- A world buildup of crises — wars, famines (droughts), pestilence (epidemics, pollution), and earthquakes will become more prevalent and more frequent around the globe (Mat 24:6,7; Mar 13:7,8; Luk 21:10,11; Rev 6:2-8).
- Chaos in world leadership — statesmen, corporation heads, economists, scientists, and strategists will find that they cannot cope with these “natural” and man-made disasters that pile one on top of the other. This is but the beginning of their total helplessness, with no available solution except the feeblest stop-gap measures (Luk 21:25,26; Isa 24:4-13; 13:6-13).
- An increase in nationalism — where every nation looks more and more to its own interests during the economic slumps and crises, and where armaments also increase (Luk 21:10; Joe 3:9,10; Dan 2:41-43).
- An attack on Israel — the culmination of intense anti-Semitic feeling around the world, particularly by the Arabs, who foster those feelings by oil market manipulation, self-serving propaganda, and “jihad” frenzy (Psa 83; Eze 35; 36; Oba; Zec 14; Luk 21:2-24; Rev 11:2).
- Initial divine judgments on the world — because they have cursed God’s people and are filled with violence and wickedness, as in the days of Noah and Lot (Gen 12:3; Zec 2:8,9; Oba 1:15; Luk 17:26-30; Rev 8; 9).
- Pockets of faithful witnessing — that God is forewarning mankind via these plagues (as He did through Moses in Egypt), that they should repent and be ready for the coming of Christ (Mat 24:14; Mar 13:10; Rev 11:4-6; 14:7,8).
- Reactions of stubbornness and apostasy — few will heed the Gospel message, and many will leave the faith; false prophets will abound and mankind will become utterly degenerate, cursing God and His faithful few (2Ti 3:1-5; Mat 24:10-12,24; Rev 9:20,21; 11:7-10).
- A great tribulation settles on Israel and the world — perhaps lasting 3 1/2 years (Luk 21:20-24; Rev 11:2,3; Jer 30:7)! It will be a time of total confusion and despair and misery; some countries will have totalitarian-type governments who suppress and oppress in order to have some semblance of control (Mat 24:21,22; Rev 13; 12:17; Dan 7:23-25).
- The coming of “Elijah” — probably an Elijah-like prophet of the Last Days (Mat 17:11) — who will preach to the oppressed of Israel (Mal 3:1; 4:5,6) during the 3 1/2 years (Luk 4:25; Jam 5:17,18; Dan 12:7; Rev 11).
- Repentance of the remnant of Israel, along with the faithful prayers of believers everywhere, will bring back Christ before the world destroys itself (Lev 26:40-42; Deu 4:30; 30:1-7; Joe 2:12-20; Jer 31:17-20; 50:4,5; Mat 23:39; Act 3:19,20; Mat 6:10; Rev 22:17; Mat 24:22).
- Christ’s Return — visible, with clouds of glory, and with the angels, whom he sends to raise the dead and gather the faithful to himself (Mat 24:30,31; 1Th 4:16,17; Act 24:15; Joh 5:29; 1Co 15:51-54; Mat 25:31-46; Rev 20:4-6,11-15). He comes back to the Mount of Olives, initiating a tremendous earthquake (Act 1:10-12; Zec 14:3-5; Rev 16:17-21).
- This will also involve, at the same time, the deliverance of faithful Israel — oppressed Jews in and around Jerusalem are delivered by the King of Glory (Joe 2:32; Luk 21:27,28; Zec 12:9-11; Mat 23:37-39; Psa 24:7-9). Jews who have been carried captive into Assyria and Egypt will be brought back to Israel by a “second exodus” (Isa 11:11-16; 19:20-25; 60:9; 63:11-14; Mic 7:15).
- The wrath of God appears concurrent with Jesus’ coming, with total destruction being poured out on the enemies of Israel, and on other centers of evil (after the example of Sodom), and with wicked men being annihilated (2Th 1:5-9; Mat 13:41,42; Rev 11:17,18; 16:1-10; Dan 2:44,45; 7:11,26; Is 13:11 with Rev 6:12-17).
- A last attempt to defeat Christ and his glorified saints will come from Gog and its allies (Eze 38; 39; Rev 19:11-21; 20:8-10). This rebellion will be speedily crushed.
