Letters to the Editor

Objection to Editor’s Decision

Dear Bro. Don,

Several of your readers here have noted with dismay the following statement on page 207 of the May, 1995 “Tidings:” “Some are objecting to the greetings and sign offs which we have been printing without any modification. We will henceforth print all letters as being addressed to “Dear Bro. Don” and leave off any sign offs except for the writer’s name…”

If Yahweh Elohim of Israel did not object to recording in the holy scripture the greetings of heathens such as Artaxerxes (Ezra 4:11,17; 7:12), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 4:1), the Presidents of Persia (Dan. 6:6), Claudias Lysias (Acts 23:26), Tertullus (Acts 24:2) and even Judas (Matt. 26:49; Mk. 14:45) by what conceivable scriptural precedent should my greetings to the editor of the Christadelphian Tid­ings be excised or “modified?”

Does the Committee of the Christadelphian Tidings wish to appear holier than God’s holy word?

You may recall that when the betrayer Judas greeted the Son of God, even in hypocrisy, his greeting was not rejected. Instead he was addressed by our Lord as “friend” (Matt. 26:50). Jesus uses, not hypocritically but with evident sincerity, the same expression of greetings, hetairos, “comrade, partner, companion, a term of kindly address expressing comradeship” (Vine) to the “evil” grumbler in the parable of the vineyard laborers, and to the rejected man who had no wedding garment.

You must also surely recall that our Lord rebuked Simon the Pharisee for giving him no greeting, which he was very evidently prepared to accept, even from one who, as the record shows, was almost beyond hope of salvation (Luke 7:44-45). Would not Je­sus’ attitude to the woman who was a “sinner” surely be a better model for the Tidings to follow?

Presumably the objections referred to are based upon the view that greetings from a letter writer not provably in good standing with the Central Amended Fellowship of Christadelphi­ans would defile the pages of the Tid­ings. It was in this same spirit that a prominent brother in the U.S. canceled his subscription to another Christadel­phian magazine because one issue mentioned the name of a brother in another “fellowship” without condemnation, and so this magazine had defiled his house.

Very many Christadelphians all over the world consider that it is only pharisaic conceit and subtle pride which would encourage brethren to refuse the greetings of others whom they hold in contempt and consider less holy than themselves. Does this recent statement mean that some of us are not pure enough to greet the Editor of the Christadelphian Tidings?

In the very same passage that the apostle Paul emphasizes that there is only “one body,” he states: “Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unit of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-4).

I am sure that as a much respected editor of the Tidings, you will wish to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ and not that of Simon the Pharisee. Surely, that statement in the May, 1995 Tidings is utterly unworthy of any true disciple and must grieve our Master. I am beseeching you in the spirit of Christ to please ensure that it will be changed into one that reflects his “meekness and gentleness” (II Cor. 10:1) and not our pride.

Alan Eyre, Jamaica, West Indies

Thank you for your comments and scripture references all of which were read. The editor takes full responsibility for the decision in question. While not questioning the validity of your opinion, one function of Tidings is to serve as a fraternal magazine for the Central Fellowship in North America. As editor, we need to respect that fact. While the previous policy was intended to maintain a friendly spirit, it was causing confusion. The motivation was not pride but to be more consistent with one of our functions.

In addition to its fraternal function, the Tidings has historically served other needs as well. For that reason, probably 20% of the readers are not in Central Fellowship being from other Christadelphian fellowships or from other denominations not related to Christadelphians in any way. In checking other Christadelphian magazines which have a similar mix of readers and accept correspondence, we note that they record no greetings in their letters to the editor and have a sign off of only name and location.

We feel the new procedure is appropriate and trust readers will understand the reasons for it.

Robert Roberts’ House

Bro. Horace Macpherson of Victoria, BC inquires as to the name that Bro. Roberts gave to his house. If anyone happens to know, please respond to Bro. Mack at 1917 San Fernando Place, Victoria, BC, Canada V8N 2G2.

Comments From Australia

Dear Bro. Don,

I would take this opportunity to express my appreciation of the “Tid­ings,” which I find interesting and thought-provoking. I always read with interest your editorial and your treatment of the sacrifice of Christ, which was very balanced and sound. The “Letters to the Editor” section is also enjoyed as well as the expositional articles.

Regarding the Bible class

I thought your comments in the February, 1995 issue on the importance of ecclesial Bible classes was sound and was somewhat surprised at your reference to lack of interest in some places on this matter. Having spent over 40 years in two small ecclesias (including one period when we had only five regular attenders), I can vouch for the value of small groups maintaining a class. If there are few brethren capable of speaking, one can always take one of the valuable works on the Truth as the basis for study and discussion.

