven, but do tey? I find no verse in te Bible tat tells me tey do. Answer to te first part of te question, yes tey do. Answer to te second part of te question, you would be mistaken, because te Bible tells us tat angels do indeed sing. I really could just answer it wit one verse of Scripture in wic I will, but if te questioner wants to strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel (Matt. 23:24), tey migt not be satisfied wit my answer. So, to satisfy te questioner wit undisputable Biblical proof, te reference to angels singing can be found in Job 38:7; tere we read, Te morning stars [cief angels] sang togeter, and all te sons of God [angels] souted for joy. Tis took place at te eart s creation. Wenever I tink of an angel singing out I immediately tink of Isaia 6:3, And one cried unto anoter, and said, oly, oly, oly, is te LORD of osts: te wole eart is full of is glory. Tis verse is speaking, of course, of te serapims. Also, we see angelic beings around te trone of God doing te same (Rev. 4:6-11). I can not imagine tis cry being done oter tan in a loud voice or sout (singing) as te described in te definition of te verb prase. Te reader, of course, is entitled to is or er view of wat singing is. Also, an occasion is found at te birt of Crist. Angels appeared to seperds in a nearby field to announce is birt. And suddenly tere was wit te angel a multitude of te eavenly ost praising God, and saying, Glory to God in te igest, and on eart peace, good will toward men (Luke 2:13-14). Te word translated saying could be understood as speaking or singing, and te context seems to indicate a coir of angels singing praise to God. Dr. Gill seems to allude to tis fact. Te gospel of Luke says, Likewise, I say unto you, tere is joy in te presence of te angels of God over one sinner tat repentet (Luke 15:10). Te Psalmist said, Make a joyful noise unto te LORD, all te eart: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise (Ps. 98:4). In Revelation 5:8-13, tese angelic creatures join oters to sing te new song of redemption tat excels Moses old song (Exodus 15; Deuteronomy 32). In tis case, angels ascribe wortiness and grace to God and to Crist for accomplising redemption. To me it is more likely tan not tat singing is wat angels do, te same way we worsip God in bot spoken words and song. Angels seem to always sing teir praise. Songs are a most fitting and expressive means of giving God te praise due is name (Job 38:7; Revelation 5:8-9). Because of God s infinite wortiness, suc a beautiful and excellent worsip continues forever witout ceasing. ere are some Scriptures to consider: 1. Psalms 150, if tis is true on eart in our worsip of God, ow muc more is it true for tose wo are in te presence of God in eaven? 2. Psalms 148:2, Praise ye im, all is angels: praise ye im, all is osts. 3. Psalms 103:20, Bless te LORD, ye is angels, tat excel in strengt, tat do is commandments, earkening unto te voice of is word. I believe angels sing, including singing at te creation of te world, te birt of Crist, and at te end of time. Even now, I believe angels sing praises to te Lord as te Psalms indicate. It was asked of us a wile back if Jesus sang wen tey all got up and left te Lord s table. I believe my answer was yes! If Jesus would sing, wy would not te angels do te same? God Bless! ROGER REED Was James (Continued from page 11) James wrote to Cristians because e referred to tem as bretren. A study of te use of te term bretren by Jewis believers in te New Testament sows tat tis term is often used of Jews as an etnic group and is no proof at all tat tose so addressed were Cristians. Consider te following instances of te use of bretren. In Acts 2:14 Peter addresses is earers as Ye men of Judaea, and all ye tat dwell at Jerusalem. Furter along in is preacing e refers to tese same people as Ye men of Israel (v. 22). In te next verse, 23, e accuses tem of murdering te Lord. e says, ye ave taken [Crist], and by wicked ands ave crucified and slain. And ten in verse 29 Peter addresses is auditors as Men and bretren. Tis last, men and bretren, is clearly an etnic bretren and not used in reference to teir spiritual condition at all for e addresses te killers of Crist using tis term! Furtermore tese crucifiers of Crist use te very same terms wen addressing Peter and te oter apostles, for we read, Now wen tey eard tis, tey were pricked in teir eart, and said unto Peter and to te rest of te apostles, Men and bretren, wat sall we do (Acts 2:37)? So ten we ave bot apostles and te unsaved using te term bretren in speaking one of te oter as Jews. Again te term bretren is used etnically in Acts capter tree. After te ealing of te lame man recorded tere, Peter accuses is earers wit tese words: wom ye delivered up, and denied im in te presence of Pilate (Acts 3:13). In verse 15 e says of tem tat tey, killed te Prince of life. And ten in verse 15 e calls tem bretren. Clearly is usage of te term bretren does not indicate in any way watsoever tat tey were saved! Again we cite te Bible! Stepen, wen appearing before te unsaved leaders of Israel te ig priest included addressed tem as Men, bretren, and faters (Acts 7:2). Wen Paul and is company arrived in Antioc of Pisidia and visited te synagogue in tat place te Jewis synagogue leaders addressed tem as Ye men and bretren (Acts 13:15), a purely etnic appellation. Paul stands and replies to tis invitation addressing tem as Men of Israel, and ye tat fear God (v. 16). In tis way Paul differentiates between te etnic Jews and te Gentiles wo were converts (proselytes) to Judaism. e does te same ting in verse 26 using te words, Men and bretren, cildren of te stock of Abraam, and wosoever among you fearet God, and e uses te term bretren again in verse 28, saying, Be it known unto you terefore, men and bretren, tat troug tis man is preaced unto you te (Continued on page 16)