- The Millennium (ie 1,000-year reign of Christ on the earth) will fill the earth with the Glory of the Lord, and bring peace and righteousness to all (Num 14:21; Isa 11:9; Hab 2:14; Psa 72; Isa 2:2-4; Isa 35; Zec 14:16; Rev 20:6).
- The effect of the Millennial Reign of Christ and his saints will be that all sin and death is removed from the earth, so that — finally — God will be “All in all” (1Co 15:24-28,54-57; Rev 21:3,4,22-27; 22:3-5).
Archives
Law and covenant
LAW: The orderly means by which a society enforces its will. A law not enforced is simply not a law. Based on accumulated experience of past.
COVENANT: A binding promise in a relationship between individuals and groups. It has far-reaching effects on behavior and attitudes. Based on loyalty and love in future.
In both cases, where there is no relationship, there is no obligation — and no security.
COMPARATIVE STUDY:
(A) PURPOSE: Law/to regulate existing relationships by orderly means; Covenant/to create new relationships (ie marriage).
(B) PENALTY: Law/punishment defined by and administered by society’s means (police/military); Covenant/punishment and reward meted out by God (curses/blessings).
(C) NORMS: Law/formal rules defined by society; Covenant/precepts and principles developed by God.
(D) BINDING: Law/by enactment of legitimate social power, regardless of individual’s attitude; Covenant/by voluntary commitment of individual (ie baptism).
(E) VALIDITY: Law/territorially bound, not valid beyond territory; Covenant/unlimited, bound to the individual wherever he might be.
(F) TIME REFERENCE: Law/past; does not operate until a violation has taken place; may deter bad behavior; Covenant/ future; a solemn promise concerning future behavior.
“The primary function of any political system is to secure and maintain its own power… All that any legal system in normal human society can expect to do is to secure its own continuity by maintaining a delicate balance between conflicting interests.”
“It is clear that in Biblical usage love is first of all a label for the fact that persons have established and continue to maintain personal relationships with others, in which the concern for the wellbeing of the other is recognized as an obligation that takes precedence over other concerns such as the exercise of power or profiting at the other’s expense.”
(Adapted from NZ)
Laying on of hands
There were various reasons for the laying on of hands:
- Blessing, or benediction: Gen 48:14; Mat 19:13,15;
- Transfer of sin to sacrifice: Exo 29:10,15,19; Lev 1:4,12;
- Confirmation by witnesses of a capital offense: Lev 24:14;
- Appointment to office: Num 8:10; Acts 6:6; 13:3; 1Ti 5:21;
- Outward sign of healing: Mat 9:18; Mar 6:5; Luk 4:40; Acts 9:12,17; 28:8;
- Outward sign of imparting the Holy Spirit: Acts 8:17,19; 19:6; 1Ti 4:14; 2Ti 1:6.
Leader?
I went on a search to become a leader.
I searched high and low. I spoke with authority, people listened but, alas, there was one who was wiser than I and they followed him.
I sought to inspire confidence but the crowd responded, “Why should we trust you?”
I postured and I assumed the look of leadership with a countenance that glowed with confidence and pride. But many passed me by and never noticed my air of elegance.
I ran ahead of the others, pointing the way to new heights. I demonstrated that I knew the route to greatness. And then I looked back and I was alone.
What shall I do, I wondered? I’ve tried hard and used all that I know.
And I sat me down and I pondered long.
And then I listened to the voices around me. And I heard what the group was going to accomplish.
I rolled up my sleeves and joined in the work.
As we worked I asked, “Are we all together in what we want to do and how to get the job done?”
And we thought together and we fought together and we struggled towards our goal.
I found myself encouraging the fainthearted. I sought the ideas of those too shy to speak out.
I taught those who had little skill. I praised those who worked hard.
When our task was completed, one of the group turned to me and said, “This would not have been done without your leadership.”
At first I said, “I did not lead; I just worked with the rest.”
And then I understood: leadership is not a goal. It is a way of reaching the goal.
I lead best when I help others to go where we have decided we want to go.
I lead best when I help others to use themselves creatively.
I lead best when I forget about myself as leader and focus on the group, their needs and their goals.
To lead is to serve, to give, to achieve together.
“Let a man examine himself”
In his letter to the Corinthian ecclesia, the apostle Paul attempts to set right several difficult local problems — one of which was the attitude and manner in which the brethren were celebrating the Lord’s Supper. In stating the divine principles concerning the memorial, he exhorts us as well.
