The Charge of the Light Brigade · l--.~ ex' ,l/ ' (I "Come Over into Macedonia and Help Us."-(Acts 16:9.) Volume 17 INDIANAPOLIS, IND., MARCH, 1942 Number 3 The Charge of the Light

l--.~

,l/ ' ex' (I

"Come Over into Macedonia and Help Us."-(Acts 16:9.)

Volume 17 INDIANAPOLIS, IND., MARCH, 1942 Number 3

The Charge of the Light Brigade The Crimean War, 1853-1856, was in part between

England and Russia, and the battles were in the peninsula of Crimea, jutting into the Black Sea from Russia, which the Germans have now occupied. Some one blundered in ordering the English Light Brigade to charge a certain point, but the soldier must obey even though he knows there is nothing but death. Upon this incident Tennyson founded his immortal poem. So the Christian soldier must obey the Captain, but knows he will always conquer.

Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward. All in the valley of death,

Rode the six hundred.

Into th~ valley of death Rode the six hundred;

For up came an order which Some one had blundered.

"Forward, the light brigade! Take the guns!" Nolan said: Into the valley of death,

Rode the six hundred.

"Forward the light brigade!" No man was there dismayed~ Not though the soldier knew

Same one had blundered: Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die­Into the valley of death, Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them,

The Charge of "The Light" Brigade

How our hearts thrilled when we read in our readers in school Tennyson's famous poem on "The Charge of the Light Brigade"! Other groups of soldiers have fought as valiantly, yet had no poet to commemorate their deeds. The world is largely made up of heroes and hero wor­shippers. How Americans went into ecstasies about

Cannon in front of them, Volleyed and thundered.

Stormed at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well; Into the jaws of death, Into the mouth of hell,

Rode the six hundred.

F'lashed all their sabers bare, Flashed all at once in air, Sabering the gunners there, Charging an army, while

All the world wondered. Plunged in the battery smoke, With many a desp'rate stroke The Russian line they broke; Then they rode back, but not­Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon behind them,

Volleyed and thundered. Stormed at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell, Those that had fought so well Came from the jaws of death, Back from the mouth of hell, All that was left of them,

Left of the six hundred.

When can their glory fade? Oh the wild charge they made!

All the world wondered. Honor the charge they made! Honor the light brigade,

Noble six hundred! -Alfred Tennyson.

Kelly'S deed in swooping down on the Japanese warship, dropping his bombs and sinking it and killing himself! How we praise McArthur and his deeds on the Bataan peninsula!

But no doubt the world would not now have its greatest calamity in this Second World War, if more people had been interested in the charge of "THE LIGHT" brigade. Jesus said he was "THE LIGHT" of the world, and so we may say that his followers who are trying to seatter that "Light" are "THE LIGHT" brigade. The command has

Page Two MACEDONIAN CALL

been given. "Go into all the world and preach the gos­pel to eVery creature." ALL Christians applied that. to themselves as well as the apostles, for when scattered "they went everywhere preaching the word."

"Some one had blundered." But not the Captain of "The Light" brigade. Jesus Christ makes no mistakes. He is guided of the Father. True, ,ve may die in the fight, but we shall not be defeated, U' we obey him faithfully. "lie that endureth to the end shall be saved."

"Theirs not to make reply." Soldiers in a carnal war­fare can not stop and cry, "\Vhy1", when a command is given. Obedience is their first lesson. How much more can we not question .the Captain of ou'r salvation! It is because men have questioned his wisdom that we have the divisions in the professed Army of the Lord-the Chris­tian world. "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my "mys, saith the Jjord." For as the heavens arc high above the earth, so are my thoughts higher than your thoughts and my ways than your ways." More faith in the wisdom of the Captain is what is needed. Yet not "MORE" faith, but ALL faith in him. "Blessed are they who do HIS commandments."

"Cannon to right of them." There was danger, suffer­ing and death in "The Charge of the Light Brigade," and there is danger, and suffering and persecution and some­times death in the charge of "The Light" brigade. Our former friends may become our enemies. The world will point the finger of scorn at us. \Ve may be derided as was our Captain. Our worst foes may be those of our own household. "All that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." But our Captain sees and knows it all.

The Christian's forward charge is not spectacular like that of thc carnal soldier. A little group gathers in a private house and begins the ,vorship of their Lord. They make an effort against great odds to put the truth before people of the community. Thcy quietly talk to thcir neighbors and anyone with whom they come in contact. rrhey pass literature to all in the community. There is no blare of trumpets, no glory frOID man.

I see faithful preachers going from place to place sac­rificing much to encourage and stimulate soldiers of "The Light" brigade. I see their lonely wives behind, keeping the home fires burning as best they can without a man to guide their boys; sometimes I hear his brethren blame him for not taking better care of his family when it is their own covetousness perhaps that brings the embar­rassment. I see faithful elders lying awake at night planning how to guide the charge of "The Light" brigade in that community and to keep the soldiers working to­gether. I see a sister past 'her fifties giving up her only means of sustenance to take care of her aged mother. I Hee many faithful soldiers caring for their parents or helping the- .poor ... 'Perhaps this is all unnoticed by man, but it is praised of God. It is just as important in the charge of "The Light" brigade as is the preaching of the­gospel from the pulpit.

"Theirs but to do ancl die." If men ,,,ill die for" coun­try, for conquest, for glory, for freedom, how much rather should they be willing to die for Truth, for Chris­tian IJiberty, for the Eternal Salvation of men and womenl

The din of battle will soon fade away. The happy pal'arles of victorioqs armies will soon be forgotten. The monuments we raise to the heroes will themselves be de­stroyed by man and crumble to the dust. But the soul

of man and his humility before God and obedience to Him, will still be the questions before the human race.

"The tumult and the shouting dies, The captains and the kings depart,

Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice, An humble and a contrite heart.

Lord God of hosts be with us yet, Lest we forget, lest we forget."

