Why I Became an “Anti”

(Part Three)

By Hubert C. Wilson (Deceased)

3. The area of Fellowship.

The liberal thinking of our day has now crystallized into using (misusing) the word fellowship to mean church sponsored recreation and/or eating together. The Greek word koinonia is translated 12 times as fellowship and 4 times as communion. It refers to fellowship with God: "and truly our fellowship is with the Father" (1 John 1:3); fellowship with Christ: "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Cor. 1:9); communion of the Holy Spirit: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the com­munion of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Cor. 13:14). Paul thanked the Philippian brethren for "your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now" (Phil. 1:5). The Jerusalem disciples "continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship" (Acts 2:42). Paul told the Corinthians that the brethren of Macedonia prayed them with much entreaty to "Take upon us the fellow­ship of ministering to the saints" (2 Cor. 8:4). John tells us that "If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another" (1 John 1:7). There is no passage in the New Testament in which the word "fellowship" means what it is being called by the liberal brethren. They have 'fellowship halls" (kitchens), they get to­gether for a "wonderful period of fellow­ship" (they had coffee and cake or refresh­ments), and we could go on and on. I am persuaded that anyone with an honest heart and an open mind can see that there are many things being done in the name of Christ that have no Bible authority and as a result should not be practiced by the church. I am not against brethren getting together to eat or engage in any morally clean form of recreation, but not as a work of the church. The church is not in a social business (at least it should not be), but rather in the business of trying to save souls by preaching the Gospel to the lost and by restoring the erring brethren to the fold.

I find it impossible to read in the Scrip­tures about Church of Christ sponsored baseball teams, basketball teams, foot­ball teams, bowling teams, golf tourna­ments, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, Hoote­nanny (whatever that is) and we could go on and on. It really makes me sad to feel that the church for which Christ shed his blood has become so much like the denomi­nations of the world and does not even know it. It is high time people began to wake up and ask how they got so far from where they started, and when they realize a thing is not authorized in the Bible, it should be given up. We today are to hold fast the pat­tern of sound words (2 Tim. 1:13) and we are told that "All scripture is given by in­spiration of God, and is profitable for doc­trine, for reproof, for correction, for instruc­tion in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17) Either the Bible does this or this passage is wrong.

In closing, I hope and pray that all who read this (especially those of the liberal movement) will be honest enough in their heart to study for themselves from the Bible and not allow the emotionalism of "they do not believe in taking care of orphans" to so prejudice themselves as to not even study. All are going to stand before the judgment seat of God, to give an account and to be judged by the Bible. How can we condemn denominations for not following the Bible and yet not follow it ourselves in many things? Let us all resolve that we will go back to the old paths of "Speak where the Bible Speaks and be silent where the Bible is Silent" and pray one for another and show love one for another. [The Sower, Vol. 20 - January, 1974 - Number 1] &

Do You Want Truth?

By Charles "Skip" Sebree

One would think that surely most peo­ple want the truth. And yet one finds, at least in the realm of religion, that such is not the case. In Matthew 21:33-46 Jesus tells a parable of servants being sent to work in a vineyard who are beaten, stoned, and killed by those in charge. They even killed the vineyard owner's son. The religious leaders of Jesus' day correctly perceived He was talking about them and sought to kill Him. In Matthew 23:34-38 Jesus again tells of how the people had and will continue to kill those who are sent from God. Eventually, they killed Jesus for teach­ing truth.

Stephen, in his sermon in Acts 7, asks the people which of the prophets had their fathers not persecuted. He tells them they were just like their fathers in resisting God. Because they did not like the truth Stephen was preaching, they stoned him to death.

The apostle Paul was beaten, stoned and left to die because he taught the truth. On another occasion, Paul wrote to Christians who were being deceived and misled by false teachers. Apparently some did not like his warnings for he asked in Galatians 4:16,

"Am I therefore become your enemy, be­cause I tell you the truth?"

It is obvious from these examples that many religious people do not want the truth, and are willing to do anything to keep from hearing it. (Please read 2 Timothy 4:1-4.) There needs to be a constant examination of one's attitude to­ward truth. Jesus tells us that it is truth that makes one free, John 8:32. Either one loves and seeks after the truth, even when it hurts and calls for a change in one's life, or one will do whatever necessary to keep from hearing it. Are you sincere in wanting to follow Jesus? Do you want the truth? &