“Take, eat; this is my body” (1Co 11:24). The words originally spoken by Christ had a two-fold meaning; Paul perceives this and endeavors to pass it along. The bread represented the literal body of Christ, and it represented the spiritual “body” also — those who in sincerity and truth believe and obey Christ’s teachings, which are the “bread of life”. It is certainly no coincidence that the chapter concerning the memorial feast is followed by observations and instructions regarding the many-membered Body consisting of Jews and Gentiles, bond and free, all given one life through Christ their head (1Co 12).
Brethren in this age, just as their forerunners in the first century, when assembled for the solemn meal, should listen for the words of consecration spoken over them, and not just over the literal body, by the One who walks in the midst of the lampstands: “This is my body.”
It follows that the ecclesia cannot properly be the Body of Christ when it is beset by separations, schisms, ill will, and turmoil (1Co 11:18,19). How best can such wrongs be avoided? By bearing in mind, as Paul continues, that the bread and wine are taken in remembrance of Christ (vv 24,25). If everything is centered upon him, then troubles of all sorts will diminish.
And not just in token of Christ’s life, but especially because of Christ’s death, as the passover lamb without blemish (Joh 1:29), is this meal instituted. “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come” (1Co 11:26). The “shewing” is a “setting forth”, after the order of the Jewish Passover, a solemn proclamation to all who are in the house, as well as to “the stranger who sojourns with thee” (Exo 12:48). It is an intensely personal rite — though it may be observed as part of a large group: “This is done because of that which the Lord did unto ME…” (Exo 13:8).
The personal aspect of the memorial is intertwined with the corporate, just as in the other rite enjoined upon all believers — baptism. True, each has its pluralistic qualities. By the one, a believer enters the Body of Christ; by the other, he regularly reaffirms his standing there. But each rite is essentially an individual one, as was the offering of sacrifice at tabernacle or temple — the closest approach by the single soul to communion and oneness with God, to fellowship of the sufferings of His Son.
Paul stresses that, if each individual believer will fully enter into this spirit of the Lord’s Supper, then the schisms and doubts and disruptions of the Body as a whole will be minimized, perhaps even eliminated. Those who seek to please themselves, whether by self-indulgence (as in Corinth) or self-exaltation (remember the Pharisee who prayed in the temple!), are not truly “looking unto Christ”. What they do, then, they do unworthily, and “are guilty of the body and blood of the Lord” (1Co 11:27). In effect, they have said with the rabble before Pilate’s judgment seat, “We have no king but Caesar, the ‘god of this world’. This man’s blood be upon us!” In short, any partaking of the emblems is an unworthy, or vain, pretense if he who eats and drinks does not always see “Christ crucified” (1Co 1:23); that is, if he does not see the reason for his Lord’s crucifixion, which is… his own sins. All this is so “that no flesh should glory in his presence” (1Co 1:29). The memorial meeting is not the time nor the place (is there ever one?) for one sinner to attempt to criticize the lives of his brethren.
A contemplation of one’s own sinfulness and consequent need for redemption is surely sufficient to occupy fully the mind of the saint at the Lord’s Supper. “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup” (1Co 11:28). Certainly Paul is here alluding to that first supper:
“And as they did eat, he said, ‘Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.’ And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, ‘Lord, is it I?’ ” (Mat 26:21,22).
It is possible still for the disciple to betray his Master. He who falls away from the Truth, who allows the soil of his heart to bear again its natural thorns and briers, is crucifying to himself the Son of God afresh, putting him to an open shame (Heb 6:6,8). He is treading under foot the holy blood of the covenant (Heb 10:29), even as swine heedlessly trample pearls in the mud (Mat 7:6). It is indeed better for such a one never to have known the way of life than, having known it, to insult and outrage the precious Spirit of grace mediated by Christ. ‘I would never do such a thing,’ is the instinctive reaction. But that is just the point! None of us is immune from just such a falling away; the wolves of the world follow hard behind the flock of Christ, and the stragglers are swiftly torn apart. Christ must speak to each of us, in the bread and wine; his eyes must gaze into ours and turn our vision inward. ‘One of you will betray me.’ ‘Are you speaking of me? Lord, is it I? Give me strength that it be not so. Lord, I am so weak. Let me cling close to you. Purge from me all that offends you, so that I betray you not in thought or deed.’ Surely here is the only correct attitude for each of us who assemble to the memorial meal: all of us together constituting “One Body” but each steadfastly examining himself alone in the light of the Perfect Example. Not “Who is he that would betray Christ?” but instead, “Is it I?”
