Concerning Our Policy

With this issue the new Gospel Guardian makes its first appearance to the public. It comes at an opportune time. For many months there has been an increasingly urgent desire on the part of many people for such a paper. The desire has become a demand—a mandate. Thoughtful brethren from every part of the nation and from far corners of the world have raised their plea for a weekly paper in the tradition of the original Gospel Guardian. As the threatening clouds of an approaching apostasy have grown blacker and blacker, the alarm of Christians has grown apace. Their alarm has been justified. Unless valiant endeavor and resolute action are forthcoming, the church almost certainly faces another tragic descent into the depths of digression and discord.

Editorial Responsibility

So far as we are concerned, this editorial job is one we did not seek. There will probably be plenty of people who are convinced to start with that they could do a much better job. The number holding this opinion is more likely to increase than to decrease as the weeks go by. But so long as we are in this job, we are going to write and publish the things we think should be written and published. If there be those to whom such things are displeasing, it is no more than we expect. It shall be our constant endeavor, however, to be free as much as possible from unintended offenses. We shall seek to guard against ill-constructed sentences which can honestly be mistaken to mean the opposite of what we intend. When such mistakes occur (as they probably will) we will not hesitate to withdraw and apologize for whatever blame may attach to us for any lack of clarity in expression.

But for the doctrinal teachings which may give offense to innovators and errorists we shall make neither apology nor excuse. It is our intention and our desire to wage an unrelenting offensive warfare against all such perverters of truth. The teachings of God's Word are "most surely believed' by us. For these teachings we will never apologize.

Contributor's Articles

There will doubtless often be things appearing in our columns with which the editor himself is not in complete accord. In matters of opinion and judgment no effort at all will be made to bring every statement in every article into harmony with the position of the editor. But in matters of doctrine, when an article contains an argument contrary to what the editor conceives to be the teaching of the Bible, he will be bound in honor to call attention to it (either on the editorial page or otherwise) and correct the false teaching. In other words, the open forum nature of this journal does not extend to the limit of giving liberty for falsehoods to be spread through its pages.

We will welcome, of course, contributed articles from those who are earnestly concerned in the propagation of the truth and who are "contending for the faith'. We have neither time nor inclination, however, to read nor space to publish articles which are mere diatribes against the church. There are certain misguided and misanthropic souls (probably suffering from psychological frustrations) who flood the mails with their bitter and acrimonious attacks against the church, insisting that the church of the Lord today is made up largely of time-serving preachers, unqualified elders, and "devil-worshipping' members. We are not interested in receiving any such articles; we consider them offensive to good taste as well as being contrary to truth. This journal is dedicated to a clean, militant, aggressive, and uncompromising fight "in defense of the church against all errors and innovations'. We will be happy to print all articles for which we have space which may contribute to that sort of program.

Defense And Offense

We recognize the principle, amply demonstrated militarily in the late war, that "the best defense is offense'. With that in mind we shall be vigilant and careful in our "guarding" against what many may consider as small and insignificant departures from the truth. And once an error, or tendency toward error, is detected, we shall oppose it with all the strength we can muster. The best defense against error always is to wage an all-out offensive against it before it gains a foot-hold. Let those who will call this "heresy-hunting"; we call it guarding the gospel of Christ.

The working, preaching, teaching church is not the one that is most likely to become a prey to the innovators and errorists. A healthy, active, militant, vigorous church rejects error just as naturally as a healthy and vigorous body rejects disease. It is only when a church becomes stagnant, restless in its inactivity, that it becomes susceptible to the blandishments and schemes of the 'promoters' among us who are always handy with a pet project of one kind or another. Realizing this, the Gospel Guardian will do all it can to encourage and stimulate everywhere a faithful and zealous carrying out of the Great Commission.

Our unswerving policy is "let the truth be taught on every issue, everywhere, all the time.' That is the only safe course. When any church or group of people becomes squeamish about teaching the truth on controversial issues "because they aren't an issue here", we know with certainty that the dragon's-teeth seeds of future trouble are being sown. The best way under heave to prevent error "being taught here' is to teach the truth so firmly and so fully in advance that the errorists never has a chance to gain acceptance with his false doctrine.

With the help and co-operation of more than half a hundred of the ablest preachers, writers, and teachers to be found in the church today, the editor of the Gospel Guardian and the Bible Banner, with a considerable number of the staff (including the founder and editor) of those publications on our editorial board, we face the fray with confidence and courage. F. Y. T.