16 Page 16 Te Berea Baptist Banner April 5, 2017 Was James (Continued from page 15) forgiveness of sins. Te argument tat bretren is always used as an indicator of te salvation of te one addressed is seen to fall apart since it is also used as a merely etnic term. So te fact tat James addressed is readers as bretren is no proof tat e wrote to tem as Cristians. Consider tese statements: are we to believe tey are addressed to Cristians? Werefore lay apart all filtiness and superfluity of naugtiness, and receive wit meekness te engrafted word, wic is able to save your souls (James 1:21). From wence come wars and figtings among you? come tey not ence, even of your lusts tat war in your members? (James 4:1), Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not tat te friendsip of te world is enmity wit God? wosoever terefore will be a friend of te world is te enemy of God (James 4:4). Beold, te ire of te labourers wo ave reaped down your fields, wic is of you kept back by fraud, criet: and te cries of tem wic ave reaped are entered into te ears of te Lord of sabaot. Ye ave lived in pleasure on te eart, and been wanton; ye ave nourised your earts, as in a day of slaugter. Ye ave condemned and killed te just; and e dot not resist you (James 5:4-6). Can anyone believe tat James aimed tese words at believers? Are tey descriptive of te actions of true followers of te Lamb? We tink not! And yet tere are a great many statements in James epistle wic do pertain to believers: too many to list ere. Tis combination of statements some fitted to te lost and some fitted to believers seems to clearly indicate tat James wrote to scattered Jews of te Diaspora - some of wom were believers in Crist and oters wo were not. But tey were all Jews by birt or by conversion to tat religion. Now to te mystery: we sould remember tat at te time of James writing God ad not revealed tat bot Jews and Gentiles were to be fellow eirs in Crist. Paul is clear on tis wen e wrote: ow tat by revelation e made known unto me te mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Wereby, wen ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in te mystery of Crist) Wic in oter ages was not made known unto te sons of men, as it is now revealed unto is oly apostles and propets by te Spirit; Tat te Gentiles sould be felloweirs, and of te same body, and partakers of is promise in Crist by te gospel: Wereof I was made a minister, according to te gift of te grace of God given unto me by te effectual working of is power (Ep. 3:3-7). Paul used te word mystery. A mystery in Scripture is not someting difficult to understand, but rater someting not previously revealed wic was ten at tat time being made known. James still viewed te Jewis Nation as God s elect people and indeed tey were, but e ad no idea tat te Gentiles were to be eventually dominant in te curces. Cristianity was at tat early time still considered to be a part of Judaism wic was as Tertullian titled it a religio licita - a legal or approved religion witin te empire. Tose to wom James wrote, weter believers or unbelievers, were clearly eiter Jews by blood or Jewis proselytes (converts to Judaism). In James understanding te followers of Crist were Jews! And so altoug James mentioned te elders of te curc (ecclesia or congregation in James 5:14 a word not strictly limited to a Cristian congregation, but is used of a civil one as well) - e also wrote using te term sunagoge (soon-ago-gay ) or synagogue in James 2:2. Your assembly in te King James is literally your synagogue as te King James translators were careful to sow in teir marginal note. Even wen we read James statement: Of is own will begat e us wit te word of trut, tat we sould be a kind of firstfruits of is creatures (James 1:18) we must question if e was speaking of individual Cristians or of te Jewis Nation since e uses te word begat, wic is different from te idea of being born again or regeneration, altoug many ave assumed it to be te same idea. It is true tat te Nation Israel was brougt fort, or produced. by te logos, or Word, wic Jon says is Crist (see Jon 1:1-4; 14). Is e saying tat te Jews were begotten (produced or brougt fort) by te Fater of ligts (James 1:17) and tat tey are to be regarded as a kind of firstfruits, or are Cristians to be regarded as tat Jewis offering? Jeremia definitely identifies Israel as God s firstfruits saying: Israel was oliness unto te LORD, and te firstfruits of is increase... (Jer. 2:3). Since Jeremia speaks of Israel as te firstfruits, sould we understand tat was James tinking as well? Or, sall we ascribe someting new to is tougts on te meaning of tis word? Does e bring in a new tougt making te firstfruits individual Cristians? Or is e speaking of Israel as te firstfruits as Jeremia did? To understand te Epistle of James we must understand te viewpoint from wic James wrote, for is was a torougly Jewis context. e and all te believers living at tat time were ignorant of tose tings tat would later be revealed to Paul. James wrote no error for te Spirit of God superintended is mind and is and as e wrote, but e did not see te relationsip between Judaism and Cristianity as later revelations would teac. Nor, indeed, ad Paul turned to te Gentiles at tis early time (see Acts 18:16). Eac Bible writer wrote of tings as tey were in is time except tose wo wrote propecy, and even ten, wat tey saw and understood was colored by te amount of knowledge tey ad at te time. Surely we will be safe in our understanding, and ave a better understanding of Te Epistle of James, if we regard its early age and te Jewisness of its nature and James personal ignorance of te abundance of te revelations (II Cor. 12:7) tat would later be given to Paul. In tis way we can be assured tat we understand wat James meant and wat tose to wom e wrote understood im to mean and tat is te message of is letter. is message and God s message to us - is not wat ideas we migt read into is writing if we view it as twentyfirst century Gentile American Cristians and not understand nor take into consideration its context. Let us practice solid exegesis not eisegesis: let us draw te meaning out of te Bible and not read our own ideas into it! Context, context, context! And may God bless us all as we study is Word in context!