“The most pressing and urgent lifelong consideration of any who aspire to the kingdom of God must be their own complete personal transformation of character. The realization of this urgent necessity is far too dim among us. This is our foremost ecclesial concern, and the root of most ecclesial problems.
“Any attempt to judge, criticize or regulate the lives and conduct of others — until we have brought ourselves into line with the commandments of God in this respect — is hypocrisy.
“We tend to feel, or at least to act as though we feel, that if we can legislate righteousness upon others, and surround ourselves with the external appearance of a sound ecclesial framework, then our own personal shortcomings will somehow be absorbed, and overlooked, and compensated for, in the general ecclesial strength. We tend very much to get our priorities in this respect completely reversed. Jesus said: ‘Thou hypocrite; first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy brother’s eye’ (Mat 7:5).
“We shall find that the more attention and concern we give to our own very numerous shortcomings, the less will be the vehemence of our zeal to condemn our brethren, and the more cautiously, and gently, and Christ-likely shall we approach that task.
“Let us, then, frankly examine our own conduct and characters in the light of the plain, simple commands of Scripture, and see if we are in any position to presume to operate on the eyes of others.
“Let us judge, and suspect, and expose ourselves at least as critically as we so eagerly judge and suspect and expose others. Rather, indeed, let us judge ourselves far more searchingly than we judge others, for this is the prescribed course of Scripture, of wisdom, and of love. The divine command is:
‘Let a man examine… HIMSELF’ ” (GVG, Ber 60:338).
JT on Bible prophecy
There is one thing which makes the study of prophecy of such immense practical importance. It is, that we shall be on earth when God’s judgments are executed.
Our scriptural hope is to be caught up to meet the Lord, and so to come with him when he comes to execute judgment on the wicked. But we are surrounded by those principles, influences, and systems, which are ripening to that maturity of evil which mankind will reach before those judgments come. God will judge them at the coming of Christ when they are fully ripe.
But has acquaintance with these subjects no tendency to keep us apart from such evils now? Surely it has; and that we might be so sanctified, or kept apart from evil, is one object God has in view in revealing these things to us.
It is not by exciting applications of prophecy to passing events that true edification is secured. The natural mind may feel the deepest interest in prophetic inquiries conducted in this way; but Scripture was not designed merely to instruct us as to what transpires in the arena of political factions, or to occupy our souls with such subjects. “Our citizenship is in the heavens.” “Let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth.” It is not with such contentions that God’s revelation of the future concerns itself.
It forewarns us, in general terms, that wars and rumors of wars may be expected, till the scepter of universal dominion shall be wielded by the Prince of peace. But it is God’s judgment, and the approaching climax of iniquity which renders it inevitable, about which prophecy instructs us.
And even as to this, it is because the church will be on earth, amid the desolations of the crisis which is so rapidly approaching, that she receives those revelations respecting it. The church is thus enabled morally and spiritually to judge those things now, which in their maturity of evil God will judge by the righteous retributions of His wrath.
There are three very distinct spheres on which the judgments will fall when the Lord cometh out of his place “to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity”: Israel, the nations, and professing Christendom.
If we are to understand why judgment comes upon Israel, we must know what Israel’s calling and testimony is, and how it has failed therein.
If we are to discern the grounds of God’s righteous judgment upon the Gentile nations, we must be acquainted with His past and present dealings with them, and with their conduct under their special responsibilities.
So also, to understand the guilt of professing Christendom, we must know what the calling of the true church is, what is its testimony, and in what respects Christendom, while assuming the place and claiming the responsibilities of the church, has acted contrary thereto.
There are solemn subjects of inquiry. May our hearts be prepared for them. Much that is brighter remains beyond.
John Thomas (1805-1871)
JT on clergy
THE THIRD EPISTLE OF PETER,
TO ALL PREACHERS AND RULERS OF CONGREGATIONS, A Looking Glass for the Clergy.