"Evil Communications Corrupt Good Manners"

I believe my ~ubject may be translated, "Evil com­panionships corrupt good morals." I shall appreciate talking to my young brothers and sisters in Christ con­cerning this subject. I think no one will den.v that it is one of the very most important facts that every child of God needs to heed carefully, but many are careless or at least not careful enough.

My own purpose and prayer is, that I may ever be a desirable influence on all I may contact, especially among' my younger friendB in Christ. Perhaps many times I shall fail, as I feel I have already failed at times in the past, but I yet believe in a motto as fo11O\vs: "Aim high, if you don't hit the mark you may come somewhere near it." However hard I try I cannot becoIDf' as pure and good as my Savior, but He is the mark of my aim-He is t.he One I must ever strive to be like, in order to be that de­sirable i~fluence upon others.

All of us desire companionship, friendship, and associa­tion with others. The right kind, with the right kind of people, is a help and a happiness; but the wrong kind may lead us far, far from our good purposes in Christ, though th e people may please us in some fleshly sense. Although we are not expected to confine all our m;socia­tions t.o those in the church alone, I think we should seek to have as much association with our own brethren as we can, and friendship and fellowship at the best most surely does require that basis. But, sad to say, 1ve may make some contacts even in the church which are not desirable. Some in the church seem not to have the knowledge of God.

I have appreciated some good thoughts from good books on this subject, and I would like very much to pass part of them on in my own arrangement, with direct quotation when it seems best. 'l~hose with whom we ma;v form de­sirable friendships are: persons on our mvn general level of attainment and influence; persons on a lower level, but working upward, or capable of being helped upward by us; persons on a higher level, having tastes in common with us (in harmony with our Sa vior); but never must we hold friends· who fall below. the level of our own ideals in Christ, except with the purpose of helping them to be better and with a definite under­standing from them that they will strive with us to do so.

""\Vhenever you meet a person whose knowledge of evil is fun and close and exact you may be sure he is not sound at heart. If an associate swears or lies or drinks or gambles; if he is tricky, lascivious or vile in his talk; if his thoughts run easily to baseness, put a wide space between him and yourself; give room for the pure winds of heaven to blow between you. Get at the temper of ;vour associatL·s; 01' in your own sensible phrase finrl out the kind of a fellow -he is before vou make a friend of him. On the first show of meanness or lack ·of honor, let

MACEDONIAN CALL pageThr.ee

him go. If he is without high ambition beware of him. If his t.houghtfoi run st.rongly t o some one thing, like money (Jl' dre.sH 01' society or popularity, he call do little for you. If he is t:ruel or negligellt of duty to his family, if he is :wol'nfu l of good custom, you cannot afford to class your­st:!if with him"-nol' risk having others clas~ you with him! \Ve have t o be careful Hot to Jeave an appearance which may lead others to . believe we a re in fed lowship with uusoulld chal'actcl's.

May we all renew Our minus in kno\vledgc of our Lord and ~avior day by day so that we may better take heed UlltO OUf o\vn selves aud also those with whom we a:-;sociate.- A young Histor.

Qualifications Of An Elder 1 Timothy 3

Som~ thillk no one man can have all th e qualifications, but th'ey can, as the following will show. I will number tlle,nl ,as I give them, and you stop and t hink if yOll don't know' some one man who has all these qualifications:

'(I') Blameless, (2) husbanJ of one wife, (3) vigilant (which mean~ , " 'Vatchfnl; attentive to discover and avoid danger") (3) sober , (4) of good behaviour, (5) g-iv~n to hospitali ty, ( 6) apt to t each (Apt means, " Ji"lit ur sui ted-quick to learn ; prompt; expert". ) (7) llot gi,en to wine, (8) WI st t'iker, (9) patient, (10) not a brawler, ( 11) not covetous, (12) one that ruleth well his own house, (13) having his children in subjection with all gravity (seriousness; sobriety of manners), (14) :\'ot ,a novice (one newly brought iuto tho Church,) (15) must have good report of them which are without.

Titus 1. ( 16) havi ng faithful children not accused of riot or un­

I'uly. (Riot means, "Disorderly behaviour; uproar; tu­mult.; , r evelry, ") (17) blameless, as the steward of God, (Blameless, ".B1ree from blame or fault" in regard to those qualifications,) (18 ) not selfwilled, (19 ) not soon angry, (20) not given to win e, (21) no striker, (22) not given to fi lt.h.y lucre; (Gain ill money or goods; profit j riches; - in au ill sense,") (23) lover of good men, (24) sober , (25 ) just., (26) holy (set apart. to tbe work here men­tioned) , (27) temperate; (28) holding fast the fa ithful word, (29) sound in doctrine both to exhort and to con­vince the gainsayers, ("To contradict; dispute ; forbid" , hence one who contradicts ROIr .. 4 :3, 6; Gal. 3 :27; Bph. 1 :20.23; 3 :10, 21; 4:4; 5 :19; 2 ,John 9-11, and many more Scriptures. 'rhey "contradict", "dispute" and "forbid't God '~ word being taught as it is-without additions, sub­stitutions, etc.

1 Peter G, (30) Feed the flock of God, (31) neither as being lords

over God's heritage. ( 'J1he word l-itrictly means to tyran­nize, 01' domineer. Tyrannical means, "Tyrant j unjustly severe; despotic; arbitrary".)

Some men have all thesc qualifications and the Lord knew they would have, else He never would have author­ized it. When a . congregation has men qualified they should appoint . them to the office of Bishop, commonly called Elders, If they do not, they do not do what the ~criptures require.

An Elder must be "vigilant" which is 80 often over­lo·oked,vhen appointing-Elders, He must be a man who can 'be "watchful" and "discover and avoid danger".

