SOLVING PROBLEMS AMONG BRETHREN #1
Garland M. Robinson

        There are basically two classes or areas of problems among brethren. Each are to be dealt with differently.

        1) There are problems that are doctrinal. They are clearly right or wrong, black or white, based on the teaching of the Word of God. Such issues involve: the one church (Eph. 4:4), worship (John 4:24), instrumental music (Eph. 5:19), baptism (Acts 2:38), divorce and remarriage (Matt. 19:9), fellowship (1 Cor. 5; Eph. 5:11), women’s role (1 Tim. 2:11-12; 1 Cor. 14:34-35). The list goes on and on.
        When men transgress the Law of Christ (Rom. 8:2), their soul is in jeopardy. Unless they repent and obey God, they will be eternally lost in a devil’s hell. The Lord’s instructions on how we treat error is certain and swift. Paul said, “To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (Gal. 2:5). We must have “...no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). Many lists of sins shows that those who commit such things will not and can not go to heaven (Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:9-10).
        When doctrinal problems exists between brethren and/or congregations, there is no room for compromise. Those involved cannot “agree to disagree.” This is not a time to “live and let live” or let “bygones be bygones.” The issue(s) involved is not petty differences between brethren. Doctrinal issues are heaven’s directive —eternal truth. No man has any right to tread upon such sacred ground. All must accept and adhere to the Lord’s way or be subjects of His just and final wrath.
        2) There are problems that are differences of opinion or judgment. They are not doctrinal, they are personal, many times private. They do not involve matters of eternal Truth. The way they are handled is different than if it were a matter of truth and error.
        Paul and Barnabas had a strong disagreement over John Mark (Acts 15:36-40). However, they each continued their work of the Lord. Romans 14 discusses problems of personal judgment and how to deal with them. These are different than doctrinal problems.
        There are many of these kinds of problems that currently plague our great brotherhood. Brethren have divided, congregations have split and those involved are at a stand-off with one side (sometimes both) refusing to sit down and calmly discuss the matter in a genuine effort to solve it. Brethren, shame, shame on any who will not meet to discuss their differences and work for peace among brethren. It appears that such are guilty of the sin of being “implacable” —unwilling to budge (Rom. 1:31). What a tragedy for it to be left up to God to render judgment in the matter when it is too late for repentance and reconciliation. Brethren, if you are “at odds” with another, get on their door step NOW. Do all within your power to make things right with them. If the problem goes unsettled, make sure it’s not because of you! Swallow your stubborn pride. Eat your words. Let tears swell up in your eyes and beg forgiveness on your part.
        You will face the Lord in judgment. Do you want to do so having made every effort to be reconciled to your brother or do you want to stand before Him having made no effort or having just forgotten it? Let’s choose the former.
        Matthew 18:15-17 is often misapplied by otherwise well meaning brethren who seek to make what the Lord said in regards to a private, personal matter and make it apply to a public sin of error and false teaching. Such is a twisting and perversion of the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16). If a problem of sin is private, then handle it in that realm. It should only become public when it has not been solved privately. A grave and serious problem arises when brethren misapply the Scriptures and counsel for breaking the Law of God instead of keeping it.
        Some are so enamored and charmed by so-called unity and peace that they are willing to trample upon the Word of God to have it. They are willing to sweep under the rug and ignore every sin to achieve what they think is peace. However, it is not peace with God. They conveniently neglect to understand that “peace at any price” is not approved of the Lord.
        In order for there to be peace, genuine peace with God, we must first have purity, doctrinal purity. James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” Compromising with error is not the way to solve problems. There are many problems that can be settled “among men” when the Truth is ignored. But, they are not settled with God. “Go along to get along” while running roughshod over God’s Word is not the theme of the Scriptures.
        Peace with God is centered in love and obedience to the Lord’s Way. Notice these Scriptures. “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:2-3).
        The love of God is wrapped up in commandment keeping! Not according to our works, but according to God’s works. These are the works that God devised and commands that we obey/work (John 6:29). Without our obedience and performance of the same, there can be no salvation.

BROTHER EPAPHRAS
Roger D. Campbell

            Without any fanfare, the apostle Paul by inspiration wrote about a brother named Epaphras (pronounced with the accent on the first syllable) in both the Book of Colossians and the Book of Philemon. Paul was a prisoner in Rome when he wrote both of these epistles. Epaphras was his fellow prisoner at the time (Philemon 23). We learn a number of truths about brother Epaphras in the only three Bible passages in which he is mentioned (Col. 1:7; 4:12,13; Philemon 23). Let us take a look at the Bible’s record of his activities.

