Christian Chronicle (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 38, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 18, 1948 Page: 2 of 10
ten pages : ill. ; page 19 x 14 in. Digitized from 35 mm microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
r
3 .
FEBRUARY 18, 1948
PAGE TWO
*
Which Church?
Number 38
February 18, 1948
Volume V
1
Ki
c
1
THE CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE
stud^:
Published Wednesday of each week except the lai
the last week in December at^lbilene, Texas.
*3.00 Per Annum In Advance
Send all communications and articles to Box 1158, Abilene Texas
OLAN L; HICKS ......... .......... Editor and'Publisher
Entered as second-class matter October 18, 1944 at the Post Office
at Abilene, Texas, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
fe..- *
I
, V
C UNIVERSAL 3 I Each week the editorial article which is adjudged most
x timely and valuable will be printed on this page
w-o-u, a -Sep.Ub. last m Jun. « | of CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE.
This Is A MUST
BY THE EDITOR
There are three things essential to the successful con-
tinuance of the work in Japan. Without these, there is
already a halting of national and individual interest. The
first thing we know we are liable to see interest at a
standstill or retrogression.
FIRST, because we were given such wide publicity a-
bout the school and college work, this phase of the work
must be got under way at the earliest possible moment.
The brethren in that country say this spring. Brother
E. W. McMillan is working to take care of this point.
Any of you who will cooperate, please get in touch with
Brother McMillan and the Union Avenue Church, Mem-
. phis.
SECONDLY, the expansive field of Japan is desper-
ately in need of MORE missionaries. We are receiving
calls for the establishment of churches and Christian work
from MANY points, and we have NOT enough workers
by any means. Four new couples, the H. R. Foxs, Can-
nons, Doyles, and Lawyers ARE there. Already they are
doing much good by their godly influence.
■ THIRDLY, and right now of VERY GREAT IMPOR-
TANCE INDEED is the critical need of a Tokyo prop-
erty and location for work. We have only one small piece
of property in Tokyo already working almost to its full
capacity, the Zoshigaya church in charge of Brother Saito
recently from the Methodist Church.
There is no place for church work to accommodate the
scores of interested and influential people of the Tokyo
district. Even the G. I. church is handicapped by having
no adequate meeting place.
God haa*-blessed us with capable doctors to help in
the spirit of James to care for the needy. They have
gone as far as they can without a place to work.
Their not-yet-Christian associates, high standing in
medical circles, anxious to cooperate in this Chris-
tian work, are beginning to wonder if we really mean
business and are beginning to embarass our breth-
ren by inquiry.
We need a place for weekly contact with children and
Adults in Christian teaching in “practical affairs of life—
kindergarten, sewing school, cooking and domestic sci-
ence. (In the latter field we are offered a page in one of
the best magazines in Japan free of charge for our use.)
Brethren, without this place in Tokyo, our work is suf-
fering and will suffer shamefully.
A silk merchant, friend of Dr. (Bro.) Katow, is willing
to help us with such a place, AND HAS FOUND A REAL-
LY IDEAL PLANT FOR OUR NEEDS. This plant is
across the street from the Rockefellow Institute of Heal-
th. This place was built by the former Sugar Magnate
of Japan and then given to the Keio University. It is
.. three-story reinforced concrete, nicely styled, with room
for all our needed activities in Tokvo. The location is ex-
cellent. WE ARE GIVEN THE OPTION ON IT FOR 20
DAYS. The price is in YEN.
The new exchange rate has not been announced. If the
new rate is to be 200 yen to 1 dollar, as most people be-
lieve, then the building will cost us $100,0OO. It cost over
half a million to build,' beside the 120 x 240 ft. lot. What
shall we do about Tokyo, the capital of Japan, an impor-
tant nation in the new world where the U. S. Govern-
ment sees fit to spend millions?
One man has offered a thousand dollars. A worker
on the field has offered to join him in raising anoth-
er thousand. The ,Japanese friend by raising yen
200,000 will raise another thousand. Who will be the
other 97? Who will underwrite this? Shall our bre-
reji there go ahead on their own trust in God?
BY HOMER. HAILEY
"Then they that received his word were baptised:
and there were added unto them in that day about
three thousand souls” (v 41). Nothing Is said about
their Joining anything. But it is said they “were
added.” The question might arise, Who added them?
The answer is found in verse 47, “And the Lord add-
ed to them day by day those that were being saved.”
