Know Your Bible

VOL. 6                           May 27, 2007                           NO. 19

What Can Be Known Can Be Shown

    All rational students of the Bible want to be told, by teachers and preachers, not just what to believe, but also why those things are to be believed. Every faithful teacher of the Bible is prepared to deliver both in clear terms. Bible doctrines are all taught by specific Bible passages and the connections between them can be described in terms that the average man can understand.

    Those who have devoted the time and effort necessary to mine truth from the gold mine that we call the Bible are able to clearly trace the path to the treasure-trove for others to follow. The Bible is not a mystical book that can only be understood by the scholarly few who can then only pass along the correct conclusions without expressing the reasons for those conclusions. Instead it is a living book whose meaning is available to all who will seek wisdom (Prov. 9:1-6). The true Biblical scholar is one who has truly discovered truth and who is willing and able to show that truth, and its source, to others.

    This is why the pseudo-scholars of the first century stumbled over the simplicity of the gospel (1 Cor. 1:18-24). They demanded to hear what was "profound", "wise", "deep", and "intellectual" according to human standards and they were irritated with the "foolishness" of the simple gospel of Christ. To them, the gospel was shallow and they wanted what they perceived to be deep. When some with this mindset were "converted" they attempted to distance themselves from the simplistic, shallow teaching of the apostles and to elevate themselves as the truly wise and sophisticated in the early church. Paul's inspired sarcasm was designed to warn them and not to shame them (1 Cor. 4:9-14).

    Pseudo-scholars exist among us today. The simplicity of the gospel is not enough for them. They are not content to simply learn what the Book of God says and to remain with it. They are constantly searching for something new and profound that will show others how wise they are. When questioned about the book, chapter, and verse of their novel "discoveries" they are not able to locate them specifically because they are often several steps away from what the scriptures actually teach and separated from the Word of Truth by the great gulf of pure human speculation. Even so, they are seldom at a loss for words when questioned. Their answers emphasize their own wisdom in some way and suggest that their conclusions ought to be accepted because of the greatness of the miner who brought them forth. But they cannot point the way to the mother-lode.

    One such brother argued, in my hearing, that we should accept his conclusion because he had spent several months studying the matter under consideration in the great library at Harvard University. A "televangelist" suggested recently that his doctrine was true because he had spent years with the subject constantly in his mind. Others are heard to affirm that their conclusions are to be accepted because of the number of hours they spent studying the subject, or because of the degrees that they hold, or because of their own ability to see what is not clearly taught. But they cannot produce a "thus saith the Lord". Such is just too shallow for the "wise".

    The true Bible student who attempts to teach his subject to others is delighted to have questions concerning the source of all that he teaches. He takes those things in the Bible that may appear complicated at first and explains them in terms that a child could understand without the first thought of whether he is or is not perceived by his hearers as "wise" or "profound". And he is not intimidated, in the least, by those among his hearers who call his work "shallow".

    Pearl S. Buck, in her novel, Pavilion of Women, placed the following words in the mind of Madam Wu as she was being instructed by "Brother Andre": Now, his manner of answering questions was exceedingly simple, but this was because he was so learned. He did not need, as lesser men do, to talk over and above the pith of the matter. Instead, he knew how...to put into a handful of words the essence of the essence of truth. He stripped the leaves away, and he plucked the fruit and cracked the husk and peeled the inner shell and split the flesh and took out the seed and divided it, and there was the kernel, pure and clean (p. 174).

    This is a good picture of a true scholar. He has knowledge to share but no need to prove that he is noteworthy. His delight is in helping others to find what he has found. His goal is to know truth and to point the way to it without seeking recognition for his own abilities. He knows that what can be known can be shown and that the feigned knowledge of pseudo-scholars is fools gold. Any map showing the source of such spurious teaching would have to trace a path to the mind of some proud pretender who desires to be recognized as a great teacher, who does not understand what he is saying or what he is affirming (1 Tim. 1:7).

    So be diligent in questioning what you do not understand from any teacher of the word. Anyone who has found the truth can show you its source. Others will point in obscure directions or simply become angry with the questioner.

---Tim Nichols

 Page 1


 

Self-Examination

    God said, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith," 2 Corinthians 13:5. Doctors urge us to examine our physical bodies in order to detect anything that might need correction. How much more do we need to examine ourselves whether we are in the faith!

    Leroy Brownlow in his book, The Christian's Everyday Problems, lists the following questions to help us in the examination of our spiritual status:

1. Have I spoken evil of any person this day? "Speak not evil one of another, brethren," James 4:11.

2. Have I taken the name of God in vain? "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain," Ex.20:7.

3. Have I been a gossiper? "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people," Lev.19:16

4. Have I this day been quick to speak and quick to wrath? "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath," James 1:19.

5. Have I been a peacemaker on the job, in the school, in the church and in every walk of life? "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace," Romans 14:19.

6. Have I been unselfish in all my dealings? "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others," Philippians 2:4.

7. Have I this day been free of malice and hate? "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another," Titus 3:3.

8. Have I been compassionate and sympathetic? "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous," 1 Peter 3:8.

9. Have I refrained from being retaliatory and vengeful? "Not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing," 1 Peter 3:9.

10. Have I been cooperative in the home, on the job, and in the church? "We then as workers together," 2 Corinthians 6:1.

11. Have I been tolerant of the faults of others, considering myself? "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye," Matthew 7:3?

12. Have I been industrious? "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger," Proverbs 19:15.

13. Have I been easy to entreat? "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated," James 3:17.

14. Have I followed the Golden Rule? "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them," Matthew 7:12

---Lynn Headrick

Page 2


 
    "Know Your Bible" is e-mailed weekly by the church of Christ which meets at 112 Roberts Avenue in Wise, Virginia. If you know of others who might benefit from the articles contained in this bulletin, we would be glad to have you submit their e-mail addresses and we will include them in next week's mailing. If you are receiving this bulletin and do not wish to continue to do so, please e-mail us with your desire to be removed from the mailing list and we will remove your address promptly. Continue to the bottom of this page and further instructions will be given as to how you may contact us.

--- E.R. Hall, Jr.


 
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES
Sunday
Bible Classes ……….....….…............ 10:00 AM
Morning Worship ……..…….….…...... 11:00 AM
Evening Worship …………...……........ 6:00 PM
Wednesday
Bible Classes …………..………........... 7:30 PM
 
Radio Program - Week Days Monday - Friday
WDXC 102.3 FM (Thought For The Day) ...…........ 9:30 AM
 
Television Program
Sunday
Adelphia Cable Heritage TV Channel 56 ............ 2:00 PM
   Wednesday
Adelphia Cable Heritage TV Channel 56 ............ 8:30 PM
 
 
World Wide Web: www.wisechurch.com


INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THIS E-MAIL BULLETIN:

UNSUBSCRIBE: Reply to wisechurch@comcast.net and put UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

SUBSCRIBE FRIENDS: Reply to wisechurch@comcast.net and put SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. Place the list of names and e-mail addresses to be subscribed in the body of the e-mail.