Reasons for Resigning
Dear Editor,
In addressing the two letters in the September issue for reasons for resigning, I find there is very little empathy for brethren and sisters in such situations. I do not agree with their resignations. But where was and where is the compassion that these people needed to see from Christadelphians?
We can be very narrow-minded about the Truth, always proving our views as right… You exemplified this attitude in finding it necessary to list four points following Tom Price’s letter to show that the Christadelphians are right in their methods. You should have listed our extreme wishes that he return to the fold and convey to him how much we love him and will miss him.
Granted I do not know the circumstances in either of the cases, but m sure there are faults on both sides…
The writers of those letters must also remember that we are all human beings. We make mistakes…
Do not leave the Truth. How does that help one’s salvation? You are not only hurting your own salvation, but those around you who can benefit from your experiences and thoughts. Pride has won; the Christadelphians have lost an important believer and you have lost a group of people who can help you. Try to forgive those who have offended you and you will be a better person…
Your sister in the Truth,
Kim Brinkerhoff Pomona, CA
Dear Tom,
It was truly sad to hear of your decision to leave the Truth. I met you at the Mid-Atlantic Bible School. I found you to be very knowledgeable in the word of God.
I agree that it is important for us to understand our neighbors and show our love and concern for them. But we don’t have to agree with what they are doing. We must listen and understand their problems but we can’t go seeking after them. If we see a problem in their lifestyle, we must be ready to give them God’s words of instruction.
We are told in II Corinthians 6:17 “to be separate.” We are not to yoke ourselves to those in the world. We are to keep ourselves from making deep-rooted friendships with the world. We should find little in common with them unless what is common is a desire for the kingdom. We are to make every effort possible to preach the word of truth. There is nothing wrong, therefore, with carrying on a conversation with them or helping them with a task so long as it is centered (as much as possible) around the Truth.
When we are in the world, we must, therefore, “do all to the glory of God,” showing forth the character of Christ in all our dealings and loving our neighbor as ourself.
How did Christ show his love for his neighbor? In preaching the good news of the gospel to all who would hear. For this reason, we also are called to show forth the praises of Him that called us. The reason to associate with those outside the household of God is that they may become members of the same hope.
It is sad that we don’t all make the effort to preach the gospel, but not all are called to be preachers. Some of us are not able to speak — like Moses — or maybe we lack the faith. This is certain — we all must show Christ in our daily actions.
Tom, we are all trying to be better servants of the Lord. Some of us lack the ability to preach but we all are able to be examples of Christ.
Concerning books of philosophy -they are books of the philosophy of men and not of God. They are not of faith in God. Paul, through inspiration of God, wrote that “everything that is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23).
What is even more important to learn from Romans 14 is that, by reading these things of the world, the person may be made weak or stumble. It could be for this reason, and not that the Truth could be questioned, that a brother stated his warnings against such writings.
It is our prayer that you will return to the body of Christ soon; we know that the kingdom is at hand. May the Lord help and strengthen your desire to come again into fellowship.
Love, your brother, who looks forward to your return into Christ,
T.J. Reding, Jefferson, MA
Dear Bro. Don,
I am writing in response to the letter of Tom Price. I have privately discussed some of these matters with him before and believe that some of his accusations deserve a public rebuttal. This is not for the sake of correcting him, but to ensure that his false reasoning does not become contagious…
My objection to the serious reading and study of “men’s philosophy” is based on its flawed foundation…it categorically denies the historical existence of important miracles, including the resurrection of Christ and fulfilled prophecy. Any system which purports to uncover eternal truths and yet rejects simple factual evidence should be left alone…
Philosophers have a long history of abstruse reasoning and blatant speculation about things beyond their ability to know. Their blind inferences about the human soul are ridiculously off the mark…
With respect to Tom’s criticism of Christadelphian behavior, it is a shame that the imperfection of members of a group has obscured the fundamental points… We shall never be perfect.. .but I offer two things to think about.
