The Overflow
Same page!
In the March 19 issue of Gospel Advocate the editor of that journal explains the reason why his journal has a policy of refusing to publish "both sides" of controversial questions. He says it is because he is "not obligated to furnish a medium for radicals and hobbyists to ventilate their hobbies, nor are we obligated to become an agency for the dissemination of error." He further declares that it is not "necessary for the editor, when he gives space to truth, to give equal space to error." Then on the same page of that journal he urges his readers to buy the Wallace-Ketcherside debate! And if any book in our generation teaches more error than some of Ketcherside's speeches, we've not seen it! 0, Consistency, just how blind can some of our brethren get?
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Defending RSV From the Frederick (Oklahoma) Leader of March 20, we see where Dr. Ralph G. Wilburn, professor of Theology at Phillips University, was to have preached a sermon in the Frederick First Christian Church entitled, "A Reply To Popular Objections To the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible." No doubt Dr. Wilburn (modernist — digressive) and Dr. Brewer (LL.D from Harding College) are in full agreement that most preachers in the churches of Christ are hopelessly "unscholarly" when they reject the new modernist version of the Bible.
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Catch 'em young The Rev. Cyril W. Nye, vicar of St. Savior's in Walthamstow, England, voices an urgent plea for early baptism of infants in his parish. Said he, "Please, please try to bring your children along before they are two months old. Babies of six months and over are uncommonly awkward to handle. When the baptismal water is poured over their heads, they react strongly and try to get away ... That can be quite tricky with a healthy, struggling infant. I don't mind the noise, but its a bit too much when they try to fight the priest." Perhaps it would help if the seminaries would give courses for their fledgling pastors in the "manly art of self defense," including ju-jitsu and the basic wrestling holds. Some of the more burly of them might even become proficient enough that they would be able to extend their field of operations, and make "Christians" not only of the helpless infants, but also of teen-agers and women, as well as some of the less robust of the male species! Then we could sing "Bring Them In" with something more than poetic license.
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A minister This page is being prepared (in part) in the study of Hoyt Houchen, who preaches for Central church in Amarillo, Texas. He has handed over an envelope addressed to him as "Hoyt Houchen — a minister." Somehow, we like that. It looks a whole lot better than "the minister." No preacher should be "the" minister of a congregation if that expression implies that he is the only minister in such a church.
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Radio preacher.
Our little note on the East Texas Baptist preacher who believes it is impossible for one who belongs to the "body of Christ" to have a broken arm ("not a bone shall be broken") prompts one of our readers in Pittsburg to write us of the radio preacher in that area who habitually quotes Jude 3 as ". . . continue earnestly in the faith," and Ephesians 2:21 as ". . in whom all the building filthy framed together groweth unto an holy temple." What next?
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Differing concepts Gospel preachers have always contended that the word "church" is used in two senses only — local and universal. The local church has a constituted authority or organization (the eldership) through which it operates. The universal church has no such arrangement. One MAJOR cause of the present disturbance over "institutionalism" is that efforts are being made constantly to have the church universal ("the brotherhood" as it is called) undertake to work through an eldership of some congregation. Brotherhood programs should be managed under brotherhood authority. But God gave no such organization or authority. And it is a perversion of the eldership to attempt to make the elders of one church do a task for which they have neither authority nor example. The rule or authority of any eldership begins and ends with their own congregation.
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Bound volume This is the final issue of Volume four of the Gospel Guardian. That means that the bound volume will shortly be ready for distribution (as soon as we can prepare an index and have the binding done). We only bind about 200 copies, and you can save a bit of money by putting in your order at the pre-publication price of $4.00. After the book is bound, it will be $5.00. Remittance should accompany the order.
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The singing birds Brother Herschel Dyer sends us a clipping from one of the Lincoln (Nebraska) daily papers announcing that 30 canary birds were to have been used to sing with the choir of the East Lincoln Christian Church on Palm Sunday. The pastor thought it was a wonderful idea, and would "enhance the worship service." No doubt. But we can't escape the suspicion that canaries in the choir are a pretty fair proof of the presence of bats in the belfry — the pastor's belfry, that is.
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Coming home Latest word from Brother Dick Smith in Karlsruhe is that he thinks it best to come home and talk things over with the brethren at Grove Avenue church. In view of all matters involved in this problem we believe his decision is a wise one. He plans to leave from Europe the first week in May, and will be in the States shortly thereafter. We will carry further announcements of his plans after he has visited with the brethren in San Antonio.
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Keep it up!
We close our fourth year as a weekly publication with sincere thanks to the thousands of brethren who have helped so generously in increasing our circulation. One gospel preacher has sent in more than a thousand subscriptions in the four year period (over 500 in one year); and many others have helped on a more modest scale. We need and solicit your continued help.