17 April 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 17 Readers of te BBB are urged to submit religious news items wic tey may read in teir local paper or some oter publication. In sending tese please give te name of te publication as well as te date it was printed. We will not be able to print all wic are submitted, but we welcome any item you may feel we sould read. Send tem to Te Berea Baptist Banner, PO Box 39, Mantacie, MS Pediatricians group affirms support for teen abortion (WNS)--Leading pro-life activists and medical professionals ave spoken out against te American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reaffirmation of its position on adolescent abortion rigts. Te AAP, a coalition of 66,000 pediatricians, recently reiterated its long-standing position tat wile parents sould be involved wit teir teens decisions, te rigt of adolescent girls (ages 15-19) to obtain abortion sould trump parental rigts to notification and consent. A minor sould not be compelled or required to involve er parents in er decision to obtain an abortion, altoug se sould be encouraged to discuss te pregnancy wit er parents and/or oter responsible adults, te AAP stated. Elderly patients at risk of forced starvation in Oregon (WNS)--Oregon pro-lifers are figting a bill in teir state s Senate tat could allow te starvation or deydration of patients wit dementia or mental illness witout teir prior written consent. S.B. 494, introduced by a judiciary committee, appears at first simply to update te state s advance directive laws. But it allows a patient s representative to remove undefined life-sustaining procedures if te patient as a progressive illness, as stopped talking, and cannot recognize family members. Patients would no longer need an advance directive, since an autorized guardian, spouse, a majority of teir cildren, teir parents, a friend, or if none is available, an attending pysician can order te witdrawal of lifesustaining procedures. awaii pro-life centers figt abortion referral mandate (WNS)--awaii state lawmakers ope to make teir state te next to force pregnancy care centers to promote abortion. Twin bills in te state ouse and Senate would require te pro-life centers to post a pro-abortion statement in a clear and conspicuous place in teir waiting areas or give it to women wen tey arrive. Te statement reads: awaii as public programs tat provide immediate free or lowcost access to compreensive family planning services including all FDAapproved metods of contraception, prenatal care, and abortion for eligible women. To determine weter you qualify, contact te appropriate Med-QUEST division eligibility office. If pregnancy care centers do not cooperate wit te state-sponsored message, tey face a $500 fine te first time and $1,000 for eac subsequent offense. New researc debunks te ball and cain myt (WNS)--Te ball and cain perception of marriage is a myt, according to a researc brief by te Institute for Family Values released in February. Contrary to te common view among men tat marriage is an expensive encumbrance on teir freedom and teir sex lives, new researc finds married men ave more money, better sex, and a longer life tan teir single peers. And te benefits do not apply to men just coabiting. Researcers Bradford Wilcox, a professor and te director of te National Marriage Project at te University of Virginia, and Nicolas Wolfinger, a professor at te University of Uta, examined recent sociology studies focused on te cost and benefits of marriage for men. Tey found a clear takeaway: Marriage is good for men in every conceivable measure. Se will do im good and not evil all te days of er life (Proverbs 31:12). Georgia settles wit doctor in religious freedom case (WNS)--Te state of Georgia settled a discrimination lawsuit brougt against it by a pysicianpreacer wo accused te state of firing im for is religious speec outside te workplace. Te state, wic ad demanded Eric Wals turn over is sermons as evidence, awarded te former employee $225,000 in damages. Wals, a public ealt pysician and former lay pastor at a Sevent Day Adventist curc, was fired in 2014 from is new job as district ealt director of nortwest Georgia. e sued te Department of Public ealt (DP) for unlawful termination. is employers requested copies of is sermons rigt after e was ired, and te Georgia attorney general asked for tem again during te lawsuit. Wals refused, and te state witdrew te demand and requested mediation. Tis is a clear and resounding victory for religious freedom, Dys said in a press release. Te state of Georgia was rigt to settle tis case and acknowledge te rigt of teir employees to express teir religious beliefs. Curces respond to Boy Scouts transgender policy (WNS)--Wen te Boy Scouts of America (BSA) announced in January a policy to allow transgender cildren into its programs, it said curc affiliated troops could claim a religious exemption from te cange. But it migt not be tat simple in practice. For more tan 100 years, BSA enrolled boys into its programs based on te gender listed on teir birt certificates. But now te Scouts will allow any cild to become a member as long as e or se identifies as male, regardless of biology. In a video message, BSA s cief executive Micael Surbaug said birt certificates are no longer a sufficient reference point as more and more states interpret gender identity differently. Texas conservatives take on transgender restroom figt (WNS)--Te spotligt of te transgender debate is about to sine brigt on Texas, were conservative lawmakers are bracing to continue te figt started in Nort Carolina last year. Te Texas legislature introduced a bill last mont requiring all government facilities, including public scools, to keep restrooms, sowers, and canging areas separated by biology, not gender identity. Te law allows private business owners to make teir own policies in accordance wit teir beliefs. As lead advocate for te new Texas restroom policy, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says e as te motivation to see tis figt to te end even if it costs im is job. Texas will old a earing on te bill comparable to Nort Carolina s now infamous B2 law in early (Continued on page 18)