One of the best proofs that a prophecy is what it purports to be, is its exact fulfilment. If this rule be adopted in relation to the “Third Epistle of Peter,” there can be no doubt that it was written in the true spirit of prophecy. We thought it worthy of being preserved, and have therefore given it a place in this work.
PREFACE.
How the following epistle came to be overlooked by the early saints of christendom and by all the Fathers, or whether it was purposely suppressed by the Council of Nice, and why it was at last destined to be found with other old mss among the ruins of an ancient city by a miserable wandering monk, are all circumstances which my limited knowledge of these subjects does not enable me to explain. I am answerable only for the accuracy of the translation from a French copy presented by the monk himself. Neither can I prove the authenticity of the original, unless it be on the strict correspondence of the actual state of the church with the injunctions contained in the epistle, a correspondence which seems to hold with as much veracity as that which is found in the fulfilment of any prophecy with the prediction itself.
TRANSLATION.
CHAPTER 1. The Style and Manner of Living.
Now ye who are called and chosen to go forth to all nations and among all people, in time present and time to come, to preach the word, see ye take unto ourselves marks, nay many outward marks, whereby ye shall be known of men.
Be ye not called as men are called; but be ye called Pope, Archbishop, Archdeacon, or Divine, or Reverend and Right Reverend or some like holy name; so may you show forth your honor and your calling.
And let your dwelling places be houses of splendor and edifices of cost; and let your doors be decked with plates of brass and let your names, even your reverend titles be graven thereon; so shall it be as a sign.
Let your garments in which you minister be garments not as the garments of men, neither let them be “seamless garments woven throughout,” but let them be robes of richest silk and robes of fine linen, of curious device and of costly workmanship; and have ye robes of black and robes of white that ye may change the one for the other; so shall ye show forth wisdom and humility.
Let your fare be sumptuous, not plain and frugal as the fare of the husbandman who tilleth the ground; but live ye on the fat of the land, taking “good heed for the morrow and wherewithal ye shall be fed.”
And drink ye of the wines of the vintage brought from afar, and wines of great price; then shall the light of your spirits be the light of your countenances, and your faces shall be bright, even as the morning sun shall your faces glow in brightness thus shall ye show forth your moderation and your temperance in all things.
Let the houses in which you preach be called churches, and let them be built in manner of great ornament without, and adorned with much cost within: with rich pillars and paints, and with fine altars and pedestals and urns of precious stones, and cloths and velvet of scarlet, and vessels of silver.
And let there be rooms for the changing of robes, and places for the precious metals and mitres.
And let the houses be divided into seats for the congregation, and let every man know his own seat; and let the first seats in front of the altar be for the rich that pay by thousands, and the next for the poorer that pay by hundreds; and the last for those that pay by tens. And let the poor man sit behind the door.
And let the seats be garnished with cushings and crimson cloth, and with fine velvet; for if the houses of players and vain people who deal in idle sayings and shows of mockery, be rich and gorgeous, how much more so should be the houses that are dedicated to him “that is meek and lowly of spirit.”
CHAPTER 2. The Choosing of Ministers.
When ye go out to choose holy ones to be of your brethren, and to minister at the altar, choose ye from among the youth, even those whose judgments are not yet ripe, and whose hearts know not yet whether they incline to God or Mammon.
But ye are wise, and ye shall know the inclining of their future spirits, and ye shall make them incline to the good things which the church hath in store for them that are called, even those that shall be called of you.
Then shall ye have them taught exceeding many things. They shall not be as “ignorant fishermen,” or husbandmen, or men speaking one tongue, and serving God only by the knowledge of this law.
Nay, ye shall make them wise in the things of your wisdom; yea exceedingly cunning in many mysteries, even the mysteries which you teach.
Then shall they be fitted for the “laying on of hands”, and when the bishop hath done his office then shall they be reverend divines.
But if any man believe that he is called of God to speak to his brethren “without money and without price,” though his soul be bowed to the will of the Father, and though he work all righteousness, and “speak as with the tongue of an angel” — if he be not made a Divine by your rulers and by the hands of a bishop, then is he not a divine, nor shall he preach.
He that is chosen of you shall give you honor, and shall be honored of men, and honored of women; and verily he expects his reward.
CHAPTER 3. The Performance of Preaching.
