Pertinent Paragraphs
If a man copies his sermon or article from just one book of sermons, he is branded a plagiarist; but if he copies from several such books, he is lauded as a man of fine intellect, superior scholarship and extensive research Why is this? There may be a little difference, but not that much.
Will a man (a preacher) ever sacrifice principle rather than risk offending someone, especially influential men in the church? Will a worthy man resort to the practice of "buttering up" the elders by soft-pedaling through scriptures which point out the character and conduct of the leaders or others? I am not telling, just asking.
Some preachers refuse to speak out boldly against false doctrines and unscriptural practices of the denominations, also of unsound speech and unscriptural practices sprouting up within their own local assemblies because they don't want to offend anyone. Of course, none should seek to give offense purposely; but all should remember that a "policy" that never offends anyone seldom converts anyone.
Someone has said that "nothing is sure except death and taxes." We are reminded daily that death is certain. Many godly men and great preachers with whom I have worked have passed on in the last dozen years or so. Some died of "old age," some with heart ailment, and several were killed in traffic accidents; but one of the more alarming and regrettable things I have noted recently is the fact that numbers of the younger "ministers" are killing themselves (spiritually) by "degrees."
In recent years several preachers and writers are telling us that "an inference is no proof of anything." Now, may I ask, where is the authority (proof) for the practice of taking up a contribution on Sundays for preacher pay and for general church expenses, except by inference? Let us not forget that I Cor. 16:1-3 speaks only of a special contribution, a charity contribution, to be sent to Jerusalem for relief of the needy. Where, then, is there any other "proof?" Look it up, and tell us.
Anyone who thinks that the epistle of James was written to a church or churches (congregations) as such, is too poorly informed to be trying to teach either via pulpit or press. Why not listen to James as he tells us to whom he wrote the letter? His introduction states it plainly: "James . . . . to the twelve tribes which are of the dispersion." It was written to Jewish Christians scattered over two or three continents; and, as is evidenced by the more than a dozen references in the first chapter, all censure, charges, admonition and commendations are to individual Christians — and that's that!
In Re-Sponsoring churches and church support of orphan homes and similar institutions separate from the church, there has been published in the Gospel Guardian alone in the last six or seven years, enough documented evidence against all such humanly devised institutions to convince any adult who can see even a shade better than a one eyed potato, that they are all condemned by the Word; that they are both unscriptural and anti-scriptural. Why churches continue to help build and support these money-craving, money-wasting adjuncts, devised by human wisdom (?) persist in advocating and supporting them is hard to understand.