Big-lI t here is where lUUIlY congregatiolls have beeH ruined hy Elders who ('ould not see an "inch ahea.d of their Ho:';e", hf'nec do thin g's t hat bring trouble both to them­selves and to the Church. rrhey will often consent· to one thing to-day and tomorrow go back on it, 'so ·'th·at· it is impo8sible to depend oil ' their word. They, too, arc men that often allow fal~e teachers to come in a ud cause t rouble, or endorse one that is already in and keep him working until there is t.rouble . A man to be a Script.ural Iiilder must be VIGIL.AN'!" else he is NOT all Eldl~r' (') j'11y

ill name. He must be blameless concerning the qualifi­cations, remember.

Another qualification is often overlooked, and that is he must ,be able to "rule his own house~' and to rule it "well", the Book says. \Vhile children are at horne ·w'ith th t' it' parents Uley must be children \vlto arc obed ieiit.l,~ tlwir parents, else they di'qualify their fa ther for that officf!. I know men who fi re " elders" t.hat have no control over th eir chi ldren and, too, iire not "apt to teach" either. The Book doesn't say, "apt to talk", but "apt to teach ", Some men can get up and talk for a half hour, have some crying, too, but don't do any teaching; he simply talks, lie is NOT an elder on I~t ill name. He is NOT a Scriptural Bider. Some elder8 c<l n't even get up and talk, yet they are "elders" and rule (often HUlN) the Hock, 'l' hey can OBJEC'l' if a loyal preacher' is suggested , but can't teach at al l. Some, I fear, have bct"n born in t he objective case and will! I fear, die in the same "ca~e". They, it seems, only wish to please the people,

"Not soon angry" is anothcr qnalifica tion often over­looked. Don't you know some "Elders" with whom you cannot talk ten minutes, if you uon't agree with them, without their getting al\gry ? I do. I think you do t.oo, but that man is NOT an Eldcr, only in name, He is NOT " Scriptural Elder, But enough for this time,- W, G. Robert.s, Hammond, Illinois,

Bringing Into Captivity Every "Thought" "United we stand, divided we fall", man has said. "A

house divided against itself cannot stand." "He that is not with me is against me", (Christ).

It js superfluous and a waste of time a nd space to sa.y ·to a Bible people, We should be united; for we all Imow J esus prayed for unity and the apostles tau!tht it. Any­thing taught not in harmony with what .Tesus Iln d his apostl es taught is against Christ, and scatt"l'eth abroad, (Matt, 12 :30,)

I read articles from certain brethren on Vnity which would make you believe that they are as solid 'IS the Rock of A~es and stand for the Church a nd no oth er institu..: tion s. I have' written to some of t hem eomplimenti lfg their good articles, and calling t heir attention to the fact tltat t hey have condemned all innovations includin g so­called Bible Colleges and Orphan Hom es, and so far have reeeived no response. And there is a reaSOll : Out of thine own mouth do I condemn thee,

Today I have just read of some of these brethren say· ing they are drawing the line tightly agailust the anti­college teaching. This mca.n8 t.hose who cry Peace. Peace, in one breath, are preaching and practicinll divisions in the next breath , My brother, will you stop, take a deep breath , breathe a prayer of meditation all(l ask thyself the question, Who is driving this worldly co llege wedge that is splitting asunder the Church of .J esus Christ! Did T hear you say the college is not worldly ! What is· organ·

Page Four MACEDONIAN CALL

MACEDONIAN CALL Devoted to the work of establishine' and developing New

Teatament churches.

Published Monthly by D. A. SOMMER

918 Congress Avenue INDIANAPOLIS, IND.

Subscription Price, $1.00 a Year New names in any number, 50c each.

Old names in clubs of five or more, 76c each.

Entered as second class matter May 1, 1936, at the post office at Indianapolis, Indiana, under the Act of March 3, 1879.

izing a Wild·cat Band ! What is organizing a Wild·cat 'ream j What is sending t hese bands and teams out to play in contests ! What is Hallowe 'en parties and plays j What is Santa Claus stunts! What is giving tickets to a theater to students for prizes ? 'Vhat is having dancing in connection with other sports ! Did the college itself originate with God, Christ, Holy spirit or apostles ! We know it did not, and is therefore of th e world . Whatso· f:ve r is not of faith is s in, and sin is of the world. I have found all t.he above worldliness mentioned and approved in Abilene and P erpperdine college Bulletins and Litera· ture.

The latest is this: since the colleges have quit using church money for their support, we should all endorse them. Really I did not know but what tl;ere was some truth in the statement that they didn 't take the church money anymore. But as I have the latest Bulletin of Abi· lene College, I just figured one thousand four hundred and forty-seven dollars and twenty.nine cents, given to that college by the churches of Christ. Paul said,

"}4""or the weapons of Our warfare are not carnal, but migh ty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against t he knowledge of God, and bring­ing into captivity every thought to th e obedience of Christ." (2 Cor. 10 :4, 5.) I have kind of wondered if this isn 't auother one of those " lost" scriptures. Just what does it mean anyway ? Or is it a scripture without meaning! · (See 2 Tim. 3 :15,16.)

I write the last sentence again, "and bringing into cap­tivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." This binds us down, in and under. "Every thought," did you catch that! Every thought. Now we have it-"every thought to the obedience of Christ". Now a question I desire answered. Can we submit. onr "every thought to the obedience of Christ ", aud think of building another institution-College, Orphans H ome, 0 1' Missionary So­ciety, or what not ~ .l shall wait for an explanation of that text and an answer to my questions.

Submission wholeheartedly to this scripture will bring peace to the divided churches of Jesus Christ, and de· nominationalism would vanquish as the snow before the morning sun.--J. D. Powers.