When ye go to the church to preach, go not by the retired way where go those that would shun the crowd, but go in the highway where go the multitude, and see that ye have on the robes of black, and take heed that your pace be measured well, and that your march be stately.
Then shall your “hearts be lifted up,” even as the hearts of mighty men shall they be lifted up. And ye shall be gazed upon by the multitude, and they shall honor you; and the men shall praise you, and the women shall glorify you, even by the women shall ye be glorified.
And when you go in, go not as the ordained, prepared only with a soul to God and with a heart to men, and a spirit filled with the Holy Ghost; but go ye with your pockets full of papers and full of divine words: even in your pockets shall your divinity be.
And let your sermon be full of “the enticing words of man’s wisdom,” and let it be beautiful with just divisions, with tropes, and with metaphors, and with hyperbole, and apostrophe, and with interrogation, and with acclamation, and with syllogisms, and with sophisms, and throughout let declamation be.
And take good heed to your attitudes and your gestures, knowing when to bend and when to erect, when to lift your right hand and when your left, and let your motions be graceful, even in your attitudes and in your gestures let your grace be. Thus shall ye be pleasing in the eyes of the people and graceful in their sight.
Let your voice at times be smooth as the stream of the valley and soft as the breeze that waves not the bough on its bank; and at times let it swell like the wave of the ocean, or like the whirlwind on the mountain top.
Then shall ye charm the ears of your hearers and their hearts shall be softened, and their minds shall be astounded, and their souls shall incline unto you; and the men shall incline unto you, and likewise the women; yea unto your sayings and unto your persons shall they be inclined.
And be ye mindful not to offend the people; rebuke ye not their sins; but when ye rebuke sin, rebuke it at a distance: and let no man apply your sayings to his own case; so shall he not he offended.
If a brother shall raise up the banner of war against a brother, and christians against christians, rebuke them not; but he some of you on the one side and some on the other; and tell the one host that God is on their side, and the other host that he is on their side; so make them bold to kill. And even among swords and lancets let your black robes be seen.
Preach ye not “Peace on earth and good will to men,” but preach ye glory to the victor and victory to the brave.
If any man go into a foreign land and seize upon his fellow man, across the great deep into bondage; nay, if he tear asunder the dearest ties of nature, the tenderest leagues of the human heart, if he tear the wife from the husband, and force the struggling infant from its mother’s bleeding breast, rebuke him not!
And although he sell them in foreign slavery to toil beneath the lash all their days, tell him not that his doings are of Antichrist: for lo he is rich and giveth unto the Church: and is esteemed pious, so shall ye not offend him, lest peradventure he withdraw himself from your flock.
Teach them to believe that you have the care of their souls and that the saving mysteries are for your explaining; and when you explain your mysteries, encompass them round about with words as with a bright veil, so bright that through it no man can see.
And lo! ye shall bind the judgments of men, (and more especially of women,) as with a band of iron; and ye shall make them blind in the midst of light, even as the owl is blind in the noon day sun; and behold ye shall lead them captive to your reverend wills.
CHAPTER 4. The Clergy’s Reward.
“In all your gettings” get money! Now, therefore, when ye go forth on your ministerial journey, go where there are silver and gold, and where each man will pay according to his measure. For verily I say ye must get your reward.
Go ye not forth as those that have been sent, “without two coats, without gold or silver, or brass in their purses; without scrip for their journey, or shoes, or staves;” but go ye forth in the good things of this world.
And when ye shall hear of a church that is vacant and hath no one to preach therein, then be that a call unto you, and be ye mindful of the call, and take ye charge of the flock thereof and of the fleece thereof, even of the golden fleece.
And when ye shall have fleeced your flock, and shall know of another call, and if the flock be greater or rather if the fleece be greater, then greater be also unto you the call — Then shall ye leave your old flock, and of the new flock shall ye take the charge.
Those who have “freely received” let them “freely give,” and let not men have your words “without money nor without price,” but bargain ye for hundreds and bargain for thousands, even for thousands of silver and gold shall ye bargain.
And over and above the price for which ye have sold your service, take ye also gifts and be mindful to refuse none saying, “Lo! I have enough!” but receive gifts from them that go in chariots, and from them that feed flocks, and from them that earn their morsel by the sweat of their brow.
Yea, take ye gifts of all, and take them in gold and in silver, and in bread; in wine and in oil; in raiment and in fine linen.