18 Page 18 Te Berea Baptist Banner April 5, 2017 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 17) Marc. State lawmakers, including te dominant Republican caucus, remain divided on te issue. Fears of business boycotts and public ridicule could derail a bill Patrick asserts is common sense. Trump revokes Obama s transgender directive (WNS)--Te Wite ouse on Feb. 22 rescinded te Obama administration s transgender directive, a policy tat required scools to allow students to use te restrooms and locker rooms tat corresponded wit teir gender identities. Former President Barack Obama treatened to revoke federal funding from scool districts tat kept boys and girls separated by biological sex in traditionally singlesex facilities. Te order came not long after Nort Carolina passed a law protecting public establisments from being forced to provide restroom and locker room access based on gender identity rater tan biology. Te law pitted LGBT activism against te privacy rigts of students and led some businesses to boycott Nort Carolina in protest. Doctors call for abortion pills at parmacies (WNS)--A group of doctors and abortion advocates are calling for easier access to abortion pills troug parmacies. Te Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires te abortion-inducing drug mifepristone, also known as RU- 486, to be dispensed at an abortion facility, ospital, or doctor s office, not a parmacy. But te 10 autors of an article tat appeared Feb. 22 in te New England Journal of Medicine are calling for te FDA to allow women to obtain te drug wit a prescription at a parmacy and take it at ome witout a doctor s supervision. One of te autors, Beverly Winikoff of New Yorkbased Gynuity ealt Projects, said tat te current regulations are not necessary. Montana Senate passes novel late-term abortion rules (WNS)--On Feb. 23, te Montana state Senate passed a bill requiring abortionists to try to save babies born at 24 weeks of gestation and older. Even if te Republican-controlled ouse passes Senate Bill 282, te bill still faces an uncertain future. Te Senate voted in favor of te bill, just sy of a two-tirds majority needed to override a likely veto from pro-abortion Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock. Montana law currently proibits late-term abortions except to save te moter s life. But SB 282 would require te abortionist, even in tat rare case, to induce labor or deliver te baby by Caesarean section and ten provide te baby life-sustaining support. Te bill also proibits te abortionist from intentionally [causing] a viable baby s deat prior to or during delivery. Abortionists wo violate te law could be carged wit a felony. Judge orders scool to open restrooms to transgender students (WNS)--A federal judge in Pennsylvania as ordered a local scool district to let tree transgender students use restrooms and locker rooms tat correspond to teir gender identity wile teir lawsuit against te scool proceeds. Te tree students, all seniors, sued te Pine-Ricland Scool District nort of Pittsburg after administrators implemented a policy requiring students to use facilities tat corresponded to teir biological sex. Te scool also as 10 unisex restrooms tat all students can use. Administrators instituted te policy after some parents and students complained about teir cildren aving to use restrooms and locker rooms wit members of te opposite sex. Te policy was meant to be temporary wile district administrators researced a permanent solution. Oregon bakers take bias case to state appeals court (WNS)--Melissa and Aaron Klein finally ad teir day in court four years after losing teir business for declining to create a cake for a same-sex wedding. On Marc 2, te Kleins attorneys told te Oregon Court of Appeals a state agency s claim against te Kleins misapplied state law, usurped bot te Oregon and U.S. Constitutions, and revealed an inerent bias against people of fait. A ruling in Klein v. Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industry likely will be appealed to te Oregon Supreme Court and from tere join te procession of religious liberty cases making teir way to te U.S. Supreme Court. Moments after te earing, te Kleins read from prepared statements outside te Oregon Court of Appeals in Salem. Tey spoke of teir fait, teir desire to onor God, and teir ope tat people of differing beliefs could live togeter peaceably. Nordic nations rally to fund international abortion groups (WNS)--Abortion advocates in nortern Europe and Canada are raising funds to bail out international abortion groups after U.S. President Donald Trump reinstated te Mexico City Policy. Representatives from more tan 50 countries met in Brussels on Marc 2 to discuss te Se Decides initiative aimed at raising funds to compensate for te Reagan-era policy tat bars USAID funding from going to nongovernmental, abortion-providing organizations suc as U.K.-based Marie Stopes International and te International Planned Parentood Federation. Organizers claim to ave raised $190 million in pledges from several nations, including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and te Neterlands, as well as private donors suc as Bill and Melinda Gates. Supreme Court cancels earing in transgender case (WNS)--Te Supreme Court on Marc 6 decided not to ear a igly anticipated case on transgender restroom policies tat ad been sceduled for late Marc, in ligt of new guidance from te Trump administration on te matter. Te court sent te case, Gloucester County v. G.G., back to lower courts for furter consideration based on te new restroom and locker room directive. In doing so it vacated te 4t U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling against te Virginia scool board at te center of te case. Transgender advocates ad oped te Gloucester County case would be a landmark decision for transgender rigts. Despite te new Trump directive, wic leaves policies on sex-segregated facilities up to local scool officials, te Supreme Court still could ave eard te case based on te question of weter sex in Title IX means gender identity, as te Obama administration claimed it did. Wyoming judge censured for views on same-sex marriage (WNS)--Te Wyoming Supreme Court censured county magistrate Judge Rut Neely in early Marc for telling a newspaper reporter in 2014 (Continued on page 19)

19 April 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 19 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 18) se would not be able to conduct same-sex marriages. In its 3-2 decision, te court also ordered Neely to perform marriages regardless of te couple s sexual orientation. Justice Kate Fox, writing for te majority, insisted Neely s religious beliefs are not an issue. Instead, te court ruled Neely s remarks about omosexuality and same-sex marriage violated judicial standards of conduct and jeopardized te reputation of te Wyoming judiciary. But dissenting justices argued te majority opinion legislates from te benc and forces Neely and likeminded jurists to divorce teir fait from teir role as judge. INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS Curc of England rejects report affirming Biblical marriage (WNS)--Te Curc of England General Synod on Feb. 15 rejected a report issued in January tat reaffirms curc canon on marriage. By a slim margin te body voted not to take note of te ouse of Bisops report, wic provided a framework for addressing issues related to uman sexuality, marriage, and te curc. Impassioned speeces during te debate included calls for full LGBT inclusion into curc life and pleas for fidelity to Scripture. Altoug a majority of delegates representing te ouse of Bisops, ouse of Clergy, and ouse of Laity voted to approve te motion , passage required majority support from eac of te tree