I would like to underline the importance of supporting the class with a view to what one can offer instead of thinking what one can get out of it. The whole spirit of the Truth is in what one can offer in service. The Bible class is, or should be, an opportunity for fellowship and meditation. How foolish not to take full advantage of these opportunities to encourage one another in the things of the gospel. We are a very blessed people and let us “speak often one to another.. .and think upon His (Yahweh’s) name” (Mal. 3:16).

Jeremiah’s associates

I was also interested in the same issue of “Tidings” in the comments of Bro. Aaron Cluette concerning the work of Jeremiah. As I am in the course of giving a series of addresses on “The Work and Times of Jere­miah,” I would present a few thoughts on this. Jeremiah’ s ministry lasted well over 40 years, commencing in the 13th year of Josiah (Jer. 1:2) until the fall of Jerusalem (v.3). During this period, there were a number of other prophets, as mentioned in Bro. Aaron’s letter. We should remember that Huldah (whom I believe was the grandmother of Jeremiah, cp. I Chron. 6:13-15; 9:11; and II Kgs. 22:14), Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah would all have been much older than Jeremiah. In view of the retiring attitude, almost reluctance, of Jeremiah at the time of his call, we would suggest he was very conscious of his youth and was happy to listen to his elders.

In regard to Daniel and Ezekiel, it appears their prophetic missions did not commence until after they were taken to Babylon. It is true there were a few faithful supporters of Jeremiah, such as Ahikam the son of Shaphan (Jer. 26:24) and Ebed-Melech (Jer. 38:7) but when Jeremiah declares “everyone declareth falsely” we must accept this as a generalization concerning the nation as a whole and not that there was not a remnant, as there have been in all generations, in support of the prophet.

Hubert E. Taylor, Westbury,
Tasmania, Australia

Thank you for your comments. Regarding the Bible class, we feel you have reinforced two vital matters: we should think in terms of service to others in Christ and the class is a time for fellowship as well as study.

Power of a Woman

To the Tidings Committee,

The article on the power of a woman, in this case Sarah [5195, pg. 193] lays much (if not all) the blame on Sarah. She was very foolish and shortsighted and it can be said that she lacked patience in waiting for God’s time to fulfill His promises to her and Abraham. But what of Abraham’s part? No mention is forthcoming. Where was his patience and even his position as Sarah’s “lord” in his household? Why did he not wait for God’s good time? It was to him that the angels of God spoke, so his faith should have been of much stronger stuff and he was the head of the household.

When it comes to male and female fault-finding, the tendency is to be more heavy on the female than on the male, even among those of us who are to render just judgments in all things.

Twice, Abraham shied away in the matter of his wife’s protection and claimed he was her brother (a half-truth).

He apparently shied away in the matter of Hagar also, in not refusing to go along with Sarah’s foolish plan. They had a lot to learn, as we do today with all the knowledge that we have in front of us in the records of these actions of men (and women).

Let us be fair in our judgments and tell the whole truth in these matters which concern our learning and admonition.

Abraham was a great man of faith but only after years of trials and error (like ourselves). Our Sunday Schools tend to make Abraham a hero who could do no wrong. Let’s be more careful when speaking of mortal men, even Bible personalities, that we don’t make them more than what they really were. Men and women are sinners. Only God and His Christ can claim otherwise.

Adrienne Mulder, Ontario

Sis. Worrell’s series is placing particular emphasis on the influence of women. She was not attempting to present a total exposition on the incidents, but only to cover Sarah’s role.

The Spotlight Magazine

Dear Bro. Don,

The SPOTLIGHT magazine is an ultra-rightist publication being anti-Jewish and Nazi sympathetic. It is not an appropriate reference for a Chris­tadelphian publication.

D.R.M., Louisiana

We were not familiar with the publication but felt that the article submitted to us could alert our readership to potentially interesting developments in the light of Bible prophecy. Obviously, we do not support the sentiments you mention. But a citation from any author or publication (e.g. Ralph Waldo Emerson in this month’s “Minute Meditation”) does not imply approval of their philosophy or attitudes unless a specific endorsement is stated.

Asian Ecclesias

Dear Bro. Don,

For business or tourism or even to find work, more and more Americans and Canadians are visiting Asia. Many brothers and sisters in North America may be unaware that in almost every country in Asia there are Christadelphian ecclesias that warmly welcome even the shortest visits.

There have also been cases where brethren have lived in an Asian country “in isolation” for years only to find out later that they were not far from others also “in isolation.”

Brethren can help in two ways:

  1. If planning a business trip or holiday, please try to arrive and depart so as to be able to spend Sunday with a local ecclesia. It will be the highlight of the trip.
  2. If anyone knows of brethren in isolation, non-baptized relatives or interested friends anywhere in Asia, please contact one of the following:

Hong Kong: Simon Lana, Fax 852- 2635-3283 .