        First, Epaphras was a teacher of the word. Colossians 1:5,6 states that the Gospel had come to Colosse, helping the people there to know “the grace of God in truth.” How had they learned the Gospel message? The next verse says, “As ye also learned of Epaphras.” We know little about Epaphras’ personal life, but we know that he taught the Gospel in Colosse. In one way or another, all of us “ought to be teachers” of the word (Heb. 5:12). Each of us needs to seek out opportunities to sow the seed. Jesus said, “the sower soweth the word” (Mark 4:14). Let us all be more diligent in teaching the Gospel in the time that we have remaining on the earth!

        Second, Epaphras was Paul’s “dear fellowservant” (Col. 1:7). This expression has a ring of close camaraderie to it. Paul and Epaphras served together in the same Cause — a Cause which is too big for any single person to carry out by him/herself. What a thrill it is to know that we have devoted fellowservants in the church on whom we can count! They are indeed dear to us as Epaphras was to Paul.

        Third, Epaphras was a faithful servant of the Christ. He was not simply a servant: he was “a faithful minister of Christ” (Col. 1:7). Colossians 4:12 simply says he was “a servant of Christ.” Is that not what we are all striving to be, a faithful servant of the Lord? We either faithfully serve Jesus or we do not. We are either with Jesus or against Him (Matt. 12:30). We are either obedient to Him or we are not. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness” (Rom. 6:16)? If we are in a situation where we are told, “Tell us a little bit about yourself,” would it not be appropriate to say, “I am a servant of the Christ?” Epaphras could honestly make such a claim. Can we?

        Fourth, Epaphras was a greeter of the brethren. “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth [greets, NKJV] you...” (Col. 4:12). It may not sound like much, but to make the effort to greet someone, whether in person, by telephone, or by sending a written message, can really be a boost to that person. It can make that person feel noticed, remembered, and appreciated. Most of us have been in situations where the thoughtful greetings of other saints were a source of encouragement to us. If I have counted correctly, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance lists verses from thirteen New Testament books in which greetings were passed on between Christians, or else the instruction was given for saints to greet one another. That sounds like greeting our fellow saints is important, does it not?        

     Fifth, Epaphras prayed for the spiritual welfare of his brethren. “Epaphras...always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Col. 4:12). It is so easy to get caught up in our own little world and forget about the needs of our fellowservants. And, it is also possible for us to think and pray only about their physical needs. Epaphras prayed diligently. He prayed diligently for other saints. And, he prayed for their spiritual well-being. It would not take much effort for us to do the same. When brothers and sisters in the Lord are truly in our hearts, then they will also be on our lips when we come before our Father in prayer.

     Sixth, Epaphras was a brother with notable zeal. Speaking of him, Paul wrote, “For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis” (Col. 4:13). Do you and I have such a reputation? Are we known for our zeal in the Lord’s work? The Lord instructs us to be “fervent in spirit” (Rom. 12:11). Yes, the Christ wants His people to be “zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). In modern language, we call it being on fire for the Lord. Does that describe us?

        As we noted earlier, Epaphras was Paul’s “fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus” (Philemon 23). More than once Paul referred to himself as the Lord’s prisoner, meaning that he was imprisoned because of his loyal service to the Christ (Eph. 3:1; 4:1). We know that Epaphras also faithfully served the Lord. It may well be the case that he, too, was imprisoned because of his unwavering commitment to righteousness. I have watched documentaries about the horrible environment that exists in many modern prisons. I have visited and taught the Gospel in prisons in three different nations, seeing first hand some of the deplorable circumstances in which the inmates live. You and I would not find it pleasant to live in such a place. I cannot imagine what the prisons of Epaphras’ and Paul’s day must have been like. Beloved, if there someday comes a time when you and I must “do time” because our steadfast devotion to our Lord puts us in conflict with and in violation of civil law, then we need to be mentally prepared to be a prisoner for our Lord. Epaphras was.

        Epaphras is not a well-known figure in history. But, he was faithful to the Lord, and that is the one thing in any person’s life that really matters. May the clear Bible statements that we read about the life of Epaphras be an encouragement to all of us that want to go to heaven.

