Author: Roberts, Tom
Historical and Biblical Fellowship
Before apostasy becomes a reality, brethren should explore every avenue of Bible study and brotherly controversies with patience and longsuffering (1 Thess. 5:14; Jude 19-23). There should not be a rush to judgment (prematurely drawing lines) or failure to address our differences (ignoring serious issues).
Associate Editorial: Introduction to this Issue
May God grant to each reader the wisdom, courage and determination to distinguish between the unity of the Spirit and unity and diversity. May you lend your voice and efforts to uphold and defend truth as it is in Christ and unity with every other child of God. Let us count no cost as too extreme to bring about the Spirit’s unity, but let us not spend a cent to encourage unity in diversity. One is from the Holy Spirit, the other is from Satan. Is there really any question beyond that?
Solid Food: Free Will
Some issues are so taken for granted that common acceptance belies their intrinsic value and native importance. Such an issue is the subject of free…
Solid Food: Should One Call Names from the Pulpit
Calling names will never be popular. This fact alone should neither encourage or discourage us. Nor should the reaction of the public be the total criterion. While some human judgment must determine our practice, the most important factor must be that of a boldness in declaring Jesus that reflects a New Testament spirit. Such preaching will arouse and convict; it will irritate and confound; it will cause extreme reactions and deepest opposition … among those in sin. But of those in sin will be some who can be led into paths of righteousness and salvation by this same bold preaching.
Solid Food: Misuse of “Grace” to Cover Sin
So far as the churches of Christ are concerned, the fundamental teaching of truth during the Restoration Movement was so effective (cf: “The Scheme of Redemption,” by Robert Milligan) that it eradicated practically every vestige of Calvinism among Christians. From the early 1800’s until our generation, classic Calvinism (TULIP) has been recognized as the error it is and has not been a source of internal strife (must less a cause of division) within local congregations. However, history will record that it has become the task of our generation to combat these errors again.
Associate Editorial: Free Will
within the human heart is the highest potential of praise to God or the blackest depth of sin’s degradation. Which shall it be? That is the work of choice, will, determination. All too often, we have chosen to do wrong and are in the bondage of sin (Rom. 7:24), but in every case it is due to our own decision without coercion by God.
Solid Food: Imputed for Righteousness (Genesis 15:6)
“Imputation” describes a process that takes place in the mind of God, without which none of us could ever be judged sinner or saint. What…
Theme Editorial: The Foolishness of Preaching
This issue of Watchman Magazine is brought to you with the intent of encouraging all who read to turn in trust to the word of God, foolishness indeed to people of this world, but the wisdom of God to those who seek Heaven. It is our desire, as that of David’s, to be “a companion of all those who fear You, and of those who keep Your precepts” (Ps. 119:63).
Solid Food: What Does It Mean to “Preach the Cross”?
Now make the application to the “cross.” If I re-define “word of the cross” to mean only the passion and death of Jesus on Calvary and then complain that when you preach about elders, organization of the church, morality, etc., you are not preaching the “word of the cross,” I am also playing fast and loose with the truth. The real and only fair consideration is, “How does the Bible define the ‘word of the cross,’ and what does it mean to ‘preach Christ and him crucified’?” Let the Bible define its own terms.
Associate Editorial: The Use of Reason to Understand the Scriptures
If we are guilty of either binding or loosing where God has not done so, we will be condemned and will contribute to division. Yet it is inescapable that God expects us to read and reason from the scriptures to the correct understanding of God’s will.
Solid Food: Were the Ten Tribes Really Lost?
We have allowed Premillennialists undue advantage when they assert that God must still return the captivity of ten tribes and that assertion stands unchallenged. Such is not the case, therefore nothing remains of a material fulfillment for Jews today. Their only hope, like ours, is to come unto Christ who is reigning now on David’s throne over the spiritual house of Israel.
Solid Food: Text and Context (Is 2 John 9 Limited in Application Only to Gnosticism)
It is a clear violation of Biblical hermeneutical rules to limit context as many are attempting to do with 2 John 9-11. Truth will always be truth in every age and in similar situations. Error must not be permitted to hide behind a supposed “limited context” which will permit a modern violation of a contextual principle clearly established in scripture.
Associate Editorial: Marriage Divorce & Remarriage – Fellowship and the Divorce Controversy
The scriptures teach clearly that we must not have fellowship with fruits of unrighteousness or darkness. While some brethren apply this uniformly to sinful practices like instrumental music, institutionalism, etc., they are willing to forsake truth and extend fellowship to unrighteous divorces.
Solid Food: Does Acts 6 Authorize Women in Business Meetings?
Acts 6 is a part of the inspired record that teaches us how to allow the church to function under male leadership while respecting all the principles taught elsewhere in the word of God regarding the role of men and women in the kingdom of God.
Associate Editorial: “How Beautiful Are the Feet” (Romans 10:15)
The next time you look in a mirror and arrange your hair, etc., trying to enhance what little physical beauty you have, sit down and look at your feet. No one brags on these “less comely” parts of the body (1 Cor. 12:21-24). But God chose this exact analogy to describe gospel preaching in order to eliminate human pride and philosophy from the consideration of those who would preach (1 Cor. 12:28-29).
Associate Editorial: Your Preaching is Offensive to Me
The truth of the matter is that style and form of preaching is not the issue. If there is room in the Lord’s church for all kinds of methods of preaching (and there is), why is the “watchman” method (a Biblical approach: Isa. 52:7; Rom. 10:14-15) not acceptable? What needs to be stressed is that a compromising spirit has affected many who actually object to truth being taught.
The Glorious Church: Theme Introduction
Have you read your Bible lately? In it you will find Jesus Christ, the Son of God, laying down His life for the sins of the world. Those who respond in obedient faith (“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” Mk. 16:16) are saved and added to His church (Acts 2:47). In the church, each one finds a place of service and builds a faith which directs the saved to Heaven. You need look no further. Jesus and His church are as near as your New Testaments.
Editorial: Identifying False Teachers
Brethren, what we need is truth! And that is one thing that a false teacher can never give. They may be simple brethren who are mislead. They may be as honest as Paul and as eloquent as Apollos while they teach lies. They may even “believe the lie” (2 Thes. 2:11), but their faith in a lie does not make it true. For the sake of our own soul’s salvation, and those that hear us, we must be found teaching truth and exposing error. This is the burden and joy of being a child of God.
Solid Food: Proper Use of Text and Context
Any time that I interpret a passage so as to include any kind of fellowship with sin, I have obviously missed the mark. “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 Jn. 1:5); “no lie is of the truth” (2:21). To twist 2 John 9 or any other passage of scripture so as to extend the hand of fellowship to error is to violate both text and context.
Associate Editorial: “Watch Out, He’ll Write our Up!”
Recognizing that there is a realm of judgment in “how” the gospel is preached, let me suggest that if anyone does not like “how” we do it, you feel free to do it in another way. But I give you this guarantee: If you do the work of a watchman, no method is going to be acceptable to those who teach error. You see, there may be fifty ways to skin a cat, but he won’t like any of them!