Help Your Soldier Boys Almost every reader of this paper wil! have friends

who will enlist in the U. S. army. Many of them may be Christians, many not. What will we do to belp keep them

moral j Perhaps the Macedonian CaU's friends can assist. What do you think of this : We shall not publish the

next Missionary Number till May. We can put it in booklet form, with cover, 6x3 one third inches, the right size for an ordinary business envelope. There will be 32 pages, containing more than a third more matter than in the usual small size Missionary Number. The subject will be, " the Fight of Faith". It will have nothing in it but scriptures, classified under the headings of army terms, except one page on 'l'he Divine Origin of the Bible. One page or more of scriptures on Enlistment, another on The Captain of our Salvation; Organization of the Army, etc., etc. There will be a number of pages of Encourage· ment and Warning to the Christian Soldier. One will be Solomon's warning in Proverbs 7, against lewd women. (Read it NOW). Black face type will cmphasize many important passages.

The price will be 30 for $1, 100 for $3.00. 'J'he extra reading matter, and convenient size, far counterbalance the little extra cost, we believe. Soldier boys can easily carry it in pocket, and the cover will protect the reading matter. All of th e scriptures would be worth memorizing: Maybe the spiritual boys will distribute several to their companions. It will be classified Word of God. What do you think of the plan! How many will you take! How many will you pay for that we may put this over t We must know before we undertake this ! The tract will be attractive in appearance and is intended as well for Ilon·members who are not soldiers, and will be good ten years from now. \Vhy not put one in every home in your community 1 Before me lies a tract of the same size put out by the Roman Catholics, of which, one million, seven hundred and fifty thousand have been printed, and the "true Church of Christ" (or is it 1) will put out-How many do YOU say~-Publi"her.

Poisoning The Minds of Children Do you remember the national outcry of righteous

wrath a few years ago when school children in an Eastern city were fed alcohol·laden candy!

Some small manufa cturer had developed a method of filling candy sheJls with brandy and fortified wines, and a kid who ate a dozcn fat chocolate drops got enough alcohol for a jag. Numerous peddlers did the retailing, and t hey had developed a big business before parents be­gan to wonder why their children had so suddenly devel· oped a passion for caudy.

When the story appeared in print, alarmed parents demanded immediate action.

What then ! Is the body more important than the mind ! Is it a dreadful crime to poison t.he bodies of children, but no offense against decency to poison their minds !

The news standl:i of America sell millions of "comic books" that fascinate children of all ages. "Comics" is a rather tragic misnomer, for they aren't ev~n supposed to be fu nny. They are wild and fantastic adventure stories t. old in colored pictures.

The things look harmless to adults who have no chilo d .'en, but educators and psychiatrists who have made some investigation tell a different story.

Nobody knows just how the mind of the ayerage child is affected for the kids can't make accurate reports of their reactions. Bnt there is general agreement that the effect is bad.

MACEDONIAN CALL Page Five

Certainly nobody would choose such stories as idea l training for the development of fin e character. They are full of murder, mayhem and torture. rrhey teach the wrong things. The winner is not the noblest and best trained mao, but the one who ha.s a weapon. Lack­ing a wea pon, the sure way to win is to use trickery and deceit.

Kids identify themselves with the hero and dream of "gettin g even" with bigger and older people. Nervous youngsters with vivid imaginations live in an ullreal world t.hat disturbs their sleep. And t hose who are harmed in no other way are tempted away from their ~chool books, and have their minds filled with superman when t.h ey should be studyin g arithmetic.

All of which will sound cranky if you have no kiils of your own. But children are America's greatest asset, and their welfare is everybody's business. \\Thy expose them to anything that is even slightly harmfnl t-Rober t Quil­len, Columnist.

A Southern Preacher Speaks Out C. M. P ullias is a ll old preacher of tile South. He is

int.roduced t.o t.he readers of the Gospel Advocate by II. Leo Boles, the same brother who r efused our clearcut propositions on the Colleges, homes and pastor system. (Send II stamp for a f ree copy of the Sept. 1941 issue of the M. C. on that subject.) Bro. Pullias' article in the Advocate for F eb. 26, sounds like one in t he ~lacedonian Call. W e quote part of it. 'l'here are still some left down t.here who see t.he trut.h.-Pub. M. C.

"The growing tendency to the "pastor system" by the churches of Christ ,is alarming. We preach against it &lid at the sa.m. time practice it. We C&ll never be successful in our preaching till we practice what we preach. We should, ther efor e, preach what we practice. Th e preach­ers are being called in by the large churches to preach exclusively for them. The la rger a congregation the more helple" it. is. They have r eached t.he point where t.he preach er is not allowed to evangelize the world in holding revived meet.ings w}wre th ey are n eeded. The churche~ are not ah le to have prayer meetings unless t.he preacher is there. AH a result, the churches are perishing. Churches should be so developed that they could conduct the meetings on Sundays &lid midweek, &lid let the preacher preach to the people who are not ahle to have preaching. And also the congregations should see that the preacher is supported while doing such work. Con~ gregations support the preacher whil e he preaches for t.hem j but when he goes out in meet. inl! work, he must go npon his own resources as a rule. Large congrega­tions are the burying grounds for talent. The larger t.hey are the more and mOre is this true. The member~ of the (!hurches ar e to trust to th e preacher everyth inl!. They feel that t.hey pay him to do it. and t hey. therefore, lire relieved of any responsibilty in teaching or conduct.in g the services." .

Mutual Ministry in the Worship of the Church of Christ-No.2

By W. G. MALCOMSON In this connection , " .. ·e refer to the words of Pan l wl'it~

ten to his brethren a t Rome, Rom. 12 :4-8: (4) "For even as we ha ve many members in one body, and all the rnem~

bel'S have not the Same office: So we who arc many are one body in Christ, and :severally members une of another ." (Commenting on verse 5, Macknight says: wl'he meaning of th e figure is that Christians depcnd on one another for their mutual edification and comfort, as the members of the human body depeud on Olle all~ other for lIourishment and assistan ce.") (6) And having gifts differin g according t o the grace t hat \Vai; given to us, wheth er prophecy, let us prophe~y accordin g- to the proportion of our faithj (7) or ministry, let us give our~ selves to Our ministry or h e t hat tcacheth to his tcachin g, (8) or he that exhortet.h to his exhorting." ~'ul'ther, to the same brethren Paul writes, H.om. 16 :14: "Aud I, my~ self, also am persuaded of you, my brethreu, tha t ye your~ selves are full of goodness, till ed with all knowl cdge, able also to admonish one another." In Eph. 5 :19, "Speaking one to another in psalms and hymns anu spiritual songs, singing, and making melody ,,,ith your heart to the fJord."

