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January 2012 – Seek The Old Paths 1

Vol. 23, No. 1 January 2012

WHY IS THERE SO MUCH BITTERNESS? Roger D. Campbell

Bitter food is one thing; but a bitter spirit that eats at the soul and spews

forth cutting, hateful words is another matter entirely.

When you think about some-thing tasting bitter, whatcomes to mind? An unpleas-

ant taste? No doubt. A cutting feeling on the tongue? Most likely. A bitter-tasting object can cause a per-son’s tongue, mouth, face, and evenentire body to twist, shake, and recoilin response to it. It is sometimes com-ical to watch such a reaction whenunsuspecting souls bite into a fooditem from which they did not antici-pate a bitter taste. Small childrencan be a riot to watch do so.

There is nothing comical, howev-er, about a scene in which children of God demonstrate a bitter spirittowards God or their fellow man. Bit-ter food is one thing; but a bitter spir-it that eats at the soul and spewsforth cutting, hateful words is anoth-er matter entirely.

Since Jesus said, “Ye shall knowthem by their fruits” (Matt. 7:16), we

would do well to consider some of theconsequences or fallouts that comeabout due to bitterness. They are notpretty. Hopefully, the ugliness of them will catch our attention andcause us to be determined to workdiligently to keep bitterness fromtaking root in our hearts.

WHAT DOES BITTERNESS DO?

Bitterness troubles. That iswhat Hebrews 12:14 teaches. “Look-ing diligently lest any man fail of the

grace of God; lest any root of bitter-ness springing up trouble you, andthereby many be defiled.” Bitternessstirs up trouble. If Satan cannot getus to fall for false teaching or give into the pull of immoral conduct, hewill take a crack at bringing us downwith a bitter spirit. Marriages,friendships and elderships havecrashed due to bitterness robbing people of their joy, rational thinking,and peaceful demeanor. Let’s face it:some people have “bitter breath.” I donot mean they have a foul odor, butrather the words that spring forthfrom their mouth are full of bitter-ness. James asked, “Doth a fountainsend forth at the same place sweetwater and bitter” (James 3:11)? Theanswer is obvious. Just before that,James had made these two declara-tions: “Out of the same mouth pro-ceedeth blessing and cursing. Mybrethren, these things ought not so tobe” (3:10).

The point? Christians need toremove bitter speech from their

vocabulary. That means, of course,that we must first remove any bitterspirit from our hearts. Make no mis-take about it: a heart filled with bit-terness causes big trouble, some of which is undoable.

Bitterness defiles. We see thistruth in the latter part of Hebrews12:15: “...lest any root of bitternessspringing up trouble you, and there-by many be defiled.” Many would be

quick to point out how horrific mur-der, adultery, and idolatry are. Yet, abitter disposition is sometimespassed off as, “That’s just the wayhe/she is.” If “the way he/she is”means that he/she is a bitter grump,then he/she needs to have a seriouschange of heart and repent! Thesame Lord that tells us to avoid mur-der, adultery and idolatry alsocharges us, “Let all bitterness...beput away from you...” (Eph. 4:32).God knows what you and I need tounderstand and admit: bitternessdefiles the soul.

Bitterness divides. A bitterspirit gets in the way of obeying theLord’s instruction to “follow peacewith all men” (Heb. 12:14). Theresurely was a good reason for God say-ing, “Husbands, love your wives, andbe not bitter against them” (Col. 3:19),don’t you think? Bitterness can turnthe best of friends into permanentenemies, drive happily-married cou-ples to divorce court, and spark acivil war within what was once a sta-ble, solid, and contented congrega-tion. Satan must watch with glee asbitterness leads to turmoil withinfamilies and God’s church.

Bitterness damns. Quite sim-ply, if God tells me to put away bit-terness, and yet I do not do it (Eph.4:32), then my sin of bitterness will

(Continued on page 7)

Bitterness…

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Y ou can’t run away or hidefrom God.Jonah did his best to run away

from God and escape the responsibil-ity of going to Nineveh. “But Jonahrose up to flee unto Tarshish from the

presence of the LORD, and wentdown to Joppa; and he found a ship

going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare

thereof, and went down into it, to gowith them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD” (Jonah 1:3).Tarshish was in far away Spain. Itwas as far away as you could possiblygo. Nineveh was to the East,Tarshish was to the West.

There is no place in the entireuniverse that one can hide from God.The Psalmist said, “Whither shall I

go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend upinto heaven, thou art there: if I makemy bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning,and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy handlead me, and thy right hand shallhold me. If I say, Surely the darknessshall cover me; even the night shall belight about me. Yea, the darknesshideth not from thee; but the nightshineth as the day: the darkness andthe light are both alike to thee” (Psalm 139:7-12).

Jesus said the prodigal son gath-ered all his “stuff” together and madehis journey to a “far country” (Luke

15:13). He wanted to get as far awayfrom home as he possibly could. Hewanted to go where no one knew him— where no one would remind him of his good home and loving father. Hehad to hit rock bottom before he real-ized what he had left behind. Whenhe came to his senses, he humbledhimself and returned home. WhenJonah came to his senses, he did thatwhich he should have done at thebeginning.

Proper fear will cause one toreverence God.