ouses. Te ouse of Clergy dissented, ending debate and selving te report indefinitely. Seen as a victory for LGBT advocates, te vote leaves in place decades old guidance documents tat affirm Biblical marriage but raises questions about ow te ouse of Bisops will reevaluate te issue. Britis court blocks etero civil partnersips (WNS)--A Britis appeals court ruled Feb. 21 against a eterosexual couple figting for te rigt to form a civil partnersip. Te London couple, Rebecca Steinfeld and Carles Keidan, argued current law allowing only gay couples access to civil partnersips discriminates against teir sexual orientation. In a surprising turn, te Court of Appeal agreed but ruled against tem. All tree judges said te law unfairly treated Steinfeld and Keidan differently because of teir sexuality. But in a 2-1 ruling, te panel of judges decided te government sould be given more time to decide weter to extend civil partnersips to oppositesex couples, abolis tem, or slowly pase tem out. Britain legalized civil partnersips exclusively for same-sex couples in 2005, granting tem te same legal, adoption, and ineritance rigts as married couples. In 2014, Britain legalized same-sex marriage, opening two options for gay couples but leaving only one for opposite-sex couples. Droves of Canadian doctors opt out of eutanasia (WNS)--Dozens of Canadian doctors wo signed up to provide letal injections ave canged teir minds, according to medical officials. At least 24 doctors in Ontario ave asked to be removed from a list of pysicians willing to participate in Canada s Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) law, passed in June. Some 30 more ave requested teir names be put on old. Jeff Blackmer, vice president of te Canadian Medical Association, said some doctors initially tink tey are elping patients end teir suffering but find te reality muc different. We re seeing doctors wo go troug one experience and it s just overwelming, it s too difficult, e said. And tose are te ones wo say, Take my name off te list. I can t do it anymore. Scotland to reconsider contentious cild welfare plan (WNS)--Scottis officials tis mont announced tey are reintroducing a controversial law tat would assign a state guardian to every cild in te country. Te announcement comes nine monts after te U.K. Supreme Court struck down te Named Person law, a plan to monitor cild wellbeing by aving an education or ealt official track eac Scottis cild from birt to age 18. Te court ruled certain provisions in te proposed law violated uman rigts and infringed on privacy. On Marc 7, education secretary Jon Swinney told te Scottis Parliament tat despite te ruling, e remains absolutely committed to te sceme. Swinney said e made adjustments to te law based on te ig court s ruling and plans to resubmit legislation tis summer, wit implementation set for Despite Swinney s plans, critics of te law praised te announcement as a major victory for parents because te modified proposal does not ave te teet of te original. Te Lord s Supper Observed by Local Curces By J. M. Pendleton ( ) Te curces composed, as tey are, of Crist s baptized disciples meet for te worsip of teir Lord. Not forsaking te assembling of ourselves togeter is te language addressed to Cristians in apostolic times. Among te duties and te privileges of a congregation of baptized believers in Crist is included a commemoration of is deat at is Table. Every local curc is required to observe tis ordinance. Its obligation to do so is inseparable from its independence; and te doctrine of curc independence will be developed in future sections of tis capter. Te ordinances of te gospel are placed by Crist in te custody of is curces. Tey dare not cange tem in any respect; to cange tem would be disloyalty to teir Lord. Tey ave no legislative power; tey are simply e x e c u t i v e democracies required to carry into effect te will of teir ead. Wo but is curces can be expected to preserve te integrity and te purity of te ordinances of te Lord Jesus? Tese ordinances are to be kept as tey were delivered to te curces and received by tem. Tis is indispensable to te maintenance of gospel order. Wat Paul writes to te Corintians (I Cor. 11:20-34) clearly indicates te necessity of coming togeter to eat te Lord s Supper. True, e refers to certain irregularities, wic e severally condemns; but wen e asks, Despise ye te curc of God? e refers to its members, not to teir individual, but in (Continued on page 20)

20 Page 20 Te Berea Baptist Banner April 5, 2017 Te Lord s Supper (Continued from page 19) teir collective, capacity te congregation of God. So, in verses 33, 34, te words wen ye come togeter to eat, tarry one for anoter, and tat ye come not togeter unto condemnation, sow beyond doubt tat te assembling of te curc was requisite to te celebration of te Lord s Supper. It is a curc ordinance, and terefore Baptists oppose any and every attempt to administer it privately to individuals witout curc sanction. Wat was true of te Corintian curc as to te coming togeter of its members to commemorate te deat of Crist was doubtless true of all oter curces of tat period. It would be absurd to suppose tat tere was a capricious diversity in te customs of te curces. We may terefore assume tat tere was uniformity. Wit regard to te Lord s Supper tere are different views eld by different religious denominations. Roman Catolics believe in wat tey call Transubstantiation tat is, tat by te consecration of te priest, te bread and wine are canged into te real body and te real blood of Crist. Tis doctrine defies all reasonable credence, and can be accepted only by a voracious credulity. It requires a renunciation of common sense to believe tat wen Jesus took bread into is ands, tat bread became is body; so tat e eld is body in is ands! Te statement of suc a dogma is its sufficient exposure. Luterans, wile tey dissent from te Romis view, advocate wat tey call Consubstantiation. By tis tey mean tat in te Lord s Supper te body and te blood of Crist are really present in te bread and te wine. Wile tis view differs from te Romis, it is equally mysterious and scarcely less incredible; for it demands te impossible belief tat te body of Crist is not only present in many places on eart at te same time, but tat it is also in eaven. Surely te body of Crist is not omnipresent. Episcopalians and Metodists, as well as Romanists and Luterans, receive kneeling te bread and te wine in te Lord s Supper. Te posture is an unnatural one, and te custom of kneeling no doubt as an istorical connection wit Transubstantiation tat is to say, wen te dogma was accepted as true, te bread and te wine were considered suitable objects of adoration. ence te kneeling attitude was assumed by Romanists, transmitted by tem to Episcopalians, and from tem inerited by Metodists. It is strange, in view of te idolatrous origin of te custom of kneeling, tat it is continued by tose wo adjure idolatry. Tere is one ting in te service of Episcopalians and Metodists