Paul enjoins the Thessalonian Church, I rrhess. r; :11, "Wherefore exhort one another and build each other up even as a lso ye do." In Heb. 10 :24-25, we read: "And let us consider one, another to provok e unto love and good works; (25 ) not forsaking our own assemblin g together , as the custom of some is, but exhorting one &IIother; and ~o much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh. " Paul, writing to Timothy, directs him as foll ows: "Till I come give attention to reading, to exhortation, to t.eachin~" ( I Tim. 5 :13 ) . Commentators, without dissent, note this passage as referring to public worship. (See Macknight, anil Conybeare and Howson.)

It is such co~operative efforts of th e various members in the Ohurch, as directeil by t he apostles, which "mak­eth the increase of t he Body unto the building up of itself in love" (Eph. 4 :16).

Scripture and secular history agree that the primitive d isciples assembled statedly 0 11 the L ord's day "to break bread." The many quotations already submitted makc plain t o us that. they were aho enjoined to mutually at­t end to teaching·, exhortatioll, the f ellowship, t o prayers) and the sin ging of psa lms and. hymns auel Npi ri tuu I ~iOngs. F urther, that they were commended by the Hpoxtit'S for proper observ8Iu:e, Hom. 15 :14. "Au<l 1. myself, also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye yourselves are full of goodness, filled w ith all knowledge, able also to admonish one a.nother." And, aN ill t he Corinthian epistle, that they were reproved , caution eo, and exhorted, when their practice was out of accord ,,,ith the Divine Will. I Cor. 11 :22. "What have ye not. hOll'es t.o eat and drin k in 1 or despise ye the Chur ch of God and put t hem to sha me t hat have not 1 What sha ll I say to you ! Shall I praise you ? In t.his I praise you not." Also Heb. 5 :12, ":B'or when by reason of the time ye ough t to be t eachers, ye haye need again that some OIl C t.each you th e .. udiments of the tirst principl es of the Oracles of God."

A practic,al, intimate and iiJuminating reference to the history and conduct of one congregation in apostolic times, is given in th e Epistlc of Paul t o t he Church at Corinth. That this Church did not lack in apostol ic guidan ce as t.o details of worship is shown by Paul's words to them, as follows: "For this cause I have sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who shall put you in remembran ce of my ways, which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every church" (I Cor. 4 :17 ) .

In r egard to important in cidents connected with this

Page Six MACEDONIAN CALL

particular Church and its strength, weakne,s!; , and char~ acteristics, the celebrated authors, Conybeare and How~ son, in their well·known work, "The Life and Epistles of Paul," express themselves as follows:

"\Ve are introduced as it were behind the scenes of the Apostolic Church, aud its minutest features are reo vealed to us under the light of daily life. We see the picture of a Christian congregation as it met for worship in some upper chamber, such as the house of Aquilla 01'

Gaius could furnish. 'Ve see the administration of the Holy Communion terminating 'the feast of love. etc.'

" But while we rejoice that so ma ny of the details of the deepest historical interest have been preserved to us by this Epistle, le t us not fo rget to thank God who so inspired his apostle that in answer to questions of transi· tory interest, he has laid down principles of eternal ohli­gation."

It is universally agreed that, beginning at least with the 20th verse of the 11th chapter of I Corinthians, the apos· tle distinctly refers to the conduct of the brethren in I.he public assembly on the first day of the week, and gives specifi c instructionR in r egard to observing the Lord's Supper , promising also t o give the matter further and personal attention upon the occasion of his next visit. See verse 24. "And the r est will I set in order whensoever I come."

In the 12th chapter, still referring to the Church, the apostle recognizes a condition of things which existed in the apostolic times, name)y the endowment of many of the members with various supernatural gifts, which were manifested in the public assembly.

It 'seems remarkable to us, in these days, when we think of the extent and variety of the gifts which were exer· cised by t he different members of this Church at Corinth.

Some were given the word of wisdom, some the word of knowledge, some a miraculous faith, some the ability to heal diseases, some the a bility to work spiritual gifts and miraculous powers in others, some the gift of foretell· ing future events, some the fa culty of speaking in various foreign languages, others were given the fac­ulty of interpreting what was spoken, in order to the edification and exhortation, and comfort of t he Church. Some were also gifted to pray, and others t.o sing.

It is more strange to us, however, to learn that there was a measure of dissension among even those spiritually endowed men, some who possessed what they considered inferior gifts envying others whose gifts seemed superior , and those who possessed gifts admitting of great p er· sonal display, behaving with pride and even insolen ce towards others not so highly endowed.

In addition to the disorder in connection with the ob· servance of the Lord's Supper, which was rebuked by tbe apostle, we are shown that great disorder also existed in the public ex ercise of the spiritual gifts. Some men were so proud of the gift of speaking in fore ign Ian· guages that t hey vied with ODe another in oratorical demonstration, and, as several would insist on speaking at the same time, the result was frequent confusion, to the sacrifice of edification, and especially so in cases where no interpretation of thp. speaking waS given.

In order to correct this deplorable condition , t he apos· tle, in the 12th chapter, informs his Corinthian brethren that all these diversities of gifts proceeded from one Spirit, and that in the exercise of their various minis­trations they were serving one l Jord. That these won­derful gifts, with such apparent difference of importance

were intended to operate in harmony with each ot.her. jnNt ax different parts or memberx of the human borly co­operate to the proper development. a.nd ~x f?: l' cise of its functions as a body. He r efers to the fo ot., the hand, th e ear, the eye, implying their mutual relation each to th e other, and their associated relation t o the body as a whole.

