What About Us Little Preachers?
We outnumber the big ones about ten to one. We are confused somewhat. As the air becomes thicker and thicker with the smoke of battle we find it difficult to find our way around. As I read my Bible day by day I admit it is a little blurred in places due to the constant bombarding of each other by religious journals such as the Gospel Advocate the Gospel Guardian and others. Maybe this is the way it should be to represent the two extremes. The truth is usually found between two extremes. That is why we continue to read and study the Bible, because it is truth regardless of what others say. (Jn. 8:32.)
I enjoy reading the papers published by my brethren, because after it is all said and done, they are the best people on earth. Because they have heard, believed and obeyed the glorious gospel of Christ and have become such as should be saved. (Acts 2:47.) We are not expecting the church to die. We know it will not, because the Heavenly Father will see to that. As I find myself reading and studying my Bible more and more each day in order to stay in the middle of the road I have learned much, as anyone will. We have learned that one can take the truth and present it in such a way as to make it sound like a hobby of some kind. We have learned that one can take error and make it sound like the truth. We use the word of God as a measuring stick. (Phil. 3:16.) After all, the word of God is all we have to guide our weary feet from earth to Heaven. Therefore, the most important question is, WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT THE ISSUE? Is it taught by command or example? Surely we can know, for the Bible says so. (Eph. 5:17.) To say we cannot present a united front on any issue is but to deny the Words of this passage. Of course someone is ready to say, "Which side are you on"? In the first place it would make very little difference which side us little preachers are on since we are not heard through the papers, nor by word of mouth, except on a very limited scale. Yet if I know my heart I am on the Lord's side. I got that way by taking the Bible as my standard in matters of religion, rather than some commentary or by some religious publication by my uninspired brethren just because they happened to be big preachers. I have no fight with the big preachers, they are doing a great work indeed. But I am tooth and toe nail against taking what they say without first going to the Bible to see what Jesus said about it. So remember, brethren, since ninety per cent of the gospel preachers are of the little variety, how they preach will determine the future church. More of them are thinking for themselves now more than ever before. The reason is plain. We do not want and will not stand for a recurrence of that shameful situation which took place in the Broadway Church in Lexington, Kentucky in 1902 which split the body of Christ in that section, setting it back more than fifty years. In the words of the song let us go, BACK TO THE BIBLE FOR IT ALL.