wic must ever impress Baptists as very strange: Te minister, in delivering te bread to eac person, says, Te body of our Lord Jesus Crist, wic was given for tee, preserve ty body and soul unto everlasting life. In giving te cup e says, Te blood of our Lord Jesus Crist, wic was sed for tee, preserve ty body and soul unto everlasting life. (Te Metodists Discipline transposes te terms body and soul. ) Tis may not be, but it seems to be, a prayer offered to te body and te blood of Crist, wic are invoked to preserve unto everlasting life te body and te soul of te person addressed. Prayer to Crist is eminently proper, for it is justified by te example of te dying Stepen; but prayer to te body and te blood of Crist is utterly indefensible. Presbyterians are nearer rigt in teir views of te Lord s Supper tan are te denominations to wic I ave referred. Tey do not kneel and tey make prominent te commemorative feature of te ordinance. True, tey call it a sealing ordinance; and tese words Baptists vainly try to understand. Wat is sealed? Te covenant of grace, tey say. ow is tis? Tey say also tat baptism seals it. as it two seals? Among men covenants are invalid witout seals. Is te covenant of grace invalid for purposes of salvation unless te seals of baptism and te Lord s Supper are appended to it? Presbyterians will ardly answer in te affirmative. Te trut is te New Testament never refers to baptism and te Lord s Supper as sealing ordinances, and for te best reason: It teaces tat believers are sealed by te oly Spirit unto te day of redemption. If te oly Spirit seals, tere is security; and tere is someting wrong in te teology wic makes baptism and te Lord s Supper sealing ordinances. Baptists old tat, as te Lord s Supper is a curc ordinance, te supreme prerequisite to it is curc-membersip. Baptism, it is true, is often referred to as a prerequisite, and so it is, but only in te sense tat it is a prerequisite to curc-membersip. Te members of every local curc can claim it as a rigt to come to te Lord s Table in tat curc, but in no oter....tis is a matter so plain tat it is needless to dwell on it. It sometimes creates a smile wen it is said tat Baptists are more liberal in teir views and practice in regard to te Lord s Supper tan are any oter people; but it is true. It is true in te sense tat tey believe tat all wom tey baptize and receive into curc-membersip are entitled to seats at te Lord s Table; and it is true in te sense tat tey welcome to tat Table all wom tey baptize. Tey dare not sever from eac oter te two ordinances of te gospel. Of wat oter denomination can tis be said? I refer to te denominations of Protestant Cristendom. Among Episcopalians, Luterans, Presbyterians, and Metodists baptism and te Lord s Supper are put asunder tat is to say, tis is true of baptized cildren as distinguised from communicants. Wit Episcopalians and Luterans tese baptized cildren, so called, are kept from te Lord s Table until tey receive te rite of Confirmation. It is not possible to give a good reason for tis practice; for if troug sponsors tey are entitled to baptism, tey are also entitled to te Lord s Supper. Presbyterians require in te baptized cildren evidence of personal piety before tey are allowed to come to te Lord s Table, and Metodists, to say te least, insist tat tere sall be a desire to flee from te wrat to come. Te argument against inviting infants is tat infants cannot discern te body and blood of te Lord Jesus. Tis is doubtless true; but it is equally true tat tey cannot discern te spiritual significance of baptism. If te inability to discern is a bar to te Lord s Table, it sould also be a bar to te Lord s baptism. Tere can be no good reason for severing te ordinances of te gospel. Tose wo are entitled to baptism are entitled to te Lord s Supper. Tere is an interference wit scriptural order wenever te two ordinances are disjoined. Te (Continued on page 21)

21 April 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 21 Te Lord s Supper (Continued from page 20) interference cannot be justified. Baptists, terefore, say tat te Lord s Supper is not scripturally observed among Pedobaptists. Tey ave neiter scriptural baptism nor scriptural curcmembersip, and tere cannot be a scriptural administration of te Lord s Supper. In addition to tis, tey witold from a large number peraps a majority of tose wo, in teir judgment, are baptized te Lord s Supper. Tis is a great inconsistency. It must be said, owever, tat if te ordinances were not sundered tat is, if all baptized by Pedobaptists were permitted to come to te Lord s Supper te service would be vitiated by te presence of a majority composed of unbelievers and of tose incapable of believing. In view of suc considerations as tese, it will readily be seen wy Baptists believe tat Pedobaptists fail to observe te Lord s Supper according to te New Testament, even as tey fail to administer New Testament baptism. On te oter and, it is a distinctive Baptist principle tat a scriptural curc is a congregation of baptized believers in Crist, wose duty and privilege it is to eat te Lord s Supper. All te members of suc a curc are required to commemorate teir Lord s deat. Tey are united to im by fait in is name, and troug im, by spiritual ties, to one anoter, wile teir baptism as incorporated tem into one body, and teir partaking of one bread (I Cor. 10:17) is a symbol of teir unity. Baptists detac from te Lord s Supper every idea of Transubstantiation, Consubstantiation, ritual efficacy, sealing virtue, etc., and consider it a memorial of Crist s deat. Its commemorative office is tat wic constitutes its supreme distinction. Everyting else connected wit it is secondary and incidental. Tis do in remembrance of me, said Jesus in instituting te ordinances on te nigt of te betrayal. In te eating of te broken bread e requires tat is crucified body be remembered; in te drinking of te cup e enjoins a remembrance of is blood. Tat te faculty of memory is specially exercised concerning te deat of Crist in te sacred Supper is manifest from I Corintians 11:26: For as often as ye eat tis bread, and drink tis cup, ye do sew te Lord s deat till e come. We do not sow is birt, or baptism, or burial, or resurrection, or ascension, but is deat. If ever te tragedy of Calvary sould engross te tougts of te Cristian to te exclusion of every oter subject, it is wen e sits at te Table of te Lord. Ten memory must reproduce te scenes of te crucifixion and so old tem up to te mind tat Crist is evidently set fort crucified. Ten in te eating of te bread and te drinking of te cup te body and te blood of te Lord are spiritually discerned, and te ordinance, by te presence of te oly Spirit, becomes a ric blessing to te soul. It becomes te means of strengtening fait in Crist and of increasing love to im; wile memory goes back to is deat, and ope looks to is second coming, wen is personal presence will supersede te necessity of any symbol to promote a remembrance of im. (Distinctive