Japan: Paul Regan, Fax 81-582- 525-177.

Elsewhere: Colin McGonigal, Fax 61-2-319-5116, P.O. Box 232 Broad­way, NSW, AUST.

Very best regards in Christ,

Steven Cox, 19g Capilano Court,

Pictorial Gardens, Shatin, New Terri­tories, Hong Kong

Tidings Exhortations

In one of the survey responses (all of which are thoroughly read), mention was made that exhortations do not come from a wide enough range of ecclesias. We could not agree more! We need exhortations suitable for publication. Sending them on computer disk, while not essential, facilitates their use. We can accept virtually any computer file.

Please remember brothers often speak from notes or write out their material in an abbreviated form. If the notes are too cryptic, we cannot use them without putting our words over someone else’s name (which we are sure would not be appreciated). In such cases, the material should be sufficiently filled out to make normal editing possible.

Also in regard to the exhortation section, we note requests that the exhortations be somewhat longer no doubt to make them more suitable for use at small memorial services. Where possible, we will try to make them up to three pages long as opposed to the present one to two pages.

On Which Day Did Christ Die?

Dear Bro. Don,

I commend Bro. Albrecht von Gadenstedt for his letter (4/95) regarding the day Christ died and trust he will not mind if we add a little in support of his point of view.

The following is based on the Jewish day which begins at 6 p.m. and assumes the Passover must be consumed on the 14th day of the first month. We feel the sequence of events was as follows: Jesus partook of the supper after 6 p.m. Tuesday on the Jewish 14th day. He was arrested about midnight the 14th, judged by Pilate and crucified. Dying after 3 p.m. on the 14th (our Wednesday), he was buried before 6 p.m. on the Wednesday. After 6 p.m. Wednesday, the 15th began which was a day of rest being the beginning of the seven day feast of unleavened bread. This “sabbath” lasted until 6 p.m. Thursday when the 16th began. Nothing is mentioned regarding the events of the 16th. Probably the woman bought and prepared the spices and the Jews asked Pilate for a guard.

The 16th lasted until 6 p.m. Friday at which point the weekly sabbath began which went to 6 p.m. Saturday. Shortly after the first day of the week began, Jesus was resurrected.

John Booy, Delta B.C.

Dear Bro. Don,

It seems that Bro. von Gadenstedt is not happy with the usual view, which was taken for granted in my ar­ticle, that Christ was crucified on Friday afternoon and rose in the early hours of Sunday morning. Instead, he prefers the view that our Lord was crucified on Wednesday afternoon and rose on Saturday afternoon.

He might possibly be right. There is enough of a problem attached to the conventional dating to deter us from being dogmatic. But it is worth pointing out that his proposed alternative is far from being free of difficulties.

The first is that I Corinthians 15:4 says that “He rose again the third day.” But Saturday is not the third day from Wednesday, it is the fourth day. (In case anyone has doubts about this, consider Genesis 1 where creation began on a Sunday and where the seventh day was a Saturday so that the third day must have been a Tuesday.)

It is not too difficult to harmonize Matthew 12:40 with what Paul says so long as one remembers that Jewish idiom often differs  from American or English idiom. The New Testament scholar R.V.G. Tasker notes: “any part of the 24 hours constituting a day and night could in contemporary [i.e. first-century] Jewish idiom be referred to as though it were a complete day and night” (IVP/Tyndale Commentaries, “Matthew,” pg. 131).

There is a good illustration of this idiom in Esther 4:15-5:1. Esther told Mordecai’ s messengers that she would fast for three days and nights, and then speak to the king; but the narrator, in explaining how she fulfilled this prom­ise, says she put on her robes (thus signifying her fast was ended) and went to petition the king on the third day. Evidently her fast must have lasted for two nights, one whole day and two part days.

Another problem to be faced if one believes that Christ rose on Saturday afternoon is as follows: The day of worship for God’s people had been Saturday for more than a thousand years, ever since God appointed it. Yet Acts 20:7 and I Corinthians 16:2 show that the early ecclesia had already changed it to Sunday. Why should they do this if Christ rose on Saturday? But if, as Mark 16:9 and John 20:19 indicate, he rose in the small hours of Sunday morning, we have an obvious reason for the early change from Saturday to Sunday.

Unfortunately, Bro. von Gadenst­edt’ s computation that Nisan 14th was a Wednesday overlooks one vital point. Jewish months always began at the new moon and so their length varied somewhat randomly between 29 and 30 days (see any good Bible dictionary). Consequently, the day of the week on which Nisan 14th fell would have varied from year to year in an unpredictable manner.

Finally, a word about perspective. It isn’t of prime importance to know how long Christ lay in the grave. What really matters is that “Christ died and returned to life, so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living” (Rom. 14:9, NIV).