At first, Jonah feared God, butran away from his responsibility. Butthen later, his fear caused him tohumble himself before God. “Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy tem-

ple. ... But I will sacrifice unto theewith the voice of thanksgiving; I will

pay that that I have vowed. Salvationis of the LORD” (Jonah 2:4,9).

The mariners on board the boatwere moved by the fear of the Lord.“Then the men feared the LORD

exceedingly, and offered a sacrificeunto the LORD, and made vows” (Jonah 1:16).

When the children of Israel wentin to possess the land of Canaan,they were given warning. “Now theseare the commandments, the statutes,and the judgments, which the LORD

your God commanded to teach you,that ye might do them in the land

whither ye go to possess it: That thoumightest fear the LORD thy God , tokeep all his statutes and his com-mandments, which I command thee,thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son,all the days of thy life; and that thydays may be prolonged” (Deut. 6:1-2).

Notice these many verses thattell us about the fear of the Lord.Psalm 2:11, “Serve the LORD with

fear, and rejoice with trembling.” Psalm 19:9, “The fear of the LORD isclean, enduring for ever: the judg-ments of the LORD are true and

righteous altogether.” Psalm 22:23,“Ye that fear the LORD, praisehim....” Psalm 33:8, “Let all the earth

fear the LORD: let all the inhabitantsof the world stand in awe of him.” Psalm 34:9, “O fear the LORD, ye hissaints: for there is no want to themthat fear him.” Psalm 111:10, “The

fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding haveall they that do his commandments:his praise endureth for ever.” Psalm115:11, “Ye that fear the LORD, trustin the LORD: he is their help and

their shield.” Psalm 115:13, “He willbless them that fear the LORD, bothsmall and great.” Psalm 147:11, “The

LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in hismercy.” Prov. 1:7, “The fear of the

LORD is the beginning of knowledge:but fools despise wisdom and instruc-tion.” Prov. 2:5, “Then shalt thouunderstand the fear of the LORD, and

find the knowledge of God.” Prov. 3:7,“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fearthe LORD, and depart from evil.”Prov. 8:13, “The fear of the LORD is tohate evil: pride, and arrogancy, andthe evil way, and the froward mouth,do I hate.” Prov. 9:10, “The fear of the

LORD is the beginning of wisdom:and the knowledge of the holy isunderstanding.” Prov. 10:27, “The

fear of the LORD prolongeth daysbut the years of the wicked shall beshortened.” Prov. 14:26, “In the fear ofthe LORD is strong confidence: andhis children shall have a place ofrefuge.” Prov. 14:27, “The fear of the

LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.” Prov. 15:16,“Better is little with the fear of the

LORD than great treasure and trou-ble therewith.” Prov. 15:33, “The fearof the LORD is the instruction of wis-dom; and before honour is humility.”Prov. 16:6, “By mercy and truth iniq-uity is purged: and by the fear of the

LORD men depart from evil.” There’s no substitute forpreaching the whole counsel ofGod.

Jonah did not spare! He told itlike it was. I’ve always appreciatedhis words recorded in chapter threeand verse four, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

Isaiah proclaimed, “Cry aloud,spare not, lift up thy voice like a trum-

pet, and shew my people their trans- gression, and the house of Jacob theirsins” (Isa. 58:1).

Jeremiah was told, “...thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, andwhatsoever I command thee thoushalt speak. Be not afraid of their

faces: for I am with thee to deliverthee, saith the LORD. Then the LORD

put forth his hand, and touched mymouth. And the LORD said unto me,

Behold, I have put my words in thymouth. See, I have this day set theeover the nations and over the king-doms, to root out, and to pull down,and to destroy, and to throw down, tobuild, and to plant. ... Thou therefore

2 Seek The Old Paths – January 2012

LESSONS TO LEARN

FROM JONAHGarland M. Robinson

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gird up thy loins, and arise, andspeak unto them all that I commandthee: be not dismayed at their faces,lest I confound thee before them. For,behold, I have made thee this day adefenced city, and an iron pillar, andbrasen walls against the whole land,against the kings of Judah, againstthe princes thereof, against the prieststhereof, and against the people of theland. And they shall fight againstthee; but they shall not prevailagainst thee; for I am with thee, saiththe LORD, to deliver thee. Go and cryin the ears of Jerusalem...” (Jer. 1:7-10, 17-19, 2:2).

Since we did not “write the book”(the Bible), we have no privilege orlicense to alter the message in anyway. We must not “add to” nor “takefrom.” Severe and strict warning isgiven for doing so. “For I testify unto

every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any manshall add unto these things, God shalladd unto him the plagues that arewritten in this book: And if any manshall take away from the words of thebook of this prophecy, God shall takeaway his part out of the book of life,and out of the holy city, and from thethings which are written in this book” (Rev. 22:18-19).

Paul had no regrets regarding his two years of preaching while in

the region of Ephesus and AsiaMinor (cf. Acts 19:1-10). Years later,when passing through that areaagain, he told the elders of the churchin Ephesus, “Where fore I take you torecord this day, that I am pure fromthe blood of all men. For I have notshunned to declare unto you all thecounsel of God” (Acts 20:26-27). Hehad kept back nothing that was spir-itually profitable to them (Acts20:20).

