Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 10
November 13, 1958
NUMBER 28, PAGE 12a

"Do Good To All Men"

Pryde E. Hinton

John D. Cox, Gospel Advocate, October 16, after quoting Gal. 6:10, says, "There are those who insist that the context of this verse demands that we conclude that this charge applies to individual Christians and not to the church 'as such'." .... "Their position is that Paul tells individual Christians to 'work that which is good toward all men,' but the church is to work that which is good toward saints only!" He then quotes Gal. 6:1 to prove (?) that the context shows Paul is speaking to the church "as such". But anybody who has an "open face" can see that the same verse says, in the same sentence: "CONSIDERING THYSELF, LEST THOU ALSO BE TEMPTED" (A. V.). Try again, John, you fell flat on your face that time! Then read on down, John: "bear one another's burdens;" and "if a man think himself to be something, etc."; "let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let HIM that is taught in the word," etc. Why, Brother Cox! IF THESE VERSES DO NOT APPLY TO INDIVIDUALS ONLY, LANGUAGE MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. A man like John Cox is pretty hard up for proof when he resorts to attempting to prove such a passage means the church "as such," as an organizational unit, using the funds from its treasury. You just don't have any scriptures to prove it, do you Brother Cox?

He inquires of verse 6: "Are we to conclude that individual Christians are to pay the preacher but the church 'as such' must not pay him?" Is it really true that a man like John D. Cox doesn't know that he is here handling the word of God deceitfully? IF THE NEW TESTAMENT DOES NOT IN ANY OTHER PLACE AUTHORIZE THE CHURCH "AS SUCH" TO PAY THE PREACHER, BROTHER COX, THEN THIS CHARGE WOULD BE TO INDIVIDUALS ONLY. But Brother Cox knows that Paul specifically mentions the church 'as such" in Philippians 4, as well as in 2 Cor. 11:8; 12:13, etc.

If Brother Cox had any scriptural proof that the church from its treasury may relieve the physical needs of "all men," he would not use the same tactics a denominational preacher uses to attempt to prove sprinkling for baptism.