And the more that the people give you the more will they honor you; for they shall believe that “in giving to you they are giving to the Lord;” for behold their sight shall be taken from them and they shall be blind as bats, and “shall know not what they do.”
And ye shall wax richer and richer, and grow greater and greater, and you shall be lifted up in your own sight, and exalted in the eyes of the multitude; and lucre shall be no longer filthy in your sight. And verily ye have your reward. In doing these things ye shall never fail. And may abundance of gold and silver and bank notes, and corn and wool, and flax, and spirits and wine, and land be multiplied unto you, both now and hereafter. Amen.
Christian Baptist.
THE APOSTOLIC ADVOCATE. June 1835, ed JT
JT on common sense
A Few First Principles of Common Sense
Addressed to those who possess this sense common only to the few.
God is power. All power in the universe emanates from Him. Two kinds of power may be said to operate all its diversified effects — physical and moral. Physical force of power splits rocks, overturns mountains, engulfs cities, etc, and is always subordinate to, and executive of, moral or legislative power.
All power exercised by men is vested, and administered only by the permission of God. The fact that God permits a thing to be done is no proof that He approves it. Thus He permits men to legislate, but does not approve their legislation. The original, underived right of giving laws to mankind is the sole and absolute prerogative of Jehovah. Moses and Jesus are the only two persons in whom He has vested the authority of promulgating codes of law; all other lawgivers, “sacred and profane” are rebels, traitors, and usurpers of the rights of these two. Hence no man, though permitted, has any right to introduce a single law, custom or regulation into society in general, much less into the church of Jesus Christ in particular.
God, being omnipotent, can impart as much power, and to whom, as He pleases. No community of men can of right exercise, or impart to others, more authority than is vested in themselves. No exercise of authority is just or right, which is not sanctioned by God.
The commands of Jesus are authentic, and ought to be obeyed, because they are attested by God; and so ought those of the Apostles for the same reason. The decrees of Popes, Councils, Archbishops, Patriarchs, General Assemblies, Synods, Presbyteries, or Associations of any kind; — or those of Reverends of whatever title, ought not to be obeyed, because they are not attested by God. They are all apostate and antichristian.
All legitimate power or authority is vested in the congregation of the true believers. “The Church is the pillar and the support of the truth.” It has been transmitted, not by clerical succession, but from Jehovah to Jesus, from Jesus to the Apostles, from the Apostles to the faithful, who have retained it to this day.
Though vested with Divine Authority, the faithful can only of right exercise it in conformity with the letter and spirit of the written word. Before an assembly of believers can spiritually or legitimately administer the affairs of the body, the many must individually understand the scriptures concerning those affairs. If the persons, who compose the many, or majority, of a church be ignorant of what the scriptures teach concerning the government of the congregation, their proceeding will be unwarrantable, and therefore not binding on the few who may be enlightened.
As the power, or authority, is vested in the whole church, no individual can of right do anything in said congregation unless called upon so to act by those in whom the power resides; that is, by the many. If every member knew the will of God and would do it, all appointments would necessarily be unanimous. The cause of differences is two-fold; first, ignorance, and secondly, an indisposition to obey the truth when known. Unity of practice is sure to ensue from a knowledge of, and disposition to obey the truth. The means, therefore, that ought to be adopted to attain this desirable end, is to study the scriptures diligently with an honest determination to do whatever they require to be done. The truth is ascertained by testimony. All honest men who think can judge of testimony: if then, two adverse propositions be maintained, the one by this side, the other by that, that should be received, which is sustained by the most testimony — evidence, not votes, should decide; for by two or three witnesses, not by votes, shall every thing be established.
A vote is a voice, affirmatively or negatively given. To decide by vote is to decide by the numbers for or against a proposition. Numeration cannot determine truth; it can determine the strength of parties. To rule by numbers is to substitute the authority of men for that of God. It is the stratagem of the Anti-christ — a scheme of the devil to supersede the wholesome and efficient monarchy of Jesus. A vote may convey authority, but it cannot administer laws — it may make them, but in no instance can it apply them.
The Mediatorial Institution is a Kingdom. Its laws and ordinances were appointed by the Monarch. Nothing remains now but to administer them. No assembly of believers can of right say, that these laws shall not be enforced; no vote of a majority can of right impede their administration. To introduce republican maxims and principles into a monarchial institution, and especially that of the Kingdom of Jesus, is to set up rebellion against the authority of the King. Monarchism and Republicanism are incompatible — one or other must succumb.