The early church prayed forstrength and boldness to preach the

word without fear or favor. WhenPeter and John were released fromthe custody of the priests and Sad-ducees in Jerusalem, they gatheredwith the brethren and prayed, “Andnow, Lord, behold their threatenings:and grant unto thy servants, thatwith all boldness they may speak thyword” (Acts 4:29).

While in Corinth, Paulannounced that their blood was upontheir own heads and that he wascleared from responsibility becausehe had preached all that he had been

commanded (Acts 18:6). He laterwrote unto them saying, “For we arenot as many, which corrupt the wordof God...” (2 Cor. 2:17). He wouldalways tell the truth, even if it madeenemies with some (Gal. 4:16).

Paul exhorted Timothy to“Preach the word; be instant in sea-son, out of season; reprove, rebuke,

exhort with all longsuffering and doc-trine. For the time will come whenthey will not endure sound doctrine;but after their own lusts shall theyheap to themselves teachers, havingitching ears; And they shall turnaway their ears from the truth, andshall be turned unto fables. Butwatch thou in all things, endureafflictions, do the work of an evangel-ist, make full proof of thy ministry” (2Tim. 4:2-5).

God will forgive those whorepent.

“So the people of Ninevehbelieved God, and proclaimed a fast,and put on sackcloth, from the great-

est of them even to the least of them” (Jonah 3:5). The king made a decreesaying, “But let man and beast be cov-

ered with sackcloth, and cry mightilyunto God: yea, let them turn every one

from his evil way, and from the vio-lence that is in their hands. Who cantell if God will turn and repent, andturn away from his fierce anger, that

we perish not? And God saw theirworks, that they turned from their evilway; and God repented of the evil,that he had said that he would dounto them; and he did it not” (Jonah3:8-10).

God will pardon those who turnto him in humbleness and repen-tance. “Let the wicked forsake hisway, and the unrighteous man histhoughts: and let him return unto the

LORD, and he will have mercy uponhim; and to our God, for he will abun-dantly pardon” (Isa. 55:7). God is not

willing that any should perish intheir sins, but he desires that allrepent and turn to him for forgive-ness (1 Peter 3:9).

“...Thus it is written, and thus itbehoved Christ to suffer, and to rise

from the dead the third day: And thatrepentance and remission of sinsshould be preached in his nameamong all nations, beginning at

Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47).The message of John, Jesus and

the apostles was repentance for theremission of sins. “John did baptize

in the wilderness, and preach thebaptism of repentance for the remis-sion of sins” (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3).The first sermon ever preacheddeclared, “...Repent, and be baptized

every one of you in the name of JesusChrist for the remission of sins, and

ye shall receive the gift of the HolyGhost” (Acts 2:38). Faith, repen-tance, confession of faith inJesus and water baptism bringsGod’s forgiveness (Mark 16:16; Heb11:6; Acts 17:30; 8:37; Rom. 10:9-10;

Acts 2:38; 3:19; 22:16; Rom. 6:6,18; 1Peter 3:21).

Rejoice when sinners repent.It is sad indeed that when the

people of Nineveh repented, Jonahwas not thankful and thereby givepraise and glory to God for it. “But itdispleased Jonah exceedingly, and hewas very angry” (Jonah 4:1). Hewanted them to pay for their evil. Hecould not stand for them to be forgiv-en.

Woe to any and all who are notthankful when sinners turn to God!“I say unto you, that...joy shall be inheaven over one sinner that repen-teth, more than over ninety and nine

just persons, which need no repen-tance. ... I say unto you, there is joy inthe presence of the angels of God overone sinner that repenteth” (Luke15:7,10).

We should rejoice when even ourenemies repent and turn to the Lord.What a merciful God we serve!

Other obvious lessons we canlearn from the account of Jonah arethese: (1) When God calls for repen-tance, we better listen. God “...com-mandeth all men every where torepent” (Acts 17:30). (2) There is nodetour in following God's commands.“...What doth the LORD require ofthee, but to do justly, and to lovemercy, and to walk humbly with thyGod” (Micah 6:8) (3) God desires obe-

dience, not lip service. “...To obey [is]better than sacrifice, [and] to hearkenthan the fat of rams” (1 Sam. 15:22).(4) Hatred keeps one from followingGod. “Whosoever hateth his brother isa murderer: ...no murderer hath eter-nal life abiding in him” (1 John3:15). (5) Pride will keep one fromfollowing God. “Pride [goeth] beforedestruction, and an haughty spiritbefore a fall” (Prov. 16:18). (6) God’splans cannot be thwarted. God said,“I will hasten my word to perform it”(Jer. 1:12).


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E ven the least informed among us surely possess some graspas to the significance of elders

in the Lord’s church. One would behard pressed to read the New Testa-

ment without at least appreciating that elders exist in the churchbecause of God’s divine design. Theirappointed function to “take care” (1Tim. 3:4) of the church makes themindispensable to the spiritual welfareof God’s people. The Master knowsthe benefits received by theredeemed when overseen by quali-fied leaders. Thus, the faithful childof God considers it a privilege toremain under the oversight of eldersknowing that this harmonizes withthe divine prescription.

The focus in this series of articlescenters upon, not what elders can dofor the congregation, but rather whatthe local church can do for elders.There are duties and responsibilitiesthe congregation has toward its over-seers. This involves both attitudesand actions which God expects hispeople to exhibit toward their lead-ers. The question posed is, “what doesGod’s word teach about how thechurch should treat elders?” TheBible answers this in clear andunambiguous language.

