Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 10
May 29, 1958
NUMBER 5, PAGE 5

"Practical Purity"

Harold Spurlock, Buckeye, Arizona

In the January 1, 1958 issue of the Boles Home News, the official organ of the Boles Home Benevolent Society, there appeared an article, evidently from the pen of the editor, Brother Gayle Oler, filled with glowing commendation for a new religious paper "just now making its bow upon the journalistic platform of the brotherhood." (I closely examined the "Spiritual Sword," to which he referred, and found it to be quite "dull" of any "sharp" or "pointed" scriptures authorizing any of the many disputed practices of some churches, as well as the several human organizations clinging like "leeches" to the Lord's cause. It appears this paper will immediately join "presses" with other "spindly-leg" supporters of the institutional craze so prevalent among the "anti-divine authority" brethren.) In closing his song of praise Brother Oler insists the Sword should be "a must in the reading habits of ministers, elders, and every New Testament Christian interested in the doctrinal and practical purity of the church."

Now what, may I ask, is practical purity? "Doctrinal purity" of the church I can read of in God's word. I can open the pages of my Testament and learn that God wants his children to be pure in their every activity. Pure in thought, speech, work, worship, and teachings is what he desires. I read also, of the absolute necessity of pure love towards one another and to God. I find all this purity is resultant only if the pure word of truth is taught, believed, respectfully obeyed, and stedfastly practiced. But where does this "practical purity" enter? What part does it play in our journey from earth to heaven? Where can I read about it in God's word ? Or, must I look to the brotherhood to see what the majority is doing in order to know? Could this "practical purity" be that which is derived from having done something for forty or fifty years? Maybe "practical purity" is the publicity many prominent churches have received as a result of doing big things in big ways like the denominations. Or still, perhaps it is the purity (?) that comes from "visiting" all the congregations begging them for their funds so a million dollar meeting-house facility can be built in Manhattan. But again, perhaps this "practical purity" results from churches engaging in recreation, entertainment, youth camps, youth services, youth choruses, "fellowship" dinners, business enterprises, and such like. And surely this brand of purity (?) would also include the practical (?) way hundreds of churches are induced to forward part of their funds to big churches with "wide-awake" elders so the big churches can do big, brotherhood missionary and benevolent works. It appears also, this Oler-authorized "purity" includes setting up human organizations and societies to provide the "how" and "methods" for doing portions of the work Christ authorized his congregations to do themselves. We are told that the churches are not designed to perform, nor is it practical for them to engage in, certain phases of benevolent activity. Brethren, don't you believe it! Don't be guilty of swallowing such an impeachment of God's infinite wisdom and knowledge.

Brethren, I'll tell you what "practical purity" is. It's "Tom's foolery!" It is that which promoting brethren inject into the truth of Christ whenever they are unable to find a "Thus saith the Lord" for their pet projects and =scriptural arrangements. In the absence of divine authorization they "Deaver-ate," circumvent, and in general completely refuse to recognize and discuss the real issues troubling a badly confused majority. We find them Hobbs-nobbing" around with "homes restored" while at the same time grasping at straw-colored "total situations" and "constituent elements." How refreshing it would be to see these "anti-all-sufficient church" brethren quit clouding the issues with misrepresentations, falsifications, and various other cunning and sly devices unbecoming to honest, humble Christians. How refreshing it would be to hear some solid divine authority advanced in support of all these human organizations and sponsoring church arrangements, instead of so much rancid, 19th century, Digressive church gobbledygook. When shall we all come to fully and deeply respect Christ's authority in all these matters vital to the soul's eternal welfare? When shall we all learn to respect the "all-sufficient" ability of the local church to fulfill every work and activity given it to do by the mind of God. The local church made up of "sanctified" people is God's organized (with its elders and deacons), working and worshipping unit, and through its own inherent financial resource is able to underwrite its own evangelistic, benevolent, and edification programs. If every human organization, society, sponsoring arrangement and such like were to be dissolved instantly, the Lord's cause would continue to move forward in God's ordained way — the complete, sufficient, local church — and God's Will would be fulfilled in every respect. The previous statement may not sound "practical pure" to some "ears" but it yet is to be proven doctrinally UN-pure.

No doubt Brother Oler would like James 1:27 to read as follows: "Practical pure religion and undefiled before him (Oler) is this, To turn all benevolent obligations — congregational and individual — over to a Benevolent Society and to get every congregation involved in some 'brotherhood work' while entangling itself with the world."

Mark this: There is no such thing as "practical purity" with regards the work, worship, and activity of churches until that activity, worship, and work first be proven "doctrinally pure" by the light of God's revealed word. Many were the times the Digressives of the last century pointed with pride to their boards, conventions, societies, projects and instruments of music as vivid displays of "practical purity," but those all were proven doctrinally unpure and therefore to be rejected by all truth-lovers. Those same things are still doctrinally pure regardless of 20th century garb and flimsy disguise.

Let us all be honest enough with ourselves and humble enough before God to respectfully abide in the pure doctrine of Christ. Yes, Brother Oler, every humble Christian is interested in the doctrinal purity of the church and demonstrates that interest by maintaining at all times during his life a devout respect for a "thus sayeth the Lord" in all he says or does religiously, even though it may appear a "practical pure" arrangement of human organization could do the job better, faster, and more proficiently than that which Christ authorized.