Principles of Baptists, pp , 1882 edition). Te Only Effectual Cure By Douglas D. Jones ( ) (Te following is te substance of a sermon preaced at Trinity Baptist Curc, Gloucester around 1976). We read about im in te Bible in II Kings capter 5. is name was Naaman, army commander of te Syrian king, tougt muc of by is master, and a national ero on account of is victories. Some people migt ave been quite envious of suc a man, tat is, if tey ad not known of someting wic cast an ugly sadow over everyting else in is life. Te trouble was tat e was a leper. Leprosy is a loatsome disease, far more widespread in Bible times tan it is today, altoug still found abundantly in some countries. Modern medical science as done muc to alleviate te dreadful suffering it brings and sometimes cures are effected. In tose days, owever, tere was no known uman cure. Under te law of God given to Moses for te nation Israel, a leper ad to be isolated from oter company, not, it seems, necessarily from risk of infection, but because of te loatsomeness of te disease. In some of te Gentile nations, owever, tis was not te practice. It appears, ten, tat Naaman continued is duties, but e must ave known tat e was a doomed man. Ultimately te leprosy would take suc a old on im tat e would be too repulsive to look at and e would eventually die from its effects. Wat do onors, wealt, and position mean to a man wen e knows tat is days are numbered? We live at a time wen Man is making a great name for imself. Tis is te age of uman acievement, yet it is clear tat tere is someting seriously wrong wit umanity. On all sides we see turmoil, confusion, strife, warring, suffering, and unappiness. Wat is wrong? It is tat Man as been afflicted by someting inerent witin im wic can be likened to te deadly disease of wic we ave been speaking. It is sin. Man is a sinner in te sigt of is Creator. e as a natural and continual tendency to rebel against te God of te universe, rejecting te fact tat te eart is te Lord s not is and tat te world and all tat it contains belongs to God. It is because men are not rigt wit im tat tey are not rigt wit one anoter. Wat is more, as suc, Mankind is under te judgment of God. Just as a Jewis leper was cut off from te fellowsip of oters, because of te vileness of is disease, so te sinner, by nature, is unfitted for fellowsip wit te oly and pure God Wo created im. Sin is aborrent to God, and it brings separation from im. Tere is a kind of leprosy known as te anaestetic type, because patces of te affected skin lose all sensation. A person may at first be quite unaware as to wat is wrong, since tere is an insensibility to injury. For example, a burn on te affected area does not urt. One of te caracteristics of sin is tat tere are multitudes of people utterly oblivious of te seriousness of teir condition in (Continued on page 22)

22 Page 22 Te Berea Baptist Banner April 5, 2017 Te Only Effectual (Continued from page 21) te sigt of God and tat tey are facing an eternity separated from im, being quite unfitted for is presence. ow appropriate ten, is leprosy as a picture of sin, tat wit wic every one of us is born, yet te implications of wic we may be quite ignorant. Naaman s leprosy, owever, was suc tat e was well aware of it. Te fact must ave cast a terrible cloud over is wole life. So e migt ave gone on to te end of is days ad not someting appened wic we see clearly as te over-ruling of a merciful God Wose love is not confined to one nation. Te Syrians ad gone out in bands on one of teir raiding expeditions into te territory of Israel and ad taken captive a little girl. A most terrifying experience it must ave been for er, too, wrested from er family wo would ave been left in deep sorrow. It came about tat se was given te task of waiting on Naaman s wife. Se migt easily ave evidenced bitterness and resentment at er lot and acted in a very sullen manner, but it seems tat even in one so young tere burned a vital fait in te one true God Wom se ad come to know in er native land. Se learned of er master s condition, of te terrible disease wic ad taken old of im and for wic e knew no cure. And te love of God in tat little girl s eart brougt te reaction wic caused er to say to er mistress, Would God my lord were wit te propet tat is in Samaria! for e would recover im of is leprosy. Se was referring to Elisa. Did e make a practice in is own nation of ealing lepers? No, as Jesus said many years later, te propet ad never done suc a ting in Israel. But tat little maid, knowing tat Elisa was God s propet and a miracle worker, believed woleeartedly tat e could be used of God to eal er eaten master of tis dreaded disease. Se not only believed it, but se was ready to say so, too, watever te reaction of er mistress migt be to er claim. Wat se said obviously made an impression, for Naaman s wife told im about it, and e in turn went to te king to inform im, wereupon te king of Syria sent off Naaman to te king of Israel wit gifts of silver, and gold, and costly clotes. Te accompanying communication read, Wit tis letter I ave sent Naaman my servant to you so tat you may cure im of is leprosy. Te Syrian king was tinking in terms of a eaten monarc s autority. e expected te king of Israel to order Elisa te propet to cure Naaman. Wen e read te letter, tis did not occur to te king of Israel. e saw te wole ting as a trick to spark off fres warfare between te two nations. e was very perturbed. Am I God, to kill and make alive, tat tis man sends to me to cure a man of is leprosy? e said. Just consider and see ow e is seeking a quarrel against me. Tere were many tings e migt ave done as a king, but e was powerless in tis field. e did at least recognize te fact, wic is more tan can be said for many rulers and leaders in modern times in relation to te pitiful state of mankind. ow long tey ave asserted teir own ability to bring about a golden age of peace and prosperity among te peoples of te world. Tey ave teir summit conferences and teir great scemes. We ave seen te coming into being and decease of te League of Nations and te equal failure of te United Nations Organization to bring about te conditions it set out to acieve at its formation in Its eadquarters occupies an 18 acre site on Manattan Island, New York, and millions of dollars are spent yearly wit wat result? Wile it is true tat considerable material elp as been given to tose in undeveloped countries, it as to be asked, ave we seen te peace and security among te nations wic it pledged itself to acieve? Is te world really a better place in wic to live? Are people any appier and more contented? Te answer to suc questions can only be, No! Te solution to te problem does not lie in te wielding of royal sceptres or in statesmen, politicians, scientists and pilosopers. Nor is it to be found in a lifeless religious system. Naaman was sent to te wrong person and many sin sick souls are being sent to te wrong people today. owever, in is case, e was eventually directed to te propet of God of