Then, applying this beautiful allegory to the Church, the apostle tells these Corinthians th at , in their collf'ctivt~ capacity, they are the body of Christ. and each of them a particular member of that body, and he t eaches the responsibility which each member should bear toward every other member in affording mutual assistan ce in the development one of another, also in a mutual manifesta­tion of care and sympathy, and mutual participation of suffering, even, if necessary-and that all th e membel's, though many, should have a common intere~ t ill the on e Body, of which each forms a vital part.

The a postle demonstrates the unwisdom and wrongful­ness of any member or class of members exercising their God-given ability in such a way as to exalt themselves and their specific endowment to the extent that the opera· tions of their less.gifted brethren are complete'ly obscured. resulting in a practical assumption of the functions of the entire body. In this connection he inquires, " If t he whole body were an eye, where were the hearing!" (v. 17) . "If they were all one member, where were th e body ?" (v. 19).

The ability to speak in foreign languages was espe.cially misused, and the selfish exercise of this God-given ability. together with other features of the public meeting can· demned by the apostle, r esulted in a method or a "way,'" if you please, of conducting the services which lacked not only the proper spirit, but prevented the mutual edifica· tion of the body.

So the apostle, by no means condemning the great gifts, because of their unrighteous abuse, says in effect to hi~ brethren at Corinth: It is well for you to desire the.e spiritual gifts, but inasmuch as your present way of pub. licly exercising them is not conducive to the results which God designs for the upbuilding of the body of Christ. 1 will now show yo n a better , a more excellent " way" of manifestation. .

It is Emerson who says, " Do not argue, illustrate." The value of such method of imparting instruction was well understood by th e Apostle .Paul.

As a teacher of a kindergarten class, after describing the general f eatures of a class performance, steps out into the r oom, and, taking the place of a pupil, would say, "Now I show you," just so does the apostle of the church at Corinth in the 31st verse of this 12th chapter, "But desir e earnestly t he greater gifts, and still a more excel­leut way I show unto you." Then, placing himself, in imagina tion, among them as a fellow member, before im~ parting to them the specific instruction promised, like a wise teacher he impresses upon them the absolute ne­cessity not only of possessing, but also of mutually exer· cising, the eternal principle of "love," without which, no matter how striking might be their wonderful spiritual demonstrations, or exhibitions of religious fervor, either in or out of the public assembly, the result would prove absolutely profitless (chap. 13, v. 1-3) . In ver ses 4-7 he personifies this indispensable acquirement, and portrays its unique characteristics. In the 8th to the 12th verses he announces that the time was coming when the public exercises of these marvelous, miraculous endowments in which the men of Corinth were glorifying t.hemselves,

MACEDONIAN CALL Page Seven

would all be done away with, while, as he states in the 13th verse, the vital and eternal principle of "loven shall ever remain the gracious heritage of the faithful members of the body of Christ.

(To be Continued)

Church News We now meet in K. of P. hall, 3rd and Market Sts., Steuben­

ville, Ohio.-D. E. Gillespie. Lovell, Okla.-Fairview congregation of Church of Christ

meets at school house, four miles north of Crescent, Okla. At­tendance good, interest fine; are looking forward t~ a season of refreshing. Brother Kenneth Morgan has promIsed to be with us April 19th (D. V.) We ask the prayers of the brother­hood that the seed sown may bring forth much fruit to the glory of Jesus.-F. A. Hall.

Red Cloud, Nebr.-I am sending new names for the M. C. Please send the February issue; it was so fine. Our attendance here is not growing so fast but it is regular each Lord's day and midweek meetings. We are planning on a two weeks' meet­ing beginning March 29 and a Daily Vacation Bible Study in June.-Mrs. D. B. Burden.

Columbia Mo.-I would like another of your Simplified New Testaments: I really have enjoyed mine. I am giving this to my mother. I can't think of a better gift, can you?

Gallatin, Mo.-Our regular weekly meetings keep up well in attendance and interest. The development program outlined for us by Bro. Harold J. Hays continues to be helpful and im­prove the service, and trains the young who are to become "the men of tomorrow," on whom the responsibilities of the church will rest. May we ever proclaim the 4'Wonderful Story of Love."-D. Patterson.

Great Songs of the Church, No.1, in either round or shape notes, are fifty cents each postpaid. A good song book. But the No.2 is larger and better bound, price 65 cents. As good a hymnal as one can find. Don't hand those backless, torn books to the worshippers.

Robert Jacob Hudson, a member of the Church of Christ at Reeds, departed this life Jan. 30, 1942, at his home east of Carbondale, Illinois. He was baptized by Bro. H. W. Cuppy, of Kemp, Ill., and for over thirty years had lived faithful to the church, and as elder had stood for the old paths guarding the church against hobbyists and all innovations. (Sister Hudson writes further: HI am also passing on to you a poem I received in a letter of condolence .... If you publish the poem, I hope it will be as comforting to sorrowing ones as it has been to me." The publisher, too, thinks it is an excellent poem for Christians who have bid farewell to other Christians, remem­bering, of course, that in the other world we shall be brothers and sisters. May not you, too, spread comfort in the world by copying the poem and when occasion offers pass it on to Christians sorrowing for departed faithful ones. HWeep with them that weep."-Pub.)

THE BEYOND

It seemeth stich a little way to me, Across to that strange country The Beyond;

And yet· :hot strange, for it has grown to be The home of those of whom I am so fond.

. They make it seem familiar and most dear, As journeying friends bring distant regions near.

So close it lies that when my sight is clear I think I almost see the gleaming strand;

I know I feel those, who have gone from here Come near enough sometimes to touch my hand.