The third and final passage to beconsidered in this series is 1 Timothy5:17-22. From it we glean fiveresponsibilities that every congrega-tion of the Lord’s people has in thismatter. “Let the elders that rule wellbe counted worthy of double honor,

especially those who labor in theword and in teaching. For the scrip-ture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle theox when he treadeth out the corn.

And, The laborer is worthy of his hire. Against an elder receive not an accu-sation, except at the mouth of two or

three witnesses. Them that sinreprove in the sight of all, that the restalso may be in fear. I charge thee inthe sight of God, and Christ Jesus,and the elect angels, that thou observethese things without prejudice, doingnothing by partiality. Lay handshastily on no man, neither be partak-

er of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure” (ASV).

The term “elder” ( presbyteros)and its cognates have differentusages in the New Testament. Forexample, sometimes it refers to a per-son of advanced age. Earlier in thischapter Paul uses the same term inreference to elderly men and womenin contrast to younger men (vs.1-2).In another sense, however, the term

takes on an official connotationwherein “elders” have met certainqualifications (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9) and therefore “appointed” (Acts14:23) to function in a leadershipcapacity of the congregation (BDAG,862). They “rule” over the localchurch in the sense that they directthe spiritual affairs of the congrega-tion (1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Tim. 3:5). In thismore technical sense, biblicalauthors mention the “elders of thechurch” (Acts 20:17; James 5:14) or“the presbytery” (“the eldership,”

NKJV; 1 Tim. 4:14). Contextual con-siderations of the passage under dis-cussion assure the interpreter thatPaul refers to “elders” in this officialcapacity.

I. APPRECIATION (vs.17-18)

Paul states that elders who “rulewell” should be “counted worthy of double honor, especially those wholabor in the word and in teaching.” The phrase “counted worthy” trans-lates a single term. It means deserv-

ing in the sense of having a highdegree of merit or worth as it per-tains to one’s value (BDAG, 94Louw/Nida, 622). The imperativeform sets forth a command wherebyGod (through the author) imposes hiswill upon the church. God commandsthe church to regard her elders withdeep appreciation for who they areand what they do on behalf of God’skingdom. Don’t allow the Englishtranslation to cause one to supposethat the apostle offers a mere sug-gestion. On the surface it may seemto relate a permissive concept (“Letthe elders that rule well be countedworthy...”). In the absence of anythird person imperative in the Eng-lish, the full force of the command

often gets obscured in translation.But no permissive or weak sugges-tion inheres in the grammatical con-struction (Wallace, 486). This equalsa divine obligation. God commandsthat every elder who fulfills hisresponsibilities as a shepherd overGod’s flock must be considereddeserving and worthy of appreciationfrom the members of the local con-gregation.

Whereas all elders who faithfullyserve are deserving of esteem, thereare some who rule “well” (i.e., with

proficiency and a high standard of excellence; BDAG, 505) who are wor-thy of “double honor.” In this contextthe term “honor” includes financialcompensation in the sense of hono-rarium (BDAG, 1005). This remuner-ation remains one of the ways thatappreciation and respect may beexhibited to elders, and “especially”toward those who “labor” (i.e., toil tothe point of weariness; Vine, 121) inteaching and preaching God’s wordContextually, there are two reasonswhy honor includes monetary sup-

RESPOSIBILITIES TOWARD ELDERS #3

Stephen Wiggins

It takes spiritual fortitude, great courage, and a resolve to obey God at

all cost to rebuke a sinning elder in public. Yet God requires it because the

holiness and purity of the church must be upheld.

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port. First, a verbal form of the sameword occurs earlier in this chapterrelating how the church should“ Honor widows that are widowsindeed” (5:3). This encompasses pro-

viding financial support for thosewidows who are truly destitute(5:4,8,16). Second, Paul immediatelysubstantiates this principle of mone-tary support by two quotations fromscripture. Both passages describe, ina positive way, that the one wholabors in the spiritual realm deservescompensation - “Thou shalt not muz-

zle the ox when he treadeth out thecorn” (Deut. 25:4); and again, “Thelaborer is worthy of his hire” (Luke10:7). The twofold honor deserving of elders, then, involves not only thatrespect which accompanies theresponsible overseer, but also ampleprovisions by way of financial sup-port (Collins, 144).

II. CONFIDENCE (v.19)

The apostle instructs, “Againstan elder receive not an accusation,

except at the mouth of two or threewitnesses.” Paul employs anotherimperative preceded by a negativeparticle which relates a negativecommand or prohibition — “Don’treceive....” The term “receive” meansto acknowledge something to be cor-

rect or to believe something to be true(BDAG, 761; Louw/Nida, 372). Godforbids one to acknowledge, as credi-ble, allegations against an elder. Theelder must be given the benefit of thedoubt as to his innocence and uprightcharacter. Because of their position of leadership, elders are more suscepti-ble to misrepresentations and accu-sations than anyone in the kingdom.

