McGarvey Answers Some Questions

Dear Brother McGarvey:

We meet every Lord's day and break the loaf, and Wednesday evenings for prayer-meeting. We have in our congregation a brother who has not met with us in any of our meetings for twelve months or more. He has been talked to in regard to his action, and when so remonstrated with, contends that there is no scriptural authority for prayer-meetings, and that he can read his Bible at home and do his duty to the Lord. Now granting he may be a man of upright life, living fully in the discharge of all the duties growing out of his multiplied worldly relations, grant all you may say in favor of this man thus: should he be retained in the church, and does a church do its duty that retains such a man as a brother? Answer in Times.

Allen Richards There is no precept of the New Testament more explicit than the one which requires that we shall not forsake the assembling of ourselves together; and a man can scarcely give clearer evidence that he does not love the Lord, than by habitually and wilfully absenting himself from the Lord's day meeting. After proper admonition, he should be excluded from the church for this offense as certainly as for gambling or drunkenness.

1. Is a man converted — I don't mean pardoned — before, or after baptism?

2. What is the difference between conversion and regeneration?

M. E. Webb 1. The term conversion, like the term born, covers the entire change through which a sinner passes in coming to Christ. (Acts 15:3.) The verb convert, which should always be rendered turn in the New Testament, refers to the change of conduct and not to the change of mind or heart. "Lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should turn, and I should heal them." (Acts 28:27.) "Repent and turn, that your sins may be blotted out." (Acts 3:19.) In this last passage, the command, "turn" has especial reference to baptism, and points to it as the turning act. From all these premises it follows that a man is not converted until he is baptized. He is turned to God in mind and in heart, but this is only a part of conversion as taught in the scriptures.

2. Regeneration means generating anew, and is a figurative expression taken, like the term "born again" from natural generation. It is used but twice in the New Testament, (Matt. 19:28 and Titus 3:5) and in both instances it means the process of making men new. It covers the entire process of the sinner's change and is therefore, the exact equivalent of conversion. The terms, "born again," "converted" and "regenerated" are equivalent expressions for the same change; the first, contemplating it with reference to the newness of life on which a young Christian enters: the second, with reference to the change of conduct which he exhibits; and the last with reference to the process by which this change is effected.

Eld. J. W. McGarvey:

Please answer through the Times the following:

1. If the "Christian Church" is guided by the Bible alone in reference to religious duty, does it allow every member to be his own interpreter? If so, 2. On what grounds does it refuse to receive a person who claims to have studied carefully and prayerfully the word of God, and has honestly come to the conclusion that sprinkling is the Scripture mode of baptism?

3. Is there any prescribed order of religious exercises for public service laid down in the New Testament? An earnest inquirer, C. H.

1. It allows every man to be his own interpreter; but it requires him to believe all the statements of the Scriptures, and to obey all of their precepts.

2. It refuses to receive such a person on the ground that he refuses to obey a plain commandment of the Scriptures. His right of private interpretation is not a right to explain away the commandments; this is not interpretation, but it is repudiation. When the Scripture says go down into the water, and be buried in baptism, this cannot be interpreted to mean, be sprinkled. The thing is impossible. Men may conclude that the latter will do as a substitute for the former; but they cannot possibly fall into the mistake that the latter is the former; and as we take the Bible, and not some substitute for the Bible, as our rule, we cannot receive the man who substitutes sprinkling where the Bible places baptism.

3. There is no prescribed order of religious exercises laid down in the New Testament; but all the exercises of public worship are mentioned and authorized.

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