The Brother Is More Ludicrous Than Logical
Notwithstanding the efforts of various brethren to clarify the issue regarding churches sending out preachers to influence other churches to foward money to them and through them for the purpose of supporting the gospel in distant lands, one Homer Putnam Reeves continues to contend that "many are so afraid they will do the wrong thing, that they just compromise and do nothing."
Brethren on both sides of the proposition have pointed out that it is not a question of whether or not the churches of Christ should evangelize the world with the gospel of Christ, but that it is a question—with some, at least—as to how the objective is to be accomplished. We are committed to the inexorable rule of following the scriptures; and there is no substitute which can serve as an alternative. However, brother Reeves, like the digressives and the denominations—to make an unnecessary distinction—thinks ridicule a potentiality in that direction. How woefully mistaken he is! There are still legions among those who proclaim the word publicly who are not moved by such childish efforts; and we have not learned the art of compromise. With all such the ebullition of high sounding phrases which characterized brother Reeves article in The Gospel Advocate of April 19, 1951 will avail nothing.
"Let the 'highly orthodox brethren' rave and rant. Let the ink-slingers work up an ink-lather condemning everything and everybody. Let the world continue to burn; we cannot be perturbed. We are too busy arguing. We have joined the cynic's band. We must be scriptural."
So, our brother who does not believe in arguing—though he will "rave and rant"—gets so perturbed about the "highly orthodox brethren" being scriptural that he has just about allowed himself to be "joined to the cynic's band." All of the time, men against whom he hurled his accusations are busy preaching the word, encouraging churches to send the word far and near, churches are sending men to tell the glad tidings, and brother Reeves position but proves the justification of the application of the title of this article to his own.