Seeing that the many, or majority, cannot en masse administer the laws, and knowing from precepts and examples that some must, upon the principle that a body without discipline cannot long exist, certain of that body must be invested with administrative authority. This authority can only legitimately be conveyed by the many, appointing persons answering to the apostolic description as near as can be, to the offices ordained of God through the apostles of Christ. Persons appointed to the deaconship have a right to all authority necessary for the discharge of the functions thereof; and so in respect to those who are chosen to the administration of the laws.
To entrust power or authority to others, is to surrender to them the right of doing all that the many could of right do; always reserving to itself the privilege of its resumption. Power delegated, or entrusted to others, can no longer be independently exercised by the many, until it be by them resumed. This power when entrusted to a plurality of persons, can only be legally exercised by or with the consent of the majority of those to whom it is conveyed. When the majority of the elders of a church do an act in the presence of the congregation, according to scripture, precedent or rule, it is the majority of said church that acts; for the majority of all assemblies acts through its constituted authorities.
No eldership or executive, can have power enough, that does not possess sufficient to acquit itself of the responsibilities imposed upon it by the Legislative organ. In a congregation of Christians, the elders do not possess as much power as the scriptures entitle them to, who cannot effect the expulsion of a factious, a drunken, or otherwise disorderly member, contrary to the vote of a majority. No organization of a church can be scriptural, which prevents the carrying into effect the precepts of the Apostles.
They who are empowered by the many, according to the scriptural rule, are authorized by God; because constituted according to His appointment: and to them, therefore, it is the duty of all to submit themselves, as to those who watch for their souls and must give an account: that they may do this with joy, and not with mourning; for that would be unprofitable.
JT on fellowship
“Beloved brethren, human nature is always tending to extremes and transcending what is written. As the saying is, it will strain at gnats and swallow camels by the herd. It set up the Inquisition and is incessantly prying into matters beyond its jurisdiction. It is very fond of playing the judge and of executing its own decrees. It has a zeal but not according to knowledge, and therefore its zeal is intemperate and not the zeal of wisdom or knowledge rightly used. It professes great zeal for the purity of the Church, and would purge out everything that offends its sensitive imagination. But it is not a good thing to have a church without tares, black sheep, or spotted heifer? Yea, verily, it is an excellent thing. But then it is a thing the Holy Spirit has never yet developed, and cannot be developed by any human judiciary in the administration of spiritual affairs. There are certain things that must be left to the Lord’s own adjudication when he comes…” (John Thomas).
“Wherever there is intolerance, wherever we find conditions of communion among Christians imposed, which Christ hath not clearly enjoined; wherever creeds and modes of worship are enforced by human power, and men made to forfeit any of their civil rights, or are stigmatized on these accounts, there is the spirit which is not of God. Wherever one Christian, or a number of Christians, assumes the seat of authority and judgment in the Church of Christ, wherever they call for fire to destroy those who dissent from them or only exclude them from their communion and affection, there is a portion of the spirit of Antichrist, which has so long opposed itself to the benign principles of the Kingdom of the Prince of Peace, has been the cause of so many evils to humanity, and the occasion of making the inconsiderate esteem the amiable yet distinct and uncompromising religion of Jesus, as a source of mischief, instead of benevolence. “Alas, how much of this spirit remains amongst us all!! How few have learned that ‘In Christ circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God’ ” (John Thomas).
JT rules for Bible study
Rules for Bible Study
First: In any doctrine taught by types or shadows, the anti-type must always correspond with the type, and the shadow with the substance.
Second: In studying the Scriptures, consider that the New Testament is a commentary on the Old.
Third: Never be afraid of results to which you may be driven by your investigations, as this will inevitably bias your mind and disqualify you to arrive at ultimate truth.
Fourth: Investigate everything you believe – if it is the truth it cannot be injured thereby; if error, the sooner it is correct the better.
Fifth: Pursue this course with as much independence as if you were the only one concerned.
Sixth: Rely on no authority less than divine in so momentous an undertaking.
PROVE ALL THINGS: HOLD FAST TO THAT WHICH IS GOOD.