"The Middle Of The Road"
Roy E. Cogdill, Nacogdoches, Texas
In matters of judgment or problems involving the choice of human wisdom, moderation, reason, soberness, and every other element of human disposition and feeling that will help to come to a well considered and wise decision is important and needful. Sometimes men swing from one extreme to another. In trying to avoid the ditch on one side of the road we may plunge into the ditch on the other side. Everyone recognizes the danger of this, and all of us should always be careful to avoid such a pitfall.
When the problem facing us is concerned with what the Bible teaches and authorizes, then there is no "middle of the road." The only middle of the road in this instance is compromise, and means selling out the truth and bartering away our spiritual birthright for a mess of pottage. When this is done we wind up in the ditch that leads to eternal ruin; we are minding "earthly things", our god is our "belly", and our end is perdition. We are truly "enemies of the cross of Christ" if we follow such a course. (Phil. 3:18-19.)
In the digression from truth and New Testament authority that grew into the "Christian Church" there was no middle of the road. The issues were, first, 'Do the churches of Christ have a scriptural right to form societies to do their work of evangelism?' Where is the middle of the road on that issue. Everyone who tried to stand in the middle of the road wound up on the side of the missionary societies and digression and was lost in apostasy.
The second great issue raised was, 'Is it scripturally right to use mechanical instruments of music in Christian worship?' Was there a middle of the road on that question? Some tried to find it, and contended that they could worship with, or without, the instrument. But they were not in the middle of the road. They simply had no convictions as to what the Bible taught on the question. They, too, wound up in the ditch of digression with the rest.
In this great digression many churches because of a weak and compromising leadership undertook to stand in the middle of the road, and would not have the matter discussed for fear they might experience some trouble or disagreement over it. They did not value the truth enough to want to know it or want the members of the congregation to be taught. Hence they said, "We will not hear either side." They would not allow it to be discussed in their buildings or in connection with their work. In every instance of such an attitude, that church slid into complete apostasy, and if it is in existence today, is identified with the Christian Church movement. That is always the case when we are indifferent to the truth and value peace and worldly prosperity above what the word of God teaches. Elders who take such an attitude are not fit to be Christians, much less elders in the church of our Lord.
In the battle of more recent date in the church on the issue of "premillennialism" was there any middle of the road? Some brethren tried to find it. Brother G. C. Brewer was at first strongly sympathetic toward R. H. Boll and his doctrine of the 1000 years reign on the earth between the time of his Second Coming and the end of the world. He criticized Foy E. Wallace for debating the issue with Charles M. Neal, and made the statement that the issue was unimportant and that he had never studied it for an hour in his whole life. But later on, when it became apparent that there were those who would defect from the cause of Christ for the sake of their speculative teaching, he woke up to his mistake and changed his course. He could not find a middle of the road on the question. All of the "middle of the road compromisers" on this issue were lost sight of completely.
In the debating that has been done on the Bible School question through the years there has been no middle of the road. One can talk about "extreme positions" all one wishes, but in the final analysis there is only the "right" and the "wrong" of the matter. It is either right to teach the Bible in classes or it is not right!
It is either scriptural and right to use uninspired literature and other helps in teaching or it is not right! It is either scriptural and right for Christian women to teach other women and children or it is not!
It is either scriptural and right to have more than one container for the fruit of the vine on the Lord's table or it is not right!
There are not three positions to be occupied with reference to these questions — an extreme on either side and then one "in the middle of the road". Extreme arguments may be made, and extreme attitudes may be manifested, but with reference to scriptural teaching in any issue there are only TWO positions — the right and the wrong.
Suppose some of our present day compromisers and apologists for truth find the middle of the road in the following issues:
Chart Goes Here, Left
1. Justification by faith only.
2. Conversion by direct operation of the Holy Spirit apart from the word.
3. One name in religion as good as another.
4. Saved before and without baptism.
5. Saved out of the church.
6. Christ will become King on David's Throne when he comes again.
7. Instrumental music in Christian worship is scriptural.
8. Observe the Lord's Supper once each month — twice a quarter — whenever the preacher comes.
9. A child of God cannot so sin as to be finally lost.
Chart Goes Here, Right
1. Justification only by the faith that obeys.
2. Conversion by the Holy Spirit through the word.
3. Salvation only in the name of Christ.
4. Saved in baptism.
5. All the saved are in the church.
6. Christ is now King on the throne of His father David.
7. Instrumental music in Christian worship is without Bible authority and therefore unscriptural.
8. Observe the Lord's Supper each "first day of the week."
9. A child of God can so sin as to be finally lost.
Many more can be added to this list. In fact every issue can be, since the Bible either teaches it, or doesn't teach it. There is no half-way ground except in the matters which do not involve the will of God and where the choice has been left to human wisdom.
Three Propositions Chart Left
1. It is right for the church to act without scriptural authority.
2. The churches of Christ have scriptural authority to build human organizations as a means of cooperating in accomplishing their work.
3. Boles Home, Incorporated is a human organization.
Chart Right
1. It is sinful for the church to act without scriptural authority.
2. The scriptures do not authorize the churches to build human organizations for any purpose or to do anything.
3. Boles Home, Incorporated is a divine organization.
The above three propositions are either true or they are untrue! If it is right for the church to act in any capacity without divine authority (and some of the brethren are claiming now that it is), then the last two propositions are unimportant. But if the church must have authority from its head, Jesus Christ, in order to do what it does, then the question is: does the Bible authorize churches of Christ to build human organizations, or maintain them, in order to cooperate through them in the accomplishment of their work? If the scriptures do authorize such, the passage needs to be produced that gives such authority! (And we all need to apologize to the Christian Church and ask their forgiveness for condemning them through all these years for having such organizations).
If the scriptures do NOT authorize the churches to build human organizations, then the third question is in order: Is Boles Home, Incorporated, a human organization? Anyone who would deny that it is must be foolhardy and silly! Where did God ever set up such an organization as the State of Texas has chartered under the name of "Boles Home, Incorporated"? There is no middle of the road on this question any more than on the others suggested above.
The middle of the road is a good place to be destroyed. It involves eventually a head-on collision and likely permanent injury or death. Driving in the middle of the road is contrary to law, violates all of the rules of safety and good conduct, and is a threat to the rights of others. DO NOT TRY IT! Have the courage to stand for the truth.