Or, according to the King James Version, “And the
Lord added to the church dally, such as should be
saved.” There can be no mistake as to what the Lord
would add them; He added them to the church built
that day, the church of the Lord Jesus, built upon
the roek. If today one will do the same as those peo-
ple did that day, the Lord will add him to the same
church.
From the Incident, it can be seen very easily that
the same thing which saves one makes him a mem-
ber of the church. These people heard the gospel,
believed it, repented of their sins, and were baptized
for their rendition; therefore, being saved. But these
same people who heard, believed, repented and were
bapt&ed were added to the church. Therefore, that
which saves one adds him to the church. There Is
nothing for him to Join once he is in the Lord’s
church. The Lord saves, the Lord adds; but the Lord
saves those who Comply with the law of pardon;
and the Lord adds these same to the church, the
body of the saved.
But notice again, “The Lord added unto them such
as were being saved’ (Acts 2:47). But who were be-
ing saved? “He that belleveth and Is baptized shall
be saved" (Mark 16 16). Therefore, those hearing,
believing and being baptized were being saved; and
those being saved were being added to the church.
Threfore, those believing and being baptized were
being added to the church. Again, that which saves
adds to the church. „
How different Is this simple Bible way to the
ways of men! One sometimes hears it said, "I was
saved at a certain time, and Joined the church six
months or a year later.” Certainly, such an experi-
ence has no Scripture precedent. Another practice
is for some "churches to have candidates come be-
fore them, make their statement, give their ‘experi-
ence,’ and then their reception is decided by a vote of
the members. And while they (the candidates) can-
not become members without baptism, yet it is the
vote of the body which admits them to its fellow-
ship on receiving baptism.” No Scripture can be ap-
pealed to for such a procedure as this. In this meth-
od Ood Is left out completely; He has no voice what-
ever In the matter since it Is “the vote of the body
which admits them to Its fellowship on receiving
baptism." Yet Acts 2:47 states, “The Lord added
to them dally such as were being saved." Again,
"And believers were the more added to the Lord,
multitudes both of men and women” (Acta 5:14).
Of course should a body of people vote one into its
organisation, that organization could not be the
church of the Lord, for the Lord adds to that. Cer-
tainly one would be in the wrong thing, wouldn’t he?
PENITENT, BAPTIZED BELIEVERS
SAVED
For a moment let us consider this practice Just
mentioned as compared with the case of the eunuch,
of Acts 8. Here we find Philip, an evangelist under
divine guidance, preaching to a certain eunuch who
had been to Jerusalem to worship Ood, but who
was now returning to his own land. Beginning with
verse 35, it is said. "And Philip opened his mouth,
and beginning from this Scripture, preached unto
him Jesus. And as they went on the way, they came-
unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold,
here Is water! what doth hinder me to be baptized?
And Philip said, It thou bellevest with all thy heart,
thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he com-
manded the chariot to stand still: and they both
went down into the water, both Philip and the eun-
uch; and he baptized him. And when they came up
out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away
Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he
went pn his way rejoicing.” Now does anyone deny
that this man was saved? Certainly not. But was
he a member of the church, and if so, of what
church? Surely there was no one there to “vote him
into” it; did he then go on his way outside the
church, the house or family of Ood? No, we believe
not; but that he went on his way as much as a
member of the Lord’s church as was Philip. Why
should we draw such a conclusion? From these prem-
ises: Jesus had said, "He that belleveth and is bap-
tized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). The eunuQi had
believed, for he said he did, but gave no “experi-
ence," and was baptised, therefore, saved. But Acts
2:47 affirms, "The Lord added to the church daily
such as were being saved.” Therefore the Lord added
thls Eth'opian nobleman to the church, for he teas
saved on the same terms of pardon upon which those
In Acts 2 4jad been saved. He went on tiK way a
member of the Lord's church, saved by Christ Jesus
when he complied with the Lord’s Conditions of par-
don.
■The members of the church in New Testament
days were known ‘ simply as Christians. That is all .
the same truth will make of one today. “That the
disciples were called Christians first at Antioch” is
stated by Luke in Acts 11:26. At the conclusion of
There are many religious bodies today, but the
Bible knows only one, over which Christ reigns as
head. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said, “Upon this rock
I will build my church," singular, as you notice, and
belonging to Him. When we speak of the church of
Christ, we are speaking of that very Institution,
which, upon that occasion, He declared He would
build, and which should belong to Him. According
to Scripture, the Lord has but one church.