IS IT RIGHT TO SHOW PEOPLE THEY ARE WRONG? [PART II]

by Ron Hutchison

Will someone please tell me how we can warn the wicked of their wicked ways if it is not right to tell them they are wrong? It would be impossible to fulfill this responsibility without telling them they are wrong. We are just as much watchmen as Ezekiel was, and we have the same responsibility to warn the wicked from their wicked way. The Bible teaches in Titus 1:9-11 that an elder has the responsibility of "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake." The word "convince" means "to convict." How can an elder convict the gainsayer of his sins and stop his mouth without telling him he is wrong. It would be impossible! Paul taught preachers "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the  acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will" (II Tim. 2:2526). How can you instruct those who oppose themselves without telling them they are wrong? How can they recover themselves out of the snare of the devil if they don't realize they are wrong? Paul taught, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thy self, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:1-2). James taught, "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins" (James 5:19- 20). How can we restore someone if we don't tell them they are wrong? How can we convert someone who has erred from the truth unless we point out his error? It is impossible. Jesus taught, "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother" (Matt. 18:15). What does Jesus mean when He says, "go and tell him his fault?" Does it not mean that you are to show him where he is wrong? We not only have the right, but we have the obligation to show people where they are wrong in their religious beliefs and to help them see the truth. One of the objections people have to telling people that they are wrong in religion is based on the false teaching that people can't really know the truth - that we can't really know what is right and wrong in religion. Of course this contradicts what Jesus said in John 8:32, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." This ought to forever settle the question as to man's ability to know what is right and wrong. We can know the truth, we can know when one errs from the truth. People seem to think that because men and women of equal education and attainments disagree on even basic passages that means the com mon man can never come to a knowledge of the truth, or at least, can never be certain that he has. Nothing can be further from the truth! God has so designed the Bible that no matter how many degrees a person has behind his name, he has no more ability to understand the Bible than the man who has a third grade education. In fact, the man with the third grade education may have the advantage because he doesn't have his mind clouded with the words and writings of modernists! WE CAN KNOW THE TRUTH! JESUS SAID IT AND WE ALL OUGHT TO ACCEPT IT WITHOUT RESERVATION!! Another objection people have to telling people they are wrong is that each one of us is a sinner and thus we do not have the right to tell another sinner that they are wrong. I agree that each one of us sins (1 John 1:8), but I disagree that each one of us lives a life of sin. To hear some of our brethren talk, they believe that we are just as bad after becoming a Christian as we were before. It is true that before we became Christians we lived in sin, but when we became Christians we became dead to sin (Rom. 6:2). We are now "walking in the light" (I John 1:7). However, the person who is wrong religiously is walking in darkness - he is living in sin because he is not walking according to the teaching of the New Testament. I submit to you that the per son who is walking in the light (in spite of the fact that he sins) not only has a right, but he is obligated to tell the person who is walking in darkness that he is wrong. If that were not the case, then no one but a sinlessly perfect individual could ever preach the gospel to others, and there aren't any of them on the earth anymore! If the gospel (truth) is to be preached it must be preached by those who are walking in the light, even though they may sin at times. Let me say again, if a person is not right religiously he is not "walking in the light," he is "walking in the darkness" and he must be told that he is wrong if there is to be any possibility for salvation. The person who is "walking in the light" is the one who has the responsibility to tell him.           

IS IT RIGHT TO SHOW PEOPLE THEY ARE WRONG? [PART I]

by Ron Hutchison

If a doctor knows that another doctor has made a wrong diagnosis and thus prescribed the wrong medicine for a patient, would it be wrong for that doctor to tell the other he is wrong? If a Pharmacist knows that another Pharmacist has given the wrong medicine to a patient, would it be wrong for the first to tell the second that he is wrong?