First. ..many Christadelphians have very little spare time. Besides careers, family lives and ecclesial lives, some spend much time preparing for exhortations, lectures and classes. Second, in this increasingly amoral/immoral society, what can we do socially with those outside the Truth? Many things we cannot do with a clear conscience…It is necessary to share with Tom the fact that he is still held accountable for his own behavior even when the group is less than perfect. If the criticism is justified, then tactful and persistent attempts at reform are what is needed. Not voluntary disassociation.
It is our sincere prayer that this world’s subtle reasoning does not sway us from the Truth which Yahweh has revealed and proven. He has invited us to partake of an indescribable blessing and we should return our eternal thanks to Him.
Your brother in Christ Jesus,
Dean Brown, Indianapolis, IN
Dear Bro. Don,
I was moved by the two letters in the last issue.
As for the abused sister, Paul writes, “Wives be subject to your husbands.” But he also writes, “Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies…”
Often people don’ t fully understand members of their immediate family, much less other Christadelphians or non-Christadelphians. Bro. Tom raises the question that in trying to separate from the world, do we sometimes become out of touch with the world. We read, “Seek and ye shall find,” yet sometimes we’re not even listed in the phone book. Or if we are, sometimes there is noone or no machine to handle the call…Jesus made himself available to publicans and sinners…because they had need of a physician. Christ encouraged sinners to change their ways and follow him.
Some non-Christadelphians may not care for our company or share our interest in spiritual matters. We aren’t going to connect with everyone, but we should make the effort and be adaptable in dealing with different people…
Filling our minds with wrong ideas is a waste of time. But are all non-Biblical ideas wrong? Are we wrong to read a self-help book if we have a personal problem? Should we read interpretations of the Revelation? Is it wrong to read the Koran? How much time should we devote to reading various philosophies? In I Corinthians 1:20, we read, “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
Bro. Gene Turner gave me some philosophy about 17 years ago, “Avoid extremes, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle.”
Sincerely,
Charles Link, Jr., Marlton, NJ
Fraudulent Appeal from India
Several brothers and sisters have received letters from Bro. Joseph S. Ghorpadae of Hyderabad, India. He has appealed for financial assistance and has offered to marry a sister, provided she would bring him to this country.
We have received appeals from him and have consistently referred him to the Christadelphian India Bible Mission Committee, which has funds available for helping those in need.
Recently, we received copies of letters which expose a sad situation. Bro. Joseph has been married since February, 1989 and his wife is presently with child. While he was active in the ecclesia in 1988 and early 1989, he disappeared for several years. His promises to return to ecclesial activities have not been fulfilled. Following is an excerpt from a letter written by Bro. David Caudery, Secretary of the CB M India Committee:
These situations remind me so much of the New Testament picture as the gospel message spread and ecclesias were established. There were some who proved to be unworthy of the name of Christ… We are also thankful that there are many strong and sincere brethren in Christ in India. To think that there are now Christadelphians in over 20 different locations in India, when only 13 years ago there was only one brother and his wife, is indeed a great encouragement, showing us that the Lord can richly bless our work in His vineyard.
When an appeal is received from afar, the best procedure is to refer the matter to the CBM committee handling that area.
Working Women
Dear Bro. Don,
The September “Tidings” came and there are several items which prompt me to comment.
First, I regret having to leave the Largo, FL Ecclesia but members of the Sarasota, FL Ecclesia very kindly drive an hour’s round trip getting me to meeting each Sunday.
Second, I doubt “Aunt Sarah” was around when I was young. I remember my mother sewing sweaters until midnight to earn $10 a month to help her infirm father. Early in this century, so much work was done from the home that laws were passed against home “sweatshops.”
Out of necessity, I worked outside the home from my teens until I was 70. None of my fellow workers worked from choice. We worked from grim necessity to feed, clothe and care for our families…
Now another matter –from time to time hearsay of what is reputedly being done somewhere causes consternation among us, even threatening the possibility of divisions. But the lesson of the accusations made by Potiphar’ s wife against Joseph should cause us to be careful in believing what we hear. accusations do not prove guilt.
Thank you in Jesus’ Name,
Sis. Margaret Cooper Knorr, Port
Charlotte, FL
Hurricane Andrew
Sis. Knorr added the following postscript: She did not suffer damage from the storm nor did any of the Sarasota Ecclesia.