wom te little maid ad spoken. It must ave been quite an impressive sigt as te Syrian commander arrived at te door of Elisa s ouse wit is orses and cariot. But wat do you tink? Te propet did not even come out to greet im, let alone sow im te anticipated respect for suc an important person. Elisa just sent a messenger telling im, Go and was in Jordan seven times, and ty fles sall come again to tee, and tou salt be clean. It was suc a simple course wic Elisa instructed Naaman to take, but it did not suit im one little bit. e ad is own preconceived ideas as to te nature of tis cure and te one prescribed was most umiliating. In fact, e was furious, and went away complaining bitterly tat e tougt Elisa would ave waved is and over te place and cured im. ow is pride ad been urt. Did not tis Israelite propet realize wo e was? e ad not even botered to come to te door of is ouse! Instead of an expected display of supernatural power, e ad been told to go and was in te River Jordan seven times. Jordan! Tat muddy river! Wy, tere were te Abana and Parpar rivers wic transformed te wilderness around Damascus in is own country. Were tey not better tan all te waters of Israel? O, e was angry. ow dare tis man tell im, te great Naaman, to do suc a ting. ow typical was is reaction to many wo are told of God s remedy for teir sin. Wen tey ear tat tey ave to come to im just as tey are, as guilty, lost sinners, wit noting to plead of personal merit or acievement, but tat tey ave to repent of teir sins and cast temselves on te mercy of God, trusting in te atoning work of is Son, te Lord Jesus Crist wrougt upon te cross of Calvary, ten pride is wounded deeply. Te natural man despises suc a course, because it umbles im to te dust and e does not like being umbled. Among Naaman s servants were tose wo saw te folly of is reaction and were prepared to reason wit im. My fater tey said, if te propet ad bid tee do some great ting, wouldest tou not ave done it? ow muc rater ten, wen e sait to tee, Was, and be clean? Tey knew tat, brave soldier tat e was, Naaman would not ave flinced from some great task to effect is cure, but Elisa ad not told im to (Continued on page 23)

23 April 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 23 Te Only Effectual (Continued from page 22) do tis. In fact e ad been told to do someting very simple, but ere e was rejecting it because is pride ad been urt. As tey appealed to im, te great warrior realized wat a foolis, arrogant man e ad been. e proceeded to te River Jordan and dipped imself seven times according to te word of te man of God, and is fles was restored like tat of a little cild and e was clean. Ten e returned to Elisa wit all is attendants and came and stood before im, saying, Beold, now I know tat tere is no God in all te eart, but in Israel. Do I speak to someone wo as been unwilling to acknowledge teir condition as a guilty sinner in te sigt of God? as tere been a refusal to come in true umility to im in repentance and fait in is Son, te Lord Jesus Crist? I tell you, if you come to God on is terms, you will know te cleansing power of is precious blood, and te peace of God wic passes all understanding will be your portion as you become reconciled to im. Like Naaman, you will be able to say, Now I know wit a conviction born of experience. O, te joy of being able to say, I know in Wom I ave trusted. A due appreciation of wat appened at Calvary can only result in te same appening to us. As Isaac Watts puts it in is well-known ymn, Wen I survey te wondrous cross on wic te Prince of Glory died, my ricest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride. (Watcing and Waiting, January-Marc, 2017). Te Sort Pews Brief Articles by Curtis Pug LOOKING FOR MY FREE WILL I keep earing about tis ting tey call free will. I can not find mine. True, I ave a will, but it is a part of me and my eart desires and emotions are evil. Te propet wrote in Jeremia 17:9, Te eart is deceitful above all tings, and desperately wicked: wo can know it? My will is to act according to my eart. I sin because it is my will to sin. If my will was free from my nature I could will to stop sinning and do so, but I cannot. I ave studied te Bible for many years and talked to many people about tis ting called free will. None of tem ave been able to sow me even one verse in te Bible tat says tat we umans ave a free will. I cannot find suc a verse eiter. And since I am not te only one wo commits sin, I tink it must be tat everyone as a deceitful and wicked eart as te verse quoted above says. Jesus said to some very religious people, O generation of vipers, ow can ye, being evil, speak good tings? for out of te abundance of te eart te mout speaket (Matt. 12:34). Anoter place te Lord said, For out of te eart proceed evil tougts, murders, adulteries, fornications, tefts, false witness, blaspemies (Matt. 15:19). So wile I may want to do wat is rigt, my will is not free from my eart and I still sin. Since I cannot remember aving a free will, I do not remember losing it. It seems to me tat Adam and Eve ad free wills because tey were created in untested oliness. So I tink Adam must ave lost free will for imself and all is posterity in is fall. Jesus said: Searc te scriptures; for in tem ye tink ye ave eternal life: and tey are tey wic testify of me. And ye will not come to me, tat ye migt ave life (Jon 5:39-40). Te people to wom Jesus spoke tese words ad a problem. Tey did not ave a will to come to Crist. And not aving a free will to enable tem to come in a saving way to im, tey could not come because teir will was bound to teir eart. Tat is wy Jesus said, No man can come to me, except te Fater wic at sent me draw im: and I will raise im up at te last day (Jon 6:44). If anyone can tell me ow to get a free will, I would be glad to ear from tem. If you know of anyone wo as a free will, or if you ave a free will, please tell me ow you know your will is free from your evil eart. A person wo as a free will and is terefore sinless sould be able to tell me ow tey got teir free will and sould no longer sin. ZEAL WITOUT KNOWLEDGE Often zeal is a good ting. Zeal, or entusiasm for good tings, is to be commended. Being a deadead on te job or as a parent or in service for te Lord makes life a burden. In te matter of our relationsip wit im, Crist said: As many as I love, I rebuke and casten: be zealous terefore, and repent (Rev. 3:19). Not only do lost sinners need to repent, Cristians also are guilty of sins daily. Walking wit God is a matter of daily repentance. (Continued on page 24) BEREA BAPTIST BANNER Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $2, RECEIPTS: Amazing Grace B. C., Stockdale, TX B. C. of Brimfield, Brimfield, IL Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Berea B. C., Stonington, IL Betel B. C., Pasadena, TX Big Creek B. C., Wayne, WV Carol Willett, Edgewater, FL Citrus M. B. C., Inverness, FL Emmanuel B. C., Oldtown, KY Fait B. 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