"Think, Brethren, Think"
In the December 20th issue of the Herald of Hope, the paper published by the Home for the Aged at Gunter, Texas, Brother S. A. Ribble has a short article with the title "Think, Brethren, Think." Some of the statements made in the article raise some questions in my mind, questions that I believe would be good for us all to think about and answer in harmony with the scriptures. The scriptures should be our authority in all religious matters. If a question or problem is not settled by the scriptures, it is not settled at all.
Here is the first sentence of the article: "The fine benevolent work of caring for the aged, the ill, and the otherwise needy, such as is being done by our orphanages, and our Homes is most surely fully authorized and should be given wholehearted support by brethren everywhere." I take it that Brother Ribble means that the Gunter Home for the Aged and "our" orphanages, as they are presently organized and engaging in the work they are, are "most surely fully authorized." In view of this statement and its obvious meaning, the following questions enter my mind:
1. What makes Gunter Home for the Aged and "our" orphanages scriptural, the work they do, or the way they are organized, or both?
2. Since the Homes and "our" orphanages are "most surely fully authorized," where is the passage that teaches that one church, such as the Gunter Church, may plan a program, do a work, and disburse funds for all the churches?
3. Do the scriptures teach that the Gunter Church has a responsibility to care for the aged that all the churches do not have ?
4. If the Gunter Home for the Aged were organized in some manner other than under the eldership of the church at Gunter, would it be "most surely fully authorized"?
5. Is Boles Orphan Home "most surely fully authorized" since it is not under the eldership of a local church?
6. If both Boles Home and the Gunter Home for the Aged are "most surely fully authorized," how would a home, either orphanage or for the aged, have to be organized to make it unscriptural?
7. In apostolic days, did one church care for all the aged among all the churches or some of the aged among all the churches or did every church care for its own?
8. If every church is charged with the same work, (that is, to preach the gospel, edify its members, and care for its poor and needy,) what would be the condition in the brotherhood if every church instituted a "brotherhood program" in some given field of scriptural work ? Does not every church have the right to plan such programs if one church has the right to do so ?
9. Since "our orphanages and our Homes are most surely fully authorized and should be given wholehearted support by brethren everywhere," are churches doing wrong when they will not support such institutions, since the work of these institutions is "most surely fully authorized"?
10. Would it be possible for a church to care for its own aged, widows and orphans within the framework of the local church, in its own community, and would this be scriptural?
11. If there were only one congregation of the Lord's church in existence in the world, would it be possible for this congregation to carry out, to the extent of its ability, the work that the Lord taught the church to do?
Brother Ribble's concluding statements are: "From time to time brethren are coming to see for the first time the good work here. They most always go away in full sympathy with the work. Often promising more and better support in the future. Again, I say, Think, Brethren, Think." The implication is that if brethren will come and see the Gunter Home first-hand, they will be so impressed that all doubts as to scripturalness might pass away. This is probably the way that many brethren would be impressed. But does that settle the question as to whether or not it is scriptural? If that is the way a work is determined to be scriptural, I suggest we throw away our Bibles, walk by sight and not by faith, settle every question on the basis of how good it is and how much good work is done, be sentimental, and all join the Baptists, because that is the way most matters are judged with the sects. They are far ahead of us in all kinds of benevolent work, for they take no time at all to consider whether or not a matter is scriptural, but if it does good and looks good, it must be all right. It is unfortunate that we are drifting into the same pattern, justifying a work and institutions on the basis of the good they do, instead of the scripturalness of such.
I, too, fervently wish that all of us would think, and I join with Brother Ribble in saying, "Think, Brethren, Think." I would add, however, that our thinking must be guided by the principles of the Scriptures, if it is to be correct thinking. We should remember the scriptural truth that the local church, and only the local church, is the organization through which and in which the Christian should work in performing service to God through Christ.