In speaking of the unity of God’s system, tne
apostle said, “There is one body, and one Spirit"
(Eph. 4:4); and again, “He put all things in subjec-
tion under his (Christ’s) feet, and gave him to be
head over all things to the church, which is his body,
the fulness of him that fllleth all in all" (Eph. 1:22-
23). Since the Spirit says “there Is one body” and
"tne body is the church,” each time it is stated that
there is “one body,” it is being declared that there
is but “one church.” Now note, “So we, who are many,
ire one-body in Christ, and severally members one
)f another” (Rom. 12:5). And again, “For as the
body is one, and hath many members, and all the
members of the body being many, are one body; so
also is Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12). Since the body is the
church, and the apostle repeatedly says there is one
body, he is Just as repeatedly saying there is one
church.
This one church, comprising the family, house or
household of God, is as properly called in other
passages “the church of God” (1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor.
1:2, etc.) The term designates relation to God as
God’s children. But in its relation to Christ it sus-
tains the relation of a bride to her husband. This
the same apostle teaches in such passages, “For the
husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also Is
the head of the church, being himself the saviour
of the body. For this cause shall a man leave his
father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and
the two shall become flesh. This mystery is great!
but I speak In regard of Christ and the church”
(Eph. 5:23-33). Therefore, whenever the Bible speaks
of “the body of Christ,” made up of regenerated
individuals. It Is speaking of "the church of Christ."
UNIVERSAL CHURCH COMPOSED
OF ALL SAVED
The church in the agregate, of which we have Just
been speaking, is made up of many local congrega-
tions; the congregations making up the body in its
entlrity. This thought was in the apostle’s mind
when he wrote, "In whom each several building,
fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple
in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together
for a habitation of God in the Spirit” (Eph. 2:21,-
22). It Is the general consensus of opinion that Paul
wrote the Roman letter from Corinth; at which time
there were numerous congregations throughout that
section, extending on north into Macedonia. In con-
cluding the letter to the Romans, the apostle includ-
ed these numerous congregations in the Salutation,
"All the churches of Christ salute you” (Rom. 16:-
16). All such "churches of Christ” constitute “the
church of Christ” built up on the rock.
Considering another thought contained in Jesus’
statement when he said to Peter,' “Thou art Peter,
and upon this rock-1 will build my church”; we ask,
What was the rock upon which the church should
rest? It was not Peter, as is clearly seen by the two
different words used by Jesus, “Petros” and "petra,”
one a stone, the other a ledge of rock. The answer
is found in a statement from Paul. "For other foun-
dation can no man lay than that which is laid, which
is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). The church of Christ,
therefore rests upon the deity, divinity, sonshlp of
Christ, asjts foundation; not upon some man or
group of men.
Having made this statement, Jesus charged the
apostles “they should tell no man that he was Christ"
(v 20). Note this point: The church was to have
been buUt upon thgt ledge, the fact that Jesus was
the Christ. But they were not at that time to tell
men that Jesus was the Christ. Therefore, until
Jesus could be preached as Christ, the church could
not be* built. The first time Jesus was preached as
Christ was on the Pentecost after His resurrection,
recorded in Acts 2; which sermon by Peter we have
considered. In that sermon, Jesus as the Christ was
Peter’s theme throughout. By His resurrection from
the dead He was proved to be Christ. Peter con-
cluded his argument with this statement, "Let all
the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that
God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus
whom ye crucified.” Here, for the first time, Jesus
was preached as Christ. In proving Jesus to be the
Christ the foundation for the first oogregatlon of
the church of Christ wks being laid. When asketf by
the assembly of Jews what they should do, the apos-
tle responded “Repent ye. and be baptized every
one of. you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the re-
the Holy Spirit.” Here,
told what to do "tn mu
name ■
command. »
• LORD ADDS SAVED TO CHURCH;
IT 18 NOT “JOINED”
However, here is the particular point of o\ir
___________________________________________________• __________________________________ >
mission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of
th. Wnlv f0r the flrBt tlme are
------ _,e name of Jesus Christ;” His
— authority—is directly connected with th?
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Hicks, Olan L. Christian Chronicle (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 5, No. 38, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 18, 1948, newspaper, February 18, 1948; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1305979/m1/2/: accessed May 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.