The feared tidal surge stopped some distance south of Naples, FL and north of there the winds and rain were moderate. I and many others thank God for answering our prayers for protection in this frightening time.
A very generous offer is made of a fully furnished trailer to any brethren needing accommodation as a result of hurricane Andrew. The trailer is currently located in Cocoa, FL but can be relocated. For further information contact Bro. Joseph Marsh (5 19) 376-3432 .
No Peace for Mid-east
Dear Bro. Don,
Hearty greetings in the Lord.
I think Bro. George Rayner is right on target in his appraisal of the current “peace talks” between Israel and the Arab nations — there will be much talk but little substance. This is indicated also by the prophecies which declare that Israel’s neighbors will be fervidly preparing for war before the battle for Jerusalem commences (Zech. 12:2).
For example: “Proclaim this among the nations: sanctify war, stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near, let them come up.. .Hasten and come, all you nations round about…” (Joel 3:9-11 RSV mg.). A recent issue of “The Jerusalem Post Weekly” exemplifies this in an article entitled, “When a wolf snarls, only a fool laughs.” “…In the spring of 1992, the CIA discovered that Syria had devised a new chemical bomb using VX nerve-gas. Before that, German intelligence discovered that Syria was constructing a plant to make improved Scuds with North Korea’s help. And this was after American warships failed to intercept Scud-C shipments headed for Syria from North Korea. Still, American diplomats prefer to be convinced by declarations they hear in Damascus that Syria is seeking peace, and shy away from grim conclusions based on the warlike preparations being carried out there, and the huge build-up of weapons.”
The same article continues, “…The huge acquisition of long-range Scuds from North Korea, M-9 rockets from China, and advanced tanks and planes, was made possible after Syria got $2 billion from the pro-American Arab coalition in the Kuwait war. Even though not a single Syrian soldier received a scratch in that war, the US took care that Syria would be compensated for ranging itself against Saddam. The indirect result of this arsenal was that Syria tightened its partnership with Iran, to the detriment of the US, Israel, and regional peace.”
Yes, there is much talk now about peace (I Thess. 5:2,3), so are not these prophecies being fulfilled before our very eyes?…
Your brother in Israel’s hope,
Arthur Armstrong, Detroit, MI
Vatican vs. Israel
Dear Bro. Styles:
Greetings in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
My thanks to Bro. Rayner for his comments on my prior letter! (“Tidings,” August, 1992)…The Vatican “mouth” of the Church certainly diplomatically advises the “dragon” powers in all the anti-semitic activities directed against Israel. The annual lists of prominent visitors to the Vatican also reveal who confides in and consults with the pope. The associates and activities of the “mouth” can be garnered from the texts where the word appears in Revelation 12 through 16.
The pope is privy to all the desires of the nations (to destroy Israel from the face of the earth), and he will not hesitate, at the end, to deceive his other world “partners” in order to place himself in the supreme position as a “God” on earth. Since 1948, the popes have maneuvered toward this goal by dangling the carrot of a ‘formal diplomatic tie” before Israel’s face. After all, the doctrine of world control remains dear to the heart of the Vatican State despite the Church’s public pronouncements to the contrary.
The prophet Daniel, by his request, was shown only the end of things, not any man’s boring continuous church history during the ensuing ages of the nations; the interim held no interest to him.
I stand by the assertions of my prior letter.
Sincerely, your sister in Jesus’ Name
Lois L. Griffith, Moorestown, NJ
Retirement Used Profitably
Dear Bro. Don,
Sincere greetings.
…I retired in March from my work.. .and eight of us flew to South Africa where we rented a van and spent six weeks covering about 9,000 miles from one end of the country to the other. In the process, we were able to visit many of the ecclesias and help out where there was a need. It was great and we had very little trouble. From there we went to Hong Kong for a week and then on to China for a week.. It made one realize what a great world this is but what a mess is found everywhere.. .There is so much to do in the work of the Truth — pastoral activities, preaching, campaigning, writing. This is the life I have always wanted –full time to the Lord and we are enjoying every minute of it..
Yours by grace,
H. (Mack) Macpherson, Victoria, BC
Strong’s Concordance