If a preacher hears another preacher teach something that he knows to be wrong, would it be proper for that first preacher to tell the second that he is wrong? It never ceases to amaze me what people will accept in other areas of life. In the above illustrations, we know we would want the first doctor to speak up if the other doctor had prescribed the wrong kind of medicine if we were the patient! If we were the customer of the pharmacist, we would certainly want the Pharmacist to speak up if he knew his partner was giving us the wrong medicine. But what about the third illustration? Should a preacher ever tell another preacher he is wrong? Should a member of one religious group tell a member of another religious group that he is wrong? Unfortunately, many people would answer NO to these questions. They do not believe that one religious person has a right to tell another religious person that he is wrong. This belief is based on the "live and let live" - "just preach Christ and let everyone else alone" - "we're all going to the same place, we're just taking different roads to get there" - "as long as a person is sin cere, that's all that matters" theories. EVERY ONE OF THESE THE ORIES IS TOTALLY FALSE! If one religious person is prescribing the wrong "medicine" (teaching that which is in conflict with the Bible) — that which will lead to spiritual death - then all others have a right and an obligation to tell him he is wrong for his sake as well as those who hear him. There are some things that we just cannot be wrong about and be saved! And not only would it be right to tell people who are teaching things that are false that they are wrong, we have an obligation to do so! There is a principle set forth in Ezekiel 3 that applies here: "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul" (Ezek. 3:17-21).

PART II next week…

HOW TO PICK A PREACHER

Part II
Wayne Coats (1927-2013)

       I was assigned the subject of temperance to be discussed during a lectureship. I will never forget the feeling of self-condemnation which became a part of my life as I prepared my lecture and studied the Bible, which I held across my fat belly. My clothes were getting too small and my breathing was out of control. I could do a fairly good job preaching to the brethren and sisters about what they should and should not do. They needed to practice self-control but did I not need to do the same? 

        A lengthy spell of illness has helped me to practice temperance and self-control which is a real problem, but such is my duty as a Christian. The food which I relish so much must be rejected and I can do it. I am doing it. 

       One occasion was a Gospel Meeting and the other was a home-coming service when I was invited to return and speak where I had formerly preached. On both occasions a bountiful lunch had been prepared by the good sisters. When the closing “amen” was said, people moved out into the area when lunch was being served. At both of those congregations I tried to act as if I had a bit of manners and stood greeting the people as they moved out of the auditorium. At one of the congregations, a good lady who had been the wife of a deceased elder came and asked me to come along to lunch. When she and I entered the lunch room I saw the local preacher all bent over a plate filled with food and shoveling it in somewhat like a hog eating out of a trough. The two occasions mentioned above were almost identical. To surmise that I wanted special treatment is sheer nonsense. One thing which is sickening, nauseating and downright disgusting is to see preachers who have no manners or self-control and who feel justified in ignoring those Scriptures which tell us to be temperate. It doesn’t take much sense for a normal human to learn a few decent manners and if such are not learned, please spare me the thrill of having to be around such people. 

        In picking a preacher, let me refuse the temptation to lobby for my close friend and demand that all the others kow-tow to my whims. There is no kind of politics as dirty as church politics. If you have not seen this, live a little longer. Diotrephes will pay a visit by and by (3 John 9). One dear sister described her husband by saying, “All he does is attend a business meeting and run off his mouth.” She hit the nail on the head. Self-willed people can be a pain in the neck. 

        There are some other characteristics which I deem to be important in picking a preacher but I do not have time to write an entire book on this. Pity the people who have picked the wrong preacher! Getting rid of the wrong preacher can be like getting rid of the seven-year itch. There will usually be a lot of clawing and scratching — which God hates (Prov. 6:16). 

        I believe if I was engaged in picking a preacher, it would be of tremendous value to pick one that could also be “unpicked” if need be. Some preachers just do not blend. The mix isn’t right. Why rip a congregation to pieces over purely personal desires? I shudder to think of the sorry mess which has developed over picking the wrong preacher. The same is true in trying to change preachers, in some places.

        If I picked a preacher I would earnestly pray for one who was constrained to preach the Gospel. I mean the preacher like Paul who had some deep convictions about preaching! The dear brother with all his trials declared, “woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16).

        The phone rang and the brother who called wanted to know if I knew of a place needing a preacher. He said he used to preach but quit and went into secular work but he just couldn’t make a living in secular jobs so he decided he would try preaching again. Well, er, ugh, I don’t know about no church who needs that kind of preacher. I like the man who can say — “woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” 

        Incidentally, no congregation has invited me to pick a preacher for the group and I am not anticipating that any will. It sounds fairly cranky I know, but if I should ever be saddled with the awesome task of picking a preacher, I would really want to view two places. I would want to look at the seat of his britches to see how slick his pants were (from sitting around), and I would also want to look at the soles of his shoes to see how thin they were from moving about. I read somewhere about “making full proof of thy ministry.” This did not say, “make a fool of thy ministry.”