As leaders of God’s people, they are vulnerable to scrutiny, slander, andunjust criticisms from adversaries.Enemies of the Gospel who despise

the truth and resent the Lord’schurch are often eager to falselyaccuse her leaders and engage insmear campaigns. God wants godlyleaders of his church safeguardedfrom capricious, irresponsible, andunfounded accusations. This prohibi-tion, then, offers a measure of protec-tion against unsubstantiated chargesmade against public leaders of thechurch by disgruntled members orfalse teachers.

At the same time, God does notprescribe a mandate which allows

elders guilty of sin to continueunchecked in some ethical breach ordoctrinal aberration. This text doesnot categorically prohibit one frommaking or receiving an accusationagainst an elder. There exists circum-stances under which an accusationmust seriously be considered and notdismissed. The accusation ultimatelymight prove false, yet still it shouldbe investigated. Before considering any allegation against an elder, itmust be substantiated “on the basisof” (i.e., “on the evidence of ,” BDAG,365) multiple witnesses. This OldTestament principle operates on thepresumption that there exists credi-bility and corroboration of truth in aplurality of witnesses (Deut. 17:6;19:15; cf. Matt. 18:15-17). It insures

justice and hopefully deters trivialand false charges which would dam-age anyone’s reputation. Thus, onemay make or receive an accusationagainst an elder, with God’sapproval, when done on the basis of multiple and credible witnesses. Infact, any member of the church mayfind themselves ‘duty bound’ to bring a legitimate accusation against anelder for the overall benefit of thechurch and the bishop involved. If so,it should be done with the assurancethat one is acting in harmony withGod’s prescribed mode of operation. I

repeat: This inspired mandate doesnot intend to make elders immune toany legitimate accusation, but ratherto shelter them from illegitimate andunsubstantiated charges. The pointremains that there should be an ele-ment of trust and confidence exhibit-ed on the part of all Christianstoward elders, even in the face of alle-gations. Christians must be ready todisregard any unsupported accusa-tions in the absence of multiple wit-nesses.

III. CORRECTION (v.20)

From the preceding, one learnsthat when charges are broughtagainst an elder by credible witness-es, an investigation of the allegationsmust occur. If upon inquiry brethrenfind the elder innocent, resulting in

vindication of his character, the con-gregation presumably would beinformed. It may be further pre-sumed that the elder would continueto serve as an overseer with full con-fidence of the brethren since the

charges against him were foundfalse. But if brethren find him guilty,then the problem must be dealt withfor the benefit of the elder and thoseamong God’s people who may havebeen negatively influenced. Thus, theapostle directs, “Them that sin,reprove in the sight of all, that the restalso may be in fear.” The phrase“them that sin” translates a presentparticiple. The present tense relates acontinuous activity of sin. This linearaspect guarantees that Paul discuss-es an elder living a life of ongoing sin;or, it may highlight a constant stateof guilt in the absence of his repen-tance, even though the transgressionwas a one-time occurrence (Knight,236). Some translations attempt toreflect this progressive nuance (e.g.,“those who continue in sin,” NASB;“those who persist in sin,” ESV).

Another imperative articulatesthe command to “reprove” those eld-ers involved in sin. Brethren obeythis injunction by expressing strongdisapproval of someone’s wrongactions in an attempt to correct them(BDAG, 315; Louw/Nida, 436). Itinvolves the concept of exposing tosomeone their sin and summoningthem to repentance (TDNT, 2:474)The verb’s present tense parallels thesame continuous aspect as the pre-ceding participle. Paul commands

brethren to habitually reprimandthose in the habit of living in sin(Mounce, 312). The apostle stateswhy there must be a public rebuke ofthe elder found guilty of the chargesof sin — that it may have a positiveinfluence on others. The confronta-tion must take place before “all” (i.e.,publicly before the congregation)that “the rest” (i.e., the other eldersand brethren generally) may “also”possess that reverential fear whichwill motivate them to avoid similarsinful behavior.

Public censure of sin shouldalways be considered a remedialeffort. The public reprimand intendsto induce repentance and restorationon the part of the elder along withcurtailing any negative influenceexerted on members of the flock. Thedesign seeks to instill within God’speople a deterrence to sin. It mightbe further noted that when an elderis found guilty of sinful activities, heshould be formally removed from hisleadership role. God does not grant adefective leader a license to continue

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in unrestrained fashion with no rem-edy available to the church (Jackson,152-153). It takes spiritual fortitude,great courage, and a resolve to obeyGod at all cost to rebuke a sinning elder in public. Yet God requires itbecause the holiness and purity of the church must be upheld. If publicexposure of sin seems harsh to themodern day Christian who is overlyconcerned about a politically correctand polite society, just rememberthat the spiritual welfare of an entirecongregation may be jeopardizedbecause one of her leaders has falleninto sin. This disciplinary procedureseeks to result in the restoration of alost soul and promote the spiritualwelfare of the congregation. Becauseof the gravity of the situation and theseriousness of the consequenceswhich follow, God commands that wemust be willing to offer correction tothose elders who persist in sin.

IV. FAIRNESS (v.21)

The apostle issues this “charge”in the presence of God, Christ, andthe elect angels that one “observethese things” without “prejudice” or“partiality.” The term translated“charge” signifies a strong expressionstated in such a way that the recipi-ent is to be impressed with its seri-

ousness. It means to exhort withauthority in matters of extraordinaryimportance and, as here, frequentlyused with reference to an appeal tohigher, divine powers (BDAG, 233).In short, it equals an apostolic com-mand. It is an emphatic demand oraffirmation with God, Christ, and theelect angels acting as witnesses. Thesolemnity of this charge shows theseriousness and earnestness of Paul’sfeeling on the subject (cf. “I solemnlycharge you...;” NASB). The gravity of the situation should not be missed.

