We hear a great deal of the very worthy efforts being made in the preaching of the Word — usually, it seems, in places other than our own Continent. We hope this does not indicate that the Christadelphians of America have given up extensive preaching efforts as a hopeless task, wasted upon an indifferent public. For even if there is to be little or no response to our preaching, it would still be necessary and required of us, as it was necessary that Noah preach to a heedless generation. In the words of our brother, Dr. Thomas, “This contention for the faith is a matter of duty, the performance of which is not optional, nor dependent on the prospect of success or failure.”
It is our surprise to relate some details of a fruitful visit to an area in southern Ohio by a visitor from Australia. The High School in the town provided the room in which Bible talks were delivered. The advertising had been as extensive as is possible to very limited means. Ads appeared in the local newspaper, and handbills were widely distributed. It is felt that our example is especially valid in that the town of Piketon is typical of many hundreds of farming communities throughout the country. The work that has been done there by a number of brethren has been continuous, though not without its ups and downs. As the area now begins to crystalize, and a few are seeing their way to stand aside from Protestant errors, we are reminded of the inspiring little book, “Preaching the Truth,” in its narrative example of “contending earnestly.”
Due in part to the effort of our brother from Australia, further interest has been manifested in the area, illustrating that the fields of endeavor are ever limitless. Brother H. P. Mansfield, in company with some other brethren, visited the area for two days, giving lectures on each of the evenings. There was an attendance of nearly fifty persons, other than brothers and sisters, on each of the two evenings.
The first lecture concerned world events in relation to Bible prophecy. The second was entitled “Key to understanding the Scriptures’ and was primarily concerned with the Abrahamic promises and the Gospel. This lecture was unique in that the latter part of the evening was devoted to an informal questioning of the speaker on the part of the audience.
As the various issues were raised by members of the audience, brethren and sisters present were impressed with the necessity of the kind of Bible study which is able to “arm” us for such occasions.
The first questioner appeared to to be a member of one of the standard Protestant bodies. Her first question was : “Christ said he had gone to prepare a home for the Bride. What did he mean ?” This question gave the speaker opportunity to go further into the Kingdom of peace. The brother quickly turned up the passage to which the lady was referring. It was John 14 :2-3.
“What Christ says here is that he is going away to prepare a place for us, his followers. In another place we learn that Jesus Christ acts as an Advocate, a Mediator between God and man. He presents the prayers of those that follow him before God. In that sense Jesus can help us even today. He acts as a Mediator to prepare a place for us. But he also says, ‘If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again.’ So he is in the Heavens preparing that place, but he must come again in order that he might fulfill the promise of his second coming.”
Question : “It says in the Acts that he will come again, but it also states that when he comes, the saints will rise to meet him in the air.”
Answer : “Your first reference is found in the first chapter of Acts, at verse 11: ‘Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner, as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Then the second reference is found in the epistle to the Thessalonians, I Thess. 4:17. It speaks of the return of Jesus Christ, and how at his return the dead in Christ shall rise, and then they will be taken up for a meeting of the Lord in the air.
‘And so’, it goes on to say, ‘And so shall we ever be with the Lord.’ Now it does not mean that they will be ever in the air with the Lord, but rather that they will be taken from their several, places for the meeting with Christ, and so they will be from thence onward. Wherever Christ is found, there they will be. In the fifth chapter of Revelation, verses 9 and 10, we have the song of the Redeemed. They say, ‘Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, tongue and people, and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.” So that, you see, they must reign on the earth, according to Revelation 5:10. “We shall reign on the earth.” Do you have another reference ?”
Question: “The children of God are already priests. There is something in the New Testament to the effect that the children of God are now a holy priesthood.”
Answer: “It is written in I Peter 2:9, ‘Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.’ That is true. But this is speaking of the future age. You see, we do not reign on the earth. “Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth.” We are to reign as kings on the earth ; we don’t do that now, do we ?”
“No, we don’t do that.”
“No, that is right. But the promise is that we Shall Reign on the earth. Paul to Timothy said, ‘If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.’ And in the 5th chapter of Matthew the Lord Jesus in speaking of the city of Jerusalem described it in verse 35 as ‘the city of the great king’, the place where he will rule. And another similar reference is found in Ezekiel 43:7 where it speaks of Jerusalem as the place where Jesus Christ shall rule.”
The questioner went on to make the statement that Jesus established his Kingdom on the Day of Pentecost. The speaking brother answers in part : “You said that Jesus Christ established his Kingdom at his first Advent. But I think that is impossible in view of the words of the Lord himself, because in the 19th chapter of Luke, if you would make a note of that reference, I would like you to consider this. The 19th chapter of Luke at verse 11 we read these words: ‘Jesus proceeded to tell a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they (the disciples) thought that the Kingdom of God should immediately appear.’ Now the disciples thought that the Kingdom of God should immediately appear — then, in that age — and Jesus gave them a parable to show that it wasn’t so. And the parable he gave them in the 19th of Luke was the parable of a nobleman who went into a far country to receive for himself a Kingdom and to return. And in this parable he shows that he had first to go into heaven, and then return again before the Kingdom would be set up.
Now you see, this parable in Luke 19:11 was specifically given because they thought the Kingdom of God should immediately appear. He showed that this was quite wrong.”
Question : “But they weren’t expecting a spiritual kingdom. They were expecting a literal kingdom to be set up here on earth. But he told them to tarry there until they would see the Kingdom come with power from on high.”
Answer : “The words the Lord Jesus used on that occasion referred to the Transfiguration which took place almost immediately. If you will carefully read 2 Peter 1 you will find that Peter gives expression to that and shows that it was fulfilled — what they saw on the Mount was a fulfillment in vision. Read verses 16 down to 18, and you find that Peter refers to the time of Transfiguration, and he shows in this place that they were eye witnesses of the majesty of Christ.
They saw it briefly, but the Kingdom that is set forth in the Scriptures is a physical Kingdom that is to be set up on the earth. A physical Kingdom when Jesus Christ will reign as king. He will come again, and they will be kings and priests reigning with him on the earth. We read in the 2nd chapter of Isaiah : ‘The law shall go forth from Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Jesus Christ will reign on earth as
Question : “That (Isa. 2) is when the Gospel was preached by the Apostles. The law of the Lord went forth from Jerusalem.”
Answer : “Ah, but that prophecy goes on to speak about the time when ‘They will beat their swords into plowshares. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation.’ You could hardly say that is fulfilled yet.” (There is a pause as the speaker waits for questioner’s reply.)
“Could you ?”, he asks.
There is a weak “no” in reply. “That is part of the same prophecy you see.”
“Are there any other questions ?”
So the questioning continued for about an hour and a half, as the group (most of whom had not heard the Truth preached before) showed great interest and responsiveness. Various phases of the teaching of the Gospel were considered, and the people were obviously impressed with what they had heard. So to the “moral” of our narrative. May we who have received the gift of the Word rouse ourselves to greater enthusiasm in the study and defense of that Gift, which is Life to those who hear and receive it and who walk in its ways. As our visitor expressed it : “It is a matter of life and death !”
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One