I often think, but for our veiled eyes, We should find heaven right about us lies.

I can not make it seem a day to dread When from this dear earth I shall journey out

To that still dearer country of the dead, And join the last ones so long dreamed about.

I love this world, yet I shall love to go And meet the friends who wait for me, I know.

I never stand above a bier and see The seal of death set on some well loved face

But what I think: 4'One more to welcome me When I shall cross the intervening space

Between this land and that one, 'over there,' One more to make the strange Beyond seem fair."

And so for me there is no sting of death, And so the grave hath lost its victory.

It is but crossing with abated breath And white set face-a little strip of sea­

To find the loved ones waiting on the shore, More beautiful, more precious than before.

-Author Unknown.

In the "Your Child, My Child, God's Child" tract I like the article "Sweet Temper is Woman's Greatest Charm" by Dorothy Dix very much. It helped to make the tract more interesting. Also a little more variety to the sUbjects. Now I would like to see some good articles written by a good living Christian on how a mother could keep those or that charm, have children and raise them in a home where the father carried either letters to, or from, or pictures, of some girl he admired at intervals in every suit he owned for a period of 22 years. Also how can a mother raise the children right under the tension such a con­diti<1la causes? And who can ever pay the bill to replace the stolen happiness from the children's babyhood and childhood days ?-An Anxious Mother.

Klamath Falls, Ore.~My darling mother, Mrs. W. E. Huffa­ker, of Arkansas City, Kans., passed away Nov. 9. She had been a member of the church for years. Bro. Frank Hedges, of Winfield, Kans., preached her funeral. She was too fine a Christian to pass on and no mention made of it in any church paper. Your broken-hearted sister in Christ.-Mrs. Franklin Kimble. (The publisher thinks Sister Kimble will find comfort in the poem, "The Beyond" in this column.)

Begin Now.-The most impressionable age in anyone's exist­ence is between three and six. So the students of children say. Then we should begin their religious training. I know of no book better for the purpose than HFirst Steps for Little Feet," by Chas. Foster. It has questions to ask at the end of each section. Also, his Story of the Gospel is fine. Each, $1.00 at the M. C. Office. Send NOW. And why not get also the book to take them from six on. '4Story of the Bible," price $2.00 by the same great writer. The greatest sin today of Christian parents, and one with far-reaching grief to themselves and the Church, is the neglect of early training of their children. It should be EVERY DAY.

Fairbury, Nebraska-Have been spending a few weeks at home, where I have been redeeming the time I feel, by engaging in some needed study. During this time I have conducted two funeral services. One for Sister Goble of Red Cloud, Nebraska, and one for the beloved Brother Evans of Council Bluffs, Iowa. My wife and I also enjoyed a brief visit to St. Joseph and Kansas City congregations. We attended one session of Bro. R. O. Webb's fine Bible reading at St. Joseph. I might say here that the brethren were well pleased with Bro. Webb's work and I know they as well as myself believe he is very much needed in that type of work. On our visit to Kansas City we enjoyed the fellowship of both congregations. It is a bless­ing to all when we can see that strong family bond that exists between brothers and sisters in Christ. At present I am in Fairbury, where my wife and I plan to make our home. I will leave soon for three months, starting with work at Mar­tinstown, Missouri, and continue for the duration in Illinois and Iowa.-Bill Hensley, 911 8th .

Better do your reading before it gets hot. Simplified New Testament is having the best sale for several years. It will make the reading of the New Testament easier. And the Guide Through Bible History will help you find your way more easily through the O. T. History. Jamieson's Commentary on the whole Bible, price $5, is as good probably as there is. There will be many blustery nights yet when you can read with satis· faction. Send NOW.

Glendale, Ariz.-To the faithful in Christ, Greetings: One week in February gone, time for the Glendale letter to be going out. Spring is in the air in Salt River Valley. Mother Nature is putting forth renewed effort to clothe herself in all her beauty, making one happy to be alive, and able to enjoy the wonderful things the Lord has put here for us; and though man in his blindness creates wars and many, many other dreadful

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Page Eight MACEDON IAN CALL

conditions that exist to draw us away from our Creator, yet thanks to the God above we can remain faithful if we desire to be strong enougb, and find much to make our hearts rejoice in spite of all the evil. My prayer to God is that the faithful in Christ will at this time of spring of the new year clothe themselves anew with the robe of righteousness, determined to be more diligent in the Lord's vineyard than ever before. We also sent some aid to Bro. D. A. Sommers in his sending out literature, which he wrote was highly appreciated. The con­gregation here is rejoicing in the fact that Bro. Bill Bennett can remain with us; he is one of our leaders and a most efficient one, and is a very good soldier in the Army of the Lord. Bro. Riggins will probably be with us around the last of April, or early in May, and we are praying that much good will be ac­complished. Thanks to all the churches that sent in letters. They were read and commented upon at our last business meet­ing.-Written for the Church at Glendale, Ariz., by Sister Chester Sanderson.

Still Serving Two Masters?

On the next day after receiving my copy of the February, 1942, issue of the Macedoniain Call, containing my article enti­tied" 'Serving Two Masters?' Scores a Hit", I received by mail from "The American Christian Review", and addressed to me, another marked copy of the "Rough Draft", the markiJi:;.lr3 on which consisted of the following: 6 underscorings; 1't'.,;ingle parenthesis mark on the margin; 1 "x" mark on the marJ.~in; and 1 question mark on the margin; all such nine markings being on the "Rough Draft" proper; then on the back thereof 11 undel'scorings; 2 single parenthesis marks; 3 question marks on the margin; 1 29-word statement penciled on the margin; 1 2-word notation on the margin; 1 25-word statement pen­ciled on the margin; and 1 14-word statement pencjled on the margin-29 markings in all. No Scripture is cited or quoted in any of such 29 markings. So the Review Publishers continue their effort to uphold the "Rough Draft" as a religious formula without Bible support. In other words, such Publishers appear not to have retrieved the ,"sword CJf the Spirit," which is the legitimate weapon of every true defender of Christianity. (Eph. 6:17). None of the statements contained in either of my recent articles on this matter have been disproved, and I repeat the following from the first of such two articles appearing in the Macedonian Call of December, 1941: "Here, then, is what the Review Publishers are doing: 'First, with their pens, the Review Publishers assert that Bible Colleges are scripturally wrong, thereby directly agreeing with and purportedly serving the one Master of all true Christians; and, Second, the Review Publishers, in fellowshipping and lending religious support to Bible College advocates, are, by such works, indirectly denying the one Master of all true Christians and thereby actually serv­ing another, a second master, who is the enemy of Christ; for, remember, Christ has, by His infallible word, firmly established the proposition that 'No man [including the Review Publishers] can serve two masters.''' (Matt. 6:24). In closing I again state that "I still hold no malice toward the Review Publishers, but I sincerely hope that they will return to the 'old paths' of Christian rectitude."-O. C. Fee, February 17th, 1942.

A Report of the work of the Church in the town of Shippens· burg, Pa.-The year 1941 is past and gone and we feel that those who have helped us to carryon by sending us help both financially and by your prayers should know something con­cerning the same, for to write each one of you a personal letter would involve time and considerable writing, and so I am thank­ful that you can, and all of the readers of the M. C. for that matter read, of what has been done in Shippensburg for the cause of Christ, which cause I believe we all adore. The first thing I want to mention is that over the last two years there has been added nine precious souls to the Church that are attend­ing meetings and are aiding the progress of the work. These new members are anxious and willing to do their part, and we are well pleased with their zeal, and feel that the Church is in splendid shape now to do more in regard to helping to conduct meetings when we hold our revivals. And here I mention that if the Lord wills, we will have a meeting for three we~ks in June, Bro. Johnny Rhodes will do the preaching. This has been previously arranged. The men, brethren who have come in the Church, have considerable talent and are developing rapidly and nicely and will do the work a lot of good in the future, and the sisters are filled with proper zeal which will build us up into a strong Church in time. We have had several meetings during the past years and· have supported the preachers and

paid all our expenses, done some necessary repairing to our meeting house, paid those bills and, in addition, have reduced our building debt to but $100 since we started using our new house. However, brethren, to do this keeps our treasury drained, so much so that we sometimes are made to wonder how we will get along. If we were relieved of our debt and had a larger heating plant we would be in excellent condition to carryon, but our faith is strong in our God that he will bless those of his people that are willing to do his blessed will, and will open up a way for us to continue. Brethren, we surely can see a wonderful difference since we have our new house. We have created an entirely different impression on the people in many respects. More are willing to attend our services, which gives us the opportunity to get the plea of Christ before them. We are hoping for a wonderful meeting this spring, and if there are those who wish to give toward the support Of Bro. Rhodes while he is here we will appreciate, and not only be glad for your material aid but your prayers and presence, for they count as much in this great work that is being done. We feel we owe this report to those of the readers that have helped us through reading our appeals that Bro. Sommer published in this paper. So we do hereby give you our heartfelt thanks and sincere appreciation for your liberality, for we are free to confess that if it had not been for what you did, we could not have done what we did. Again we thank you all. And now we want to extend to you one and all the invitation to meet with the Church in Shippensburg, 412 E. King St., at any time you are through here, and inasmuch as there is considerable govern· ment project work getting started in and around Shippensburg, we wish to extend to any members of the Church who will, or may be employed, to meet with us, and attend the s.ervices as much as is possible. If you wish to know anything pertaining to the Church in Shippensburg please write me and I" will he glad to tell you what I am able to. Brotherly.-C. J. Beidel.

Summersville, Mo.-We enjoy the Macedonian Call very much. J. A. Clay donates two new names, saying: "I hope to be able to send more in the near future. I like the paper and w$nt others to get the good teaching it contains." There are many who are doing this, but oh, for a thousand who would! What a great work would be accomplished! .

Austin, Texas-Simplified New Testament. This is a very excellent work. ... I have used the Simplified New Testament a great deal and find it interesting and enlightening."-J. D. Phillips, Editor and Publisher of "The Truth." (Price $2.00 at M. C. office).

Pennsylvania-I will send two new names for 1942. My pa­pers are given to others to read .... (When a woman, or man, does not have the opportunity of meeting people to whom they can talk, they can quietly and silently preach the Word, by sending the M. C.-Pub.)

Michigan-I do hope many souls may be brought to the light of the glorious gospel by reading the M. C. I like it very much. Hope to be able to help in the good work of saving sduls in these perilous times.-Ella Sutterfield. (She sends a club.­Pub.)

. The last number, January, I think is worth the price of the paper.-Mrs. George Kryselmeier.

Derby, Kans.-We enjoy the paper very much. Pennsylvania-Send me fifteen of the Missionary number,

"Turn Your Face Toward the Sun and the Shadows Will Fall Behind You." I like it very much. (This contains an exhorta­tion for those in trouble or distressed in mind, and also con­tains the Plan of Salvation. We have about 200 left. 13 copies for twenty cents. Also we had an extra supply printed of the January issue on "Your Child," etc., an issue so many have commended for circulation. Good for non-members who have children. A cent and a half a copy, plus postage.)

Chicago-We are enjoying the M. C. very much. We look forward to each issue. Keeps us in touch.

Brookport, Ill.-First of all I wish to congratulate YQU on the February issue. I hope you can be able to get out just such a paper each issue as this one. We began our meeting here Feb. 15 with Bro. Rhodes doing the preaching. It started off well.-A.. T. Kerr.

Canada-We still read your little paper with pleasure and profit thereby. Hope you may be able to continue to send it out.

Endora, Kans.-We like the M. C. very much. I certainly enjoyed the February M. C. It was surely good.-Iva Kreeger.