The purity of the church and herleadership is of the deepest concernto the apostle (Barrett, 80). Paulwants one to know that the Father,the Son, and the angelic hosts arewatching (“in the sight of”). Thisserves to remind one that all live andact in the very presence of God whosees and knows all we do and eventhe very motive for which we do it.The Father, his Son, and the angelsare the ones brethren should be con-cerned about and not fickle men whomay oppose doing what is right. The

church which tolerates sinning eld-ers to protect its “reputation” withinthe community will lose respect inheaven (MacArthur, 223-224).

The “these things” (i.e., instruc-tions given in verses 17-20) are to bedone (“observed”) in view of two neg-atives — without “prejudice” and“partiality.” The apostle’s directiveswere to be carried out without bias orfavoritism. The terms stress objectiv-ity. The apostle is issuing a caution tothose who might be tempted to abusethe previous instruction pertaining to the disciplinary procedure. Onemust administer justice toward anelder without pre-judging the case.The caution is to deal with such mat-ters in the most judicious way possi-ble. There must be no preferentialtreatment toward the wealthy, theeducated, or the popular. Impartiali-ty will ensure both a just evaluationof the allegations against an elderand the consistent application of dis-cipline. No one was to allow their per-sonal prejudices to tip the scales of

justice when disciplining an elder. Allthings must be discharged withabsolute fairness, accuracy, integrity,and without any taint of injustice.There must be no discrimination, nopredetermination of either guilt orinnocence. Paul argues not for specialtreatment toward elders other than

the fairness any judicial procedurewould demand. What he doesdemand is protection from unfairtreatment in disciplinary proceduresand protection from capricious accu-sations toward elders.

V. CAUTION (v.22)

The restrictive to “lay hands sud-denly on no man” refers to theprocess of appointing men as elders.Within the biblical context, the impo-sition of hands served several pur-

poses. One was to formally set apartcertain ones for a specific commissionor service (Acts 13:2-3; cf. 1 Tim.4:14). The practice has its roots in theOld Testament (Num. 8:10; 27:18-23;Deut. 34:9). In this particular con-text, Paul is relating what the con-gregation is not to do when publiclyaffirming a man’s suitability for andacceptance into the eldership. A neg-ative particle precedes the impera-tive “lay” turning the command into astrong prohibition. The apostledemands that something should

never be done. The key term is theadverb “suddenly” by which Paulremonstratively urges the brethrennot to do something too quickly(BDAG, 992). The idea is thatbrethren must never hurriedly makechoices in their evaluation andappointment of men to the role of eld-ers. The ordaining of elders to therole of oversight in the local congre-gation should not be a hasty process.Rather cautious deliberation shouldcharacterize the congregation in theselection of her leaders. This is a sig-nificant obligation that brethrentoday would do well to heed.

Brethren may not have givenmuch thought to the fact that theyare disobeying a command of God byrushing through the process ofappointing elders. Nor perhaps havebrethren considered the fact thatthey are culpable for ungodly actionson the part of those elders whom theyappointed but were never qualifiedin the first place. This is what Paulalludes to when in the next phrase hestates, “neither be a partaker of othermen’s sins.” Again, the negative par-ticle coupled with the imperative(“don’t be a partaker!”) strictly pro-hibits association or participationwhereby one becomes “equallyresponsible” for the actions of a rogueelder (BDAG, 552). Hastily appoint-

ing elders who later bring reproachon the church equals an act of irre-sponsibility whereby blame is imput-ed to those who elevated him to theposition of a leader. As one brotheraptly expresses it, “If an unqualifiedman is placed into the eldership, andharm results to the cause of Christ,surely there will be culpability on thepart of those who rush the inept per-son into his position of authority andleadership” (155). The process ofselecting elders involves risks. Thus,the apostle commands caution and

thoroughness so that men of provencharacter may be chosen to functionas overseers. When brethren fulfillthis apostolic injunction, future prob-lems within the church will be mini-mized.

For a list of Sources in writingthis article, see: seektheoldpaths.com

/stop112.htm#SOUR105 East Planters

San Augustine, TX 75972

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CONTRIBUTIONSDon Smith.......................................................$1Don Smith.......................................................$2

Anonymous...................................................$50Ernest & Sandra Armstrong.....................$500

Anonymous...................................................$15Ruby York (given before her passing) ......$200

Anonymous...................................................$75Joe C. Turbeville...........................................$11Everett D. Poteet..........................................$50Marvin & Judy Gearhart ............................$25North Pickins C/C, Reform, AL...................$25Robert Villegas .............................................$15

Anonymous.................................................$200Broadway C/C, Rockford, IL........................$50Flora Mae Webb ...........................................$20Frank D. Coppedge ......................................$25

Anonymous...................................................$15Willene E. Sullivan ......................................$25Baker C/C, Baker, FL...................................$25Oleta Trigg....................................................$25West Road C/C, Mountain Home, AR.......$200Harold V. Hopkins........................................$50Jack & Thelma Blake ..................................$50

Ivory & Cynthia M. McIntyre...................$100Linda Nowlin & Dar Heidbrink(in Memory of Ruby York).....................$50

Anonymous.................................................$250Michael R. Ivey.............................................$25

Anonymous...................................................$50Robert M. Price ..........................................$200Robert M. Price ..........................................$200

Arlington C/C, McMinnville, TN.................$50Robert & Johnnie Tittle.............................$382Everett & Colleen Anderson.......................$50Chuck & Nancy Verkist...............................$25Midland C/C, Midland, MI........................$200Clear Creek C/C, Corinth, MS ..................$100Bobby & Mary Lawrence...........................$100St. Clair C/C, St. Clair, MI.........................$360

Beginning Balance .............................$5,103.77Contributions...............................$3,796.00Debits

Postage .........................................$1,762.92Supplies...........................................$326.97Repairs ............................................$286.20

Ending Balance ..................................$6,523.68

NOTE: Our bookletmaker (fold-er/stapler) broke down before we fin-ished the December issue whichcaused nearly half of the mailing to belate. We apologize for the delay, but itwas beyond our control. As of this writ-ing, it is still in a repair shop in

Nashville. I have no idea what it willcost. We were able to get a “loaner”machine, but it is very slow going andlabor intensive compared to what we’reused to. I’ve been able to handle all themaintenance on the equipment up tothis point, but this one was beyondwhat I could diagnose, even with thehelp of company techs on the phone.Then, we began to have trouble withthe printer and thought for a while Imight not be able to get it going. But, Ifinally found the problem and its upand running again. It’s sure nice when

everything is working as designed. It’sa lot of work even then, but it is a laborof love. The amount of mail and callswe receive encouraging us in the workis overwhelming. I so very much appre-ciate your faith, prayers and support.

God designed man to serve andworship Him, but gives him a choicewhether to do it or not. What a tragedythat the vast majority choose to “breakdown” and not function as they weredesigned. Faithful Christians are con-tinually working on sinners and back-sliders to repent and obey the Lord. Wehave the perfect tool with which to doour work, the inspired Scriptures. “Forthe word of God [is] quick, and power-

ful, and sharper than any twoedgedsword, piercing even to the dividingasunder of soul and spirit, and of the

joints and marrow, and [is] a discernerof the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Neither is there any creature that is notmanifest in his sight: but all things

[are] naked and opened unto the eyes ofhim with whom we have to do” (Heb4:12-13). It’s our job to teach andpreach the Gospel throughout thewhole world as long as the earthstands. To that end, we will continue tofight the good fight of faith and layhold on eternal life (1 Tim. 6:12). Wewill hopefully be up and running at fullcapacity before long.

Editor, Garland Robinson

Bitterness…(Continued from page 1)

keep me separated from Him andthereby keep me in a lost state. Backagain to Hebrews 12:15, we see thatthe bitterness which troubles anddefiles a person causes him/her tofail or fall short of the grace of GodNo wonder the Holy Spirit exhortsChristians to look diligently lest bit-terness spring up in our hearts (Heb

12:15)! A bitter disposition and bittertongue do not jive with being a childof the living God. As we have seen,bitterness troubles, defiles, divides,and damns. Those truths get myattention. Do they get yours?Because “the heart knoweth his ownbitterness” (Prov. 14:10), let each oneof us look into his/her own heart, dosome self-analyzing, and if bitternessbe found, get rid of it.

120 Will Lewis Dr. SECleveland, TN 37323

TEACHERS NEEDED

TO HELP BIBLESTUDENTS AROUND

THE WORLD

International Bible Teaching Ministries is in need of faithfulChristians to help in our Bible Cor-respondence Course program. Cur-rently, we have over 2,000 studentsfrom over 100 nations and would liketo expand even more if we haveenough teachers to handle the load.Students go to our web site atwww.IBTMinistries.org andenroll in our courses. They read thematerial and answer the questions.We then send their answers to our

teachers (via email) who grade themand send them back to the studentsby email. We have over 80 BibleStudy courses that are all done ‘on-line’. Nothing is done through thePost Office so you don’t have to haveenvelopes or stamps. However, youdo have to have a computer, internetaccess and the ability to send andreceive email. All teachers are askedto fill out a doctrinal questionnairebefore being allowed to work withour program. There is a web pagewhere our teachers are given ‘grad-

ing keys’. Our web site also containsa lot of other helpful material forteachers to use. We are growing veryfast. Our classes have only beenonline for about a year. There havebeen two baptisms that have beenreported to us as a result of thesecourses. Please visit www.IBTMin-istries.org to see what we have tooffer. If you would be willing to be a

volunteer teacher in grading theselessons and sending them back tothe students, please email us [email protected] and ask

us about it. Each teacher is givenabout 15 students. We look forwardto hearing from you.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! Ron D. Gilbert PO Box 49494

Cookeville, TN 38506[NOTE: This program of study hasmy support. I would not include it inSTOP unless it were worthy. If youwill, please help spread the Gospelby being a teacher ‘on-line.’ Tell otherfaithful Christians about it too. —

Editor, Garland Robinson]

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“The BETHLEHEM CHURCHOF CHRIST (Baxter, Tennessee)is looking for a preacher. Theyare a sound congregation wholove the truth. Their attendanceis about 40-50. Please contactDavid Gantt [email protected], phone:931-858-2232. His address is:

5306 Gant Road, Baxter, TN 38544” ...Garland Robinson, edi-tor. “The CHURCH OF CHRIST in Doyle, Tennessee, is inneed of a preacher. Average attendance is about 80. If interested,send resume to Doyle Church of Christ, PO Box 218, Doyle,TN 38559 or email at [email protected]”...Doyle Church of Christ. “The LEAKESVILLE CHURCHOF CHRIST in Leakesville, Mississippi, is in need of a Gospelpreacher. The Sunday morning attendance is about 25-30. Wewould very much like for someone to work with us. We can furnisha house and utilities. If you are interested or know someone whois, please contact Ronald Byrd at 601-394-9565([email protected]) or 22960 Hwy 42, Richton, MS 39476”...Leakesville Church Of Christ.” “Please accept this donationin loving memory of our aunt Ruby York” ...Linda Nowlin &Dar Heidbrink, Memphis, TN. “I haven’t written you good peo-

ple or donated anything to help with postage lately. So I am send-ing you a small donation. May God bless you all always. Keep upthe great work. Love always” ...Everett Poteet, Imboden, AR.(NOTE: Many write saying they are sending a small donation. Wegreatly appreciate your help in this great work. However, we wanteveryone to know, no donation is small. Your heart is big and yoursupport is great. Without each one of you, this work would not bepossible. It is a work of love for the greatest cause the world hasever known. It seems that just when one of our machines breaks,brethren step up to fill the gap. Our printer has just tripped 5 mil-lion copies and our folder/booklet maker has many more millioncopies on it. As of this writing, it is broken down. But hopefully,we’ll be up and running again by the time you get this issue.Thanks to each one who helps with your prayers and financialsupport in this great work” ...Editor, gmr). “I have a request forencouragement for a new brother in Christ. He is incarcerated

along with me. I’ve known him for about four or five years andafter working with him for quite some time, he finally startedstudying the Scriptures. When I met him he had a skin condition(psoriasis) and over these years it has progressively gotten worse.It is going to his joints and arthritis is setting in. It’s so bad he canhardly walk. When he sits down he can hardly get back up. Hisarms, hands, feet and ankles swell up on a regular basis. He is 39years old. He’s been incarcerated for about 16 years and with asentence of 50 years to life, it is almost certain he’ll never make itout of here in this life. But he has the heart of a child and wouldgive to help anyone. On December 4, 2011, the angles in heavenwere rejoicing at the addition of a new brother in Christ throughbaptism into Christ’s death and raised to walk in newness of life.It is sad now watching my brother in Christ suffer and knowing the probability of him never making it out of here. I’m writing tosee if it would be okay, and if there’s nothing scripturally barring,

if you would ask the members of your congregation if they wouldsend a letter of encouragement to him (brother Brian Kearns). And if you think it would be okay, maybe you could print this inthe mailbag section of STOP so that others could give him encour-agement as well. If there’s any hesitation over using your returnaddress, an alternative is to use the congregation’s address of which you are a member. Also, will you please add Brian to yourmailing list so that he can receive STOP as well? He said that hewould enjoy it and he could really benefit from the knowledge. Hisaddress is: Brian Kearns, #349-195, PO Box 7010, Chilli-cothe, OH 45601. Thank you so very much for your time and mayGod be with you all” ...Don Smith, Chillicothe, OH. “Pleasetake us off the mailing list as we no longer meet as a congrega-tion. Thank you” ...Warrenton Church of Christ, Vicksburg,MS. “I would like to request that my name be added to your mail-

ing list. May God bless you and your readers of your wonderfulpublication. If you know of any good ‘by mail’ Church of ChristBible studies, please let me know! Thanks for your help. May Godbless you in your continued work” ...Matthew Fore, SandyHook, KY. “I would like you to put Mr & Mrs ... on your mailinglist. Thank you in Christ” ...Joe Turbeville, Dresden, TN. “Ifman will not pray to God who created this universe, then as thedisciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, the disciples of Satanneed to be taught as well. ‘Our father (cf. John 8:44) who art in

hell, unholy and degenerate is your name. Your kingdom has comeand is full of darkness and corruption. Your will is done on earthbut not in heaven. Give us our bread (if we get any bread) and letus be gluttonous and unsatisfied. Do not forgive us our debts forwe do not forgive our debtors. We will seek revenge and eviltoward those who do us wrong. Lead us into the temptations of theworld that lead to hell: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyesand the pride of life. Deliver us from the righteous, for yours is thekingdom and the power and the glory of sin and darkness untilGod calls for judgment day. Amen.’ Romans 1:28-32 is very clear:‘And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledgeGod gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things whichare not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornica-tion, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, mur-der, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of

God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedi-ent to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, with-out natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthyof death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that dothem” ...Del Brantley, Salem, KY.

Seek The Old Paths is a monthly publication of the East End

Chrch of Christ and is under the oversight of its elders. It is mailedFREE upon request. Its primary purpose and goal in publication canbe found in Jude 3; II Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:13; Titus 2:1; II Peter 1:12.All mail received may be published unless otherwise noted. Articlesare also